combed her hair, and washed her face with wine and water; but all was in vain, for the little girl seemed quite dead. So they laid her down upon a bier, and all seven watched and wept and bewailed her three whole days; and then they thought they would bury her; but her cheeks were still beautiful and rosy, and her face looked as fresh as it did while she was alive; so they said, "We will never bury her in the cold ground." And they made a coffin of glass, so that they might still see her, and wrote her name upon it, in golden letters, and that she was a king's daughter. And the coffin was set upon the hill, and one of the dwarfs always sat by it and watched. And the birds came too, and bemoaned Snowflake; first of all came an owl, and then a raven, and at last a dove.

And thus Snow-flake lay for a long time in the bier without decaying, and still only looked as though she were alive and asleep; for she was even now as white as snow, and as red as blood, and her hair was as black as ebony. At last a prince came into the wood, and called at the dwarfs' house to sleep there all night, and he saw Snow-flake, and read what was written in golden letters. Then he offered the dwarfs any money to let him take her away; but they said, "We will not part with her for all the gold in the world." At last they had pity on him, and gave him the coffin: but when his servants lifted it up to carry it home, they stumbled and shook it so that the piece of poisoned apple fell out of Snow-flake's throat, and she revived and sat up, and said, "Where am I?" And the prince said, "You are with me." Then he told her all that had happened, and said, "I love you better than all the world: come with me to my father's palace, and you shall be

my wife." And Snow-flake consented, and went home with the prince; and every thing was prepared to celebrate their wedding with great magnificence and splendour.

Among the rest, Snow-flake's wicked old step-mother, the queen, was asked to the feast; and as she was dressing herself in fine rich clothes, she stepped before the glass, and said,

"Tell me, glass, upon the wall,

Who is fairest of beauties all?"

And the glass answered,

"Here, lady, I ween, thou'rt the brightest star,
But the new-crown'd queen is brighter far."

When she heard this, she was filled with rage beyond all bounds. She would not go to the wedding, but her envy and curiosity were so great, that she could not help setting out to see the young queen. And when she got there, and saw that it was no other than Snow-flake, she could not stir for rage; but there were iron slippers being heated over a blazing fire, and when they were red-hot, she was brought in and they were put upon her, and she was forced to dance in them at the wedding till she expired. So you see what a terrible thing it is to persist in wickedness. But Snow-flake and the prince lived and reigned happily for many years.

145

THE SHOEMAKER AND THE FRIENDLY DWARFS.

THERE was once a shoemaker who, without any fault of his own, was so very poor, that at last he had nothing in the world except just leather enough to make one pair of shoes. Then, one night he cut them out, intending to get up early in the morning to work. As he had a good conscience, his heart was light amidst all his troubles; so he went peaceably to bed, recommended himself to the care of Heaven, and fell asleep. In the morning, after he had said his prayers, and sat down to his work, behold there stood the shoes, all ready made, upon the table. The good man was so astonished that he knew not what to say or think of this, for though he looked closely at the workmanship, there was not one false stitch to be found in the whole job; all was so well done, that it was quite a masterpiece,

That same day a customer came in, and the shoes pleased him so well that he willingly paid a price higher than usual for them; and the poor shoemaker got money to buy leather enough to make two pair more. In the evening, he cut out the work, intending to get up early next day; but there was no occasion, for when he got up in the morning the work was done ready to his hand; and purchasers came in, who paid him so well that he bought leather enough for four pair more. These he cut out again overnight, and found them all ready in the morning as before; and so it went on: what was got ready in the evening was always done by morning, so that the shoemaker soon became a thriving man, and well to do in the world.

146

THE SHOEMAKER AND THE FRIENDLY DWARFS.

One evening about Christmas time, after he had cut out his work, as he and his wife were sitting over the fire chatting together, he said to her, "What would you think of sitting up and watching to-night, that we may see who it is that comes and assists me with my work so well?" The wife was pleased with the idea; so they left a light burning, and hid themselves in a corner of the room behind a curtain that was hung up, and watched to see what should take place.

As soon as it was midnight, there came in two dwarfs; and they sat themselves down at the shoemaker's bench, took up all the work that was cut out, and began to ply so nimbly with their fingers, stitching, and sewing, and hammering away so fast, that the shoemaker was quite amazed, and could not take his eyes off them. They did not stop a moment, but worked away till the job was finished, and the shoes stood ready made upon the table. This was long before day, and then off they flew, and were out of sight in a trice.

Next morning the wife said to her husband, "These little fellows have made us rich, and we ought to be thankful to them. I am quite sorry to see them run about as they do; they have nothing upon their backs to keep off the cold. Suppose I make each of them a coat and waistcoat, and also a pair of trousers; this will make them rather more comfortable."

The thought pleased the worthy man very much; so, one evening, when all the things were ready, they laid them on the table instead of the work that they used to cut out, and then hid themselves to watch what the little men would do. About midnight they came in, and were beginning to set about their work as usual; but when they espied the clothes lying

for them, they stopped and threw down their tools. They then dressed themselves in the twinkling of an eye, and danced and capered and jumped about as merry as possible, till at last they danced out at the door over the green; and the good man and his wife saw them no more; but everything went well with them all their life afterwards.*

THE DWARFS IN COLOGNE.

IN the old times, when the dwarfs were still in Cologne, there was then many a baker who kept no man, for the little people used always to make, overnight, as much black and white bread as the baker wanted for his shop. In many

houses they used to wash and do the work for the maids. Now about this time, there was an expert tailor to whom they appeared to have taken a great fancy, for, when he married, he found in his house, on the wedding-day, the finest victuals and the most beautiful vessels and utensils, which the little folk had brought to their favourite.

When, with time, his family increased, the little ones used to give the tailor's wife considerable aid in her household affairs; they washed for her, and on holidays and festival times, they scoured the copper and tin, and the house from the garret to the cellar. If at any time the tailor had a press of work, he

The dwarfs do not appear to have been offended in this instance as in some other stories, where to make them a present, or to try to see them, was enough to give mortal offence. They disappeared from the shoemaker's house, but it appears to have been because they had accomplished their purpose, in setting the honest shoemaker up again in the world. The story which follows it will be seen is somewhat different.