A Fairy tale Story-Donkey Skin

This fairy tale story is collected from the book named, Old-Time Stories told by Master Charles Perrault. This fairy tale story book was translated by A. F. Johnson and published from New York, Dodd Mead and Company, 1921.

Donkey Skin

  Donkey Skin (Part 2)

  -A Fairy tale story

One day the young prince, seeking adventure from court yard to court yard, came to the vague hallway where Donkey Skin had her humble room. By chance he put his eye to the key hole. It was a feast-day and Donkey Skin had put on her dress of gold and diamonds which shone as brightly as the sun. The prince was breathless at her beauty, her youthfulness, and her modesty. Three times he was on the point of entering her room, but each time renounced.

   On his return to his father's palace, the prince became very thoughtful, sighing day and night and refusing to attend any of the balls and carnivals. He lost his appetite and finally sank into sad and deadly grief. He asked who this beautiful maiden was that lived in such dirtiness and was told that it was Donkey Skin, the ugliest animal one could find, except the wolf, and a certain cure for love. This he would not believe, and he refused to forget what he had seen.

   His mother, the queen, begged him to tell her what was wrong. Instead, he moaned, wept and sighed. He would say nothing, except that he wanted Donkey Skin to make him a cake with her own hands.

"Oh! Heavens," they told the queen, "this Donkey Skin is only a poor, drab servant."

"It makes no difference," replied the queen. "We must do as the prince says. It is the only way to save him."

A German Folktale Story-Gaffer Death

This German folktale story is collected from the German folktale story book, named- “Folk-lore and Legends: Germany”. This German folktale story book contains 30 German folktales, which was written by- Charles John Tibbitts. It was fast published by-W.W. Gibbings, London in 1892.

Gaffer Death

   Gaffer Death
   -A German Folktale Story

   There was once a poor man who had twelve children, and he was obliged to hard work day and night that he might earn food for them. When at length, as it so happened, a thirteenth child came into the world. The poor man did not know how to help himself, so he ran out into the highway, determined to ask the first person he met to be godfather to the boy.

There came stalking up to him Death, who said, "Take me for a godfather."

"Who are you?" asked the father.

"I am Death, who makes all equal," replied the stranger.

Then said the man, "You are one of the right sorts: you seize on rich and poor without difference; you shall be the child's godfather."

The Death answered, "I will make the boy rich and renowned throughout the world, for he who has me for a friend can want nothing."

The man said to the stranger, "Next Sunday will he be baptized, mind and come at the right time."

   The Death accordingly appeared as he had promised and stood godfather to the child.

   When the boy grew up his godfather came to him one day and took him into a wood, and he said - "Now shall you have your godfather's present. I will make a most famous physician of you. Whenever you are called to a sick person, I will take care and show myself to you. If I stand at the foot of the bed, say boldly, 'I will soon restore you to health,' and give the patient a little herb that I will point out to you, and he will soon be well. If, however, I stand at the head of the sick person, he is mine; then say, 'All help is useless; he must soon die.'"

Then Death showed him the little herb and said, "Take attention that you never use it in opposition to my will."

Fairy tale story-Donkey Skin

This fairy tale story is collected from the book named, Old-Time Stories told by Master Charles Perrault. This fairy tale story book was translated by A. F. Johnson and published from New York, Dodd Mead and Company, 1921.

Donkey Skin-Charles Perrault

    Donkey Skin (Part 1)
A Fairy tale story, by-Charles Perrault

   Once upon a time there was a king who was the most powerful ruler in the whole world. Kind and just in peace and terrifying in war, his enemies feared him while his subjects were happy and content. His wife and faithful companion was both charming and beautiful. From their union a daughter had been born.

   Their large and magnificent palace was filled with courtiers, and their stables boasted steeds large and small, of every description. But what surprised everyone on entering these stables was that the place of honor was held by a donkey with two big ears. However, it was quite worthy of this position, for every morning, instead of dung, it dropped a great load of gold coins upon the trash.

   Now heaven, which seems to join good with evil, suddenly tolerable a bitter illness to attack the queen. Help was sought on all sides, but neither the learned physicians nor the quacks were able to arrest the fever which increased daily. Finally, her last hour having come, the queen said to her husband: "Promise me that if, when I am gone, you find a woman wiser and more beautiful than I, and you will marry her and so provide an inheritor for throne."

   Confident that it would be impossible to find such a woman, the queen thus believed that her husband would never remarry. The king accepted his wife's conditions, and shortly thereafter she died in his arms.