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."

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.

Fairy Tale Story - The Thief and his Master

   This fairy tale story is collected from the Brothers Grimm. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm are known as the Brothers Grimm. This fairy tale is from the book named, Household Tale.  Translated by- Margaret Hunt, published from- London: George Bell, 1884

The Thief and his Master

    The Thief and his Master

- A fairy tale by - The Brothers Grimm

   Hans wished to put his son to learn a trade, so he went into the church and prayed to our Lord God to know which would be most advantageous for him. Then the priest got behind the altar, and said, "Thieving, thieving." On this Hans goes back to his son, and tells him he is to learn thieving, and that the Lord God had said so. So he goes with his son to seek a man who is familiar with thieving.

   They walk a long time and come into a great forest, where stands a little house and an old woman was there. Hans says, "Do you know of a man who is acquainted with thieving?"

   "You can learn that here quite well," says the woman, "my son is a master of it."

   So Hans speaks with the son, and asks if he knows thieving really well? The master-thief says, "I will teach him well. Come back when a year is over, and then if you recognize your son, I will take no payment at all for teaching him; but if you don't know him, you must give me two hundred thalers (currency)."

Charles Perrault's fairy tale story - The Ridiculous Wishes

   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.

The Ridiculous Wishes

  The Ridiculous Wishes

  A Fairy Tale story by - Charles Perrault

    
   There was once a poor woodcutter who, tired of his hard life, longed for rest in the world to come. In his unhappiness, he declared that in all his days heaven had not granted even one of his wishes. 

   One day in the forest, as the woodcutter was complaining of his unhappy lot. At that time, Jupiter appeared before him with his thunderbolts in his hands. It would be difficult to picture the terror of the poor man. 

   "I desire nothing," the poor woodcutter said, casting himself on the ground. I will give up my wishes if you, in turn, will give up your thunder. That is a fair exchange!" 

   "Do you have no fear," said Jupiter. "I have heard your complaints and I have come to show you how unfairly you judge me. Now listen! I am the king of all the world and I promise to grant your first three wishes. No matter what the wishes may be. See that they make you happy and content; and since your happiness depends on them. So, think carefully before you make those wishes."

   With these words, Jupiter returned to his heavens. Then the happy woodcutter was taking up his bundle of sticks and hurried to his home. He felt that his burden seemed so light.

   "This is an important matter," the woodcutter said to himself. "I certainly must have my wife's advice."

A Fairy Tale Story - Cinderella

   This is a fairy tale story from Charles Perrault. This story is collected from his famous fairy tale story collection, named "The Tales of Mother Goose", published in 1696.

Cinderella

 Cinderella  (Part - 2)

A fairy tale by - Charles Perrault

   Cinderella promised her godmother that she would not fail to leave the ball before midnight. She drove away, rare able to contain herself for joy. The King's son, who was told that a great princess, whom nobody knew, was come, ran out to receive her. He gave her his hand as she alighted from the coach and led her into the hall where the company was assembled. There was at once a deep silence; every one left off dancing, and the violins come to an end to play, so attracted was every one by the singular beauties of the unknown newcomer. Nothing was then heard but a confused sound of voices saying, “Ha! How beautiful she is! How beautiful she is!"
 

   The old King himself, could not keep his eyes off her and he told the Queen under his breath that it was a long time since he had seen so beautiful and lovely a creature.
 

   All the ladies were busy studying her clothes and head-dress, so that they might have made that the same pattern next day, provided they could meet with such fine materials and able hands to make them.

Fairy Tale Story - Cinderella

   This is a fairy tale story from Charles Perrault. This story is collected from his famous fairy tale story collection, named "The Tales of Mother Goose", published in 1696.

Cinderella

  Cinderella  (Part - 1)

   A Fairy tale story by Charles Perrault

   Once upon a time there was a gentleman who married, for his second wife. She was the proudest and most haughty woman that ever was seen. She had two daughters of her own, who were, indeed, exactly like her in all things. The gentleman had also a young daughter of rare goodness and sweetness of temper, which she took from her mother, who was the best creature in the world.

