Told in the Twilight: Stories to Tell to Children (Illustrated) E-Book

Blanche Mcmanus

• Herausgeber: Bauer Books
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

Told in the Twilight: Stories to Tell to Children (Illustrated)

Das E-Book Told in the Twilight: Stories to Tell to Children (Illustrated) wird angeboten von Bauer Books und wurde mit folgenden Begriffen kategorisiert:
twilight, grimm tales, andersen, l. frank baum, wizard of oz, alice in wonderland, kids stories, edith nesbit

Leseprobe

Blanche

Told in the Twilight: Stories to Tell to Children (Illustrated Edition)

UUID: 29c616c2-ba3d-11e8-8e46-17532927e555

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Table of contents

UNDINE, THE WATER MAID, WHO WEDDED A MORTAL. UNDINE.

Who was Undine? Why, just the most beautiful Rhine maiden who ever existed, but she wanted to be a mortal and to leave the lovely caves below the waters and become a commonplace human being. So her great uncle Kühleborn, who was ruler of the spirits of the waters, made a mighty storm, and Undine, in the shape of a tiny baby, was washed to the shore of a lake, where the old fisher people who had lost their own child adopted her.

As a little girl Undine often amazed her foster parents by her queer sayings and doings. She would play among the waves of the lake, and often would mysteriously disappear for days at a time.

Now when she had grown up, a knight rode through the forest and stopped with the old fisher people, and that night another storm rose, and the lake burst its bound and encircled the house, so that they were cut off from land, and saw no way ever to rejoin the rest of the world. A priest was wrecked below their hut, and the next day Huldbrand, the knight, married Undine, who at once became mortal—the sweetest, gentlest, loveliest bride knight ever had. Then the lake sank down to its usual size, and straightway the knight bore off his bride. But Kühleborn followed them through the forest—now as a brook, and then as a waterfall—always near to watch over Undine. For a long time they were very happy; but a lady at the court, Bertalda, had loved the knight herself before ever he met Undine, and still loved him; so she did her best to persuade him that the fair Undine was a witch. Undine thought that a person who was so cruel must be unhappy, and thought it was because she was an orphan, so she found out through the water-fairies that Bertalda was the lost daughter of the fisher-folk, her foster parents, and sent for them. But Bertalda was furious at being discovered to be a peasant, and hated Undine still more, and did more to set Huldbrand against his bride. Now Undine knew if her husband was cruel to her or loved another, she would have to kill him and rejoin the waterpeople; so she did her best by loving ways to inspire him with faith, but he grew more and more suspicious, especially when Undine had the great well of the castle covered with a huge stone, for she feared lest Huldbrand‘s treatment would cause the Rhine fairies, who could only enter the castle by that spring, to do him injury.

Afterwards, much against her wish, she went with her knight, and Bertalda, for a tour on the Rhine. And here one day her husband called her a witch, and in a violent rage bade her go back to her people; so she vanished over the side of the boat and melted like water into the stream.

Huldbrand grieved bitterly, but after a while was comforted by Bertalda‘s love, and married her. The new bride, eager to display her power, ordered the castle well to be uncovered, when a pillar of water rose, that changed into the form of Undine, who, wringing her hands, walked to Huldbrand‘s chamber, where they found him dead in her arms. They buried him, and a bubbling spring gushed from the turf by his grave, encircling it ere it flowed into the lake. Thus does Undine still hold her loved knight in her embrace. RIP VAN WINKLE AND HIS LONG NAP.

RIP VAN WINKLE

Past New York, right up the Hudson River, you come to great mountains—called the Catskills—which are otherwise known as the “Kaatsberg.“ Long ago there lived in a village, at the foot of one of these tree-clad hills, a Dutchman named Rip Van Winkle, who had a wife, a grumbling, bad-tempered woman; a son, a young Rip; and a blue-eyed daughter, whom he loved dearly. The old Rip was a lazy, good-natured fellow, fond of sitting outside the village inn and gossiping in the shade beneath the sign.board which bore a portrait of King George III., for America was then an English colony. One summer evening when poor Rip Van Winkle had been scolded by his wife, who had routed him out of his favorite seat, he scrambled up the mountain for peace and quiet with his dog and his gun, and threw himself on a green knoll, and dozed.

