The two orphans looked inside the hut and saw the witch resting there, her head near the threshold, one foot in one corner, the other foot in another corner, and her knees quite close to the ridge pole.
‘Beauty, did you come here willingly to die in place of your father?’ ‘Willingly,’ she answered.
Beauty could not help shuddering when she saw the horrible face of the frightful creature, but she made a brave effort to overcome her fear.
‘This small key belongs to one small room on the ground‑floor, and this you must not open, or you will repent it sore.’
The Princess ascended a narrow, winding staircase and reached a little door. A rusty key was sticking in the lock, and when she turned it the door flew open. In a little room sat an old woman with a spindle, spinning her flax busily.
The horse gave a jump in order to rise in the air and commenced his flight, but this time he was not alone; for when waving his tail it caught up good little Arthur, winding itself round his body.
The new wife brought two daughters home with her, and they were beautiful and fair in appearance, but at heart were black and ugly.
Her godmother simply touched her with her wand, and, at the same moment, her clothes were turned into cloth of gold and silver, all decked with jewels.
Devapala came to a river swollen by the flood and very hard to ford. On the other side of the river he saw floating an image of Jina. Now no good Hindu would let an image of Jina be tossed about in the rushing river.
The young Princess threw herself at the feet of the King her father and conjured him not to constrain her to consent to his unnatural desire.
The lassie set out on her way, and walked many, many days, till she came to a lofty rock. Under it sat an old hag, and played with a gold apple which she tossed about.
The Frost knew all about the weakness of human beings; he knew very well that few of them are really good and kind.
The old woman, although her behavior was so kind, was a wicked witch, who lay in wait for children, and had built the little house on purpose to entice them.
Tsar Vwislav had one favorite apple-tree, and on that tree grew apples all golden. The Fire-bird used to sit on the favorite apple-tree, pluck from it golden apples, and then fly away.
Our old man lived on with his sons until finally his hour came to die. He called his three sons and said to them: ‘Dear children of mine, my dying hour is at hand and ye must fulfill my will.’
He went up boldly, and knocked loudly at the gate; when, to his great terror and surprise, there came forth a monstrous giant with two heads.
The wolf thought to himself, ‘That tender young thing would be a delicious morsel, and would taste better than the old one.’
‘Granny!’ Red Riding Hood cried, ‘What very long arms you have got!’ The Wolf answered, ‘The better to hug you, my child.’
The poor child said to the Wolf: ‘I am going to see my grandmother, and carry her a custard and a little pot of butter from my mamma.’