   The wedding was scarcely over, when the stepmother's bad temper began to show itself. She could not bear the goodness of this young girl, because it made her own daughters appear the more odious. The stepmother gave her the meanest work in the house to do. She had to scour the dishes, tables, etc., and to scrub the floors and clean out the bedrooms. The poor girl had to sleep in the garret, upon a miserable straw bed, while her sisters lay in fine rooms with woven floors, upon beds of the very newest fashion, and where they had looking-glasses so large that they might see themselves at their full length. The poor girl bore all patiently and dared not complain to her father, who would have scolded her if she had done so, for his wife governed him completely.

   When she had done her work, she used to go into the chimney corner, and sit down among the cinders; hence she was called “Cinderwench”. The younger sister of the two, who was not so rude and uncivil as the elder, called her Cinderella. However, Cinderella, in spite of her mean dress, was a hundred times more handsome than her sisters, though they were always richly dressed.

A Fairy tale story - The Poor Man and the Rich Man

   This fairy tale story is collected from Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Household Tales, translated by- Margaret Hunt (London: George Bell, 1884)

The Poor Man and the Rich Man

  The Poor Man and the Rich Man - Part 2

  A Fairy tale story by - The Brothers Grimm 

 

   The sun was high when the rich man got up and looked out of his window and saw, on the opposite side of the way, a new clean-looking house with red tiles and bright windows where the old hut used to be. 

   He was very much surprised, and called his wife and said to her, "Tell me, what can have happened? Last night there was a miserable little hut standing there, and today there is a beautiful new house. Run over and see how that has come to pass."

   So his wife went and asked the poor man, and he said to her, "Yesterday evening a traveler came here and asked for a night's lodging, and this morning when he took leave of us he granted us three wishes - eternal happiness, health during this life and our daily bread as well, and besides this, a beautiful new house instead of our old hut."

   When the rich man's wife heard this, she ran back in rush and told her husband how it had happened. The rich man said, "I could tear myself to pieces! If I had but known that! That the traveler came to our house too, and wanted to sleep here, and I sent him away." 

   "Quick!" said his wife, "get on your horse. You can still catch the man up and then you must ask to have three wishes granted you."

   The rich man followed the good advice and galloped away on his horse. Soon the rich man came up with the Lord. He spoke to him softly and gently, and begged him not to take it wrong that he had not let Him in directly; he was looking for the front-door key, and in the meantime the stranger had gone away, if He returned the same way He must come and stay with him.

Fairy tale story - The Poor Man and the Rich Man

   This fairy tale story is collected from Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Household Tales, translated by- Margaret Hunt (London: George Bell, 1884)

The Poor Man and Rich Man

  The Poor Man and the Rich Man (Part-1)

  A Fairy tale story by- The Brothers Grimm

   In olden times, when the Lord himself still used to walk about on this earth among men, it once happened that He was tired and overtaken by the darkness before He could reach an inn. Now there stood on the road before Him two houses facing each other. One of them was large and beautiful and the other was small and poor. The large one belonged to a rich man and the small one to a poor man.

   Then the Lord thought, "I shall be no burden to the rich man, I will stay the night with him." When the rich man heard some one knocking at his door, he opened the window and asked the stranger what he wanted. The Lord answered, "I only ask for a night's lodging."

   Then the rich man looked at the traveler from head to foot, and as the Lord was wearing common clothes, He did not look like one who had much money in His pocket. 

   The rich man shook his head and said, "No, I cannot take you in, because my rooms are full of herbs and seeds. If I were to lodge every one who knocked at my door, I might very soon go begging myself. Go somewhere else for lodging," and with this he shut down the window and left the Lord standing there.

Fairy tale story - The Old Man and his Grandson

   This Fairy tale story is collected from Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Household Tales, translated by - Margaret Hunt (London: George Bell, 1884)

The Old man and his Grandson

 The Old man and his Grandson

  A Fairy tale story by - The Brothers Grimm

   Once there was a very old man, whose eyes had become dim, his ears became weak of hearing, his knees shacked. When he sat at the table he could hardly hold the spoon and spilt upon the table-cloth or let it run out of his mouth. His son and his son's wife were disgusted at this. So the old grandfather at last had to sit in the corner behind the stove, and they gave him his food in a pottery bowl, and not even enough of it. The old man used to look towards the table with his eyes full of tears. 

   Once, the old man's trembling hands could not hold the bowl and the pottery bowl fell to the ground and broke it. His son’s young wife scolded him, but he said nothing and only sighed. Then they gave him a wooden bowl for a few half-pence, out of which he had to eat.