He was aroused by hearing some one call “Rip Van Winkle! Rip Van Winkle!“ His dog Wolf growled and skulked to his master‘s side, as a curious dwarf approached them carrying a keg of liquor on his shoulders; he made signs for Rip to help him carry his burden up the mountain, and they climbed in silence, broken only by long rolling peals like distant thunder, until they came to an open space, where Rip saw a company of odd-looking personages playing at nine-pins. They were dressed in short doublets, with great knives stuck in their belts, and wore enormous breeches, each had a long beard and a queue, and each wore a high-pointed hat, with a crown like a sugarloaf and a broad brim. By and by they induced Rip to join them, and he found the noise he had taken for thunder was caused by their balls as they rolled along the mountain sides. After awhile they offered him a flagon of hollands, which he drank and fell down in a deep sleep.

“Where is your mother?“ he asked. “She died some time ago“, she replied. “I am your father,“ the poor man said; and then a very old woman came forward and said: “Sure enough it‘s Rip Van Winkle himself. Well, old neighbor, where have you been these twenty years?“ THE SWINEHERD. “Ah, if it were but a little pussy-cat!“ exclaimed she; then out came the beautiful rose. “Oh, how prettily it is made!“ said all the court ladies “It is more than pretty,“ said the emperor; “it is charming!“ But the princess touched it, and was almost ready to cry. “Fie, papa!“ said she, “it is not made at all; it is natural!“ “Fie!“ cried all the court ladies; “it is natural!“ “How much the bird reminds me of the musical box that belonged to our blessed empress!“ remarked an old knight. “Ah yes!“ said the emperor, and he wept like a little child. “I will still hope that it is not a real bird,“ said the princess. “Yet it is a real bird,“ said those who had brought it. “Well, then let the bird fly,“ returned the princess; and she positively refused to see the prince. “Good day, emperor “ said he. “Can I have employment at the palace?“ “Ah! thou dearest Augustine! All is gone, gone, gone!“ And so one of the court ladies must run in; however, she drew on wooden slippers first. “What will you take for the saucepan?“ inquired the lady. “I will have ten kisses from the princess,“ said the swineherd. “Mercy on us!“ said the lady. “Yes, I cannot sell it for less,“ said the swineherd. “Well, what does he say?“ asked the princess. “I cannot tell you, really,“ replied the lady; “it is too bad!“ “Ah! thou dearest Augustine! All is gone, gone, gone!“ “That must not be, either!“ said the princess; “but do you all stand before me, that no one may see us.“ “We know who has soup and who has pancakes for dinner to day, who has cutlets, and who has eggs. How interesting!“ And “How interesting!“ said the lord steward‘s wife. “Yes, but keep my secret, for I am an emperor‘s daughter.“ “Mercy on us,“ said they all. “Oh! but we should not like that at all!“ said the court ladies. “A hundred kisses from the princess!“ said he, “or else let every one keep his own.“ “Stand round!“ said she; and all the ladies stood round her whilst the kissing was going on. Hey there! what a hurry he is in. “Oh, how miserable I am!“ said the princess. “If I had but married the handsome young prince! Ah! how unfortunate I am!“ He then went back to his own little kingdom, and shut the door of his palace in her face. Now she might well sing: “Ah! thou dearest Augustine! All is gone, gone, gone!“ DICK WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT. DICK WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT. “TURN AGAIN, WHITTINGTON, A VOYAGE TO FAIRYLAND. “I hope I haven‘t hurt you,“ he continued, “but it wasn‘t my fault exactly; you see…“ “Where?“ asked Dora. “Back,“ replied the goblin, jerking his head over his shoulder as an accompaniment to his rather vague answer. “Please be a little more definite; where‘s back?“ “Oh, Fairyland, you know.“ “Then take me with you, please; I‘ll be so good,“ cried Dora, so suddenly that it made the goblin jump. “Oh, how lovely!“ cried Dora, clasping her hands. “Is this Fairyland?“ “What glorious color!“ exclaimed Dora under her breath to her companion. “Yes, it isn‘t bad; but you see I get it every day,“ he added, noticing the reproach in her eyes; and with this he left her and went below. She was brought back, however, by the little man, who had returned, and was digging her in the side. “You see, we don‘t steer our ships as you do in your world; we are drawn to our destination by the music of Fairyland.“ “Come, you must go to bed, dear,“ said a voice in her ear. Dora had awakened in nurse‘s arms. THE UGLY DUCKLING. THE UGLY DUCKLING. “How wide the world is!“ said all the young ones, for they certainly had much more room now than when they were in the eggs. “Well, how goes it?“ asked an old Duck who had come to pay her a visit. “Let me see the egg. Yes, that‘s a turkey‘s egg. Let it lie there, and teach the other children to swim.“ “I think I will sit on it a little lounger,“ said the Duck. “I‘ve sat so long now that I can sit a few days more.“ “Just as you please,“ said the old Duck; and she went away. At last the great egg burst. “Piep! piep “ said the little one, and crept forth. It was very large and very ugly. The Duck looked at it. And they did so; but the other ducks round about looked at them and said quite boldly: “Let it alone,“ said the mother: “it does no harm to any one.“ Then it ran and flew over the fence, and the little birds in the bushes flew up in fear. In the morning the strange Duckling was at once noticed, and the Cat began to purr and the Hen to cluck. The Duckling thought one might have a different opinion, but the Hen would not allow it. “Can you lay eggs?“ she asked. “No.“ “Then will you hold your tongue!“ And the Cat said “Can you curve your back, and purr, and give out sparks?“ “No“ “Then you will please have no opinion of your own when sensible folks are speaking.“ “I think I will go out into the wide world,“ said the Duckling. “Yes, do go,“ replied the hen. And so the Duckling went away. It swam on the water, and dived, but it was slighted by every creature because of its ugliness. It matters nothing if one is born in a duckyard if one has only lain in a swan‘s egg. “I never dreamed of so much happiness when I was the Ugly Duckling!“ —Hans Christian Andersen ROBIN HOOD AND HIS MERRY MEN. ROBIN HOOD AND HIS MERRY MEN. “A sorrier man than he was one Rode never in summer‘s day!“ But his countenance changed, when Sir Richard leaped up, and out of a bag shook four hundred pounds of bright gold. “ ‘And thou art made her messenger My money for to pay.‘“ “ ‘Sir Abbot, by your leave, Awhile ye must abide. “His men are more at his bidding Than my men be at mine!“ “Seven score of right young men Came ready in a row.“ “ ‘To burn fair Kirkley Hall, And all their nunnery.‘ So died Robin Hood, as he had lived, and so was buried, many there were to say a prayer over his and grave. “For he was a good outlaw, And did poor men much good.“ THE DISCONTENTED PENDULUM. THE DISCONTENTED PENDULUM. “Lazy Wire!“ exclaimed the Dial-plate. “As to that,“ said the Dial, “is there not a window in your house on purpose for you to look through?“ “Exactly so,“ replied the Pendulum. The Pendulum complied, and ticked six times at its usual pace. “Now,“ resumed the Dial, “was that exertion fatiguing to you?“ “Not in the least,“ replied the Pendulum; “it is not of six strokes that I complain, nor yet of sixty, but of millions.“ When the farmer came down to breakfast he declared, upon looking at the Clock that his watch had gained half an hour in the night. —Jane Taylor THE PIED PIPER OF HAMELIN. Rats! They fought the dogs and killed the cats, Will you give a thousand guilders?“ “One? fifty thousand!“ was the exclamation Of the astonished Mayor and Corporation. To shock with mirth a street so solemn; But opposite the place of the cavern —Robert Browning.