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Bajka dnia - Today's fairy tale : Snow-White and Rose-Red

 

There was once a poor widow who lived in a lonely cottage. In

front of the cottage was a garden wherein stood two rose-trees,

one of which bore white and the other red roses. She had two

children who were like the two rose-trees, and one was called

snow-white, and the other rose-red. They were as good and happy,

as busy and cheerful as ever two children in the world were, only

snow-white was more quiet and gentle than rose-red. Rose-red

liked better to run about in the meadows and fields seeking

flowers and catching butterflies, but snow-white sat at home

with her mother, and helped her with her house-work, or read to

her when there was nothing to do.

The two children were so fond of one another that they always

held each other by the hand when they went out together, and

when snow-white said, we will not leave each other, rose-red

answered, never so long as we live, and their mother would

add, what one has she must share with the other.

They often ran about the forest alone and gathered red berries,

and no beasts did them any harm, but came close to them

trustfully. The little hare would eat a cabbage-leaf out of

their hands, the roe grazed by their side, the stag leapt

merrily by them, and the birds sat still upon the boughs, and

sang whatever they knew.

No mishap overtook them, if they had stayed too late in the

forest, and night came on, they laid themselves down near one

another upon the moss, and slept until morning came, and their

mother knew this and did not worry on their account.

Once when they had spent the night in the wood and the dawn

had roused them, they saw a beautiful child in a shining white

dress sitting near their bed. He got up and looked quite kindly

at them, but said nothing and went away into the forest. And

when they looked round they found that they had been sleeping

quite close to a precipice, and would certainly have fallen into

it in the darkness if they had gone only a few paces further.

And their mother told them that it must have been the angel who

watches over good children.

Snow-white and rose-red kept their mother's little cottage so

neat that it was a pleasure to look inside it. In the summer

rose-red took care of the house, and every morning laid a wreath

of flowers by her mother's bed before she awoke, in which was

a rose from each tree. In the winter snow-white lit the fire and

hung the kettle on the hob. The kettle was of brass and shone

like gold, so brightly was it polished. In the evening, when

the snowflakes fell, the mother said, go, snow-white, and bolt

the door, and then they sat round the hearth, and the mother

took her spectacles and read aloud out of a large book, and the

two girls listened as they sat and spun. And close by them lay

a lamb upon the floor, and behind them upon a perch sat a white

dove with its head hidden beneath its wings.

One evening, as they were thus sitting comfortably together,

someone knocked at the door as if he wished to be let in. The

mother said, quick, rose-red, open the door, it must be a traveler

who is seeking shelter. Rose-red went and pushed back the bolt,

thinking that it was a poor man, but it was not. It was a

bear that stretched his broad, black head within the door.

Rose-red screamed and sprang back, the lamb bleated, the dove

fluttered, and snow-white hid herself behind her mother's bed.

But the bear began to speak and said, do not be afraid, I will

do you no harm. I am half-frozen, and only want to warm myself

a little beside you.

Poor bear, said the mother, lie down by the fire, only take

care that you do not burn your coat. Then she cried, snow-white,

rose-red, come out, the bear will do you no harm, he means well.

So they both came out, and by-and-by the lamb and dove came

nearer, and were not afraid of him. The bear said, here,

children, knock the snow out of my coat a little. So they

brought the broom and swept the bear's hide clean, and he

stretched himself by the fire and growled contentedly and

comfortably. It was not long before they grew quite at home,

and played tricks with their clumsy guest. They tugged his

hair with their hands, put their feet upon his back and rolled

him about, or they took a hazel-switch and beat him, and when he

growled they laughed. But the bear took it all in good part, only

when they were too rough he called out, leave me alive, children,

snow-white, rose-red,

will you beat your wooer dead.

When it was bed-time, and the others went to bed, the mother

said to the bear, you can lie there by the hearth, and then you

will be safe from the cold and the bad weather. As soon as day

dawned the two children let him out, and he trotted across

the snow into the forest.

Henceforth the bear came every evening at the same time, laid

himself down by the hearth, and let the children amuse themselves

with him as much as they liked. And they got so used to him that

the doors were never fastened until their black friend had arrived.

When spring had come and all outside was green, the bear said

one morning to snow-white, now I must go away, and cannot come

back for the whole summer. Where are you going, then, dear bear,

asked snow-white. I must go into the forest and guard my treasures

from the wicked dwarfs. In the winter, when the earth is frozen

hard, they are obliged to stay below and cannot work their

way through, but now, when the sun has thawed and warmed the

earth, they break through it, and come out to pry and steal. And

what once gets into their hands, and in their caves, does not

easily see daylight again.

Snow-white was quite sorry at his departure, and as she unbolted

the door for him, and the bear was hurrying out, he caught against

the bolt and a piece of his hairy coat was torn off, and it

seemed to snow-white as if she had seen gold shining through

it, but she was not sure about it. The bear ran away quickly,

and was soon out of sight behind the trees.

A short time afterwards the mother sent her children into the

forest to get fire-wood. There they found a big tree which lay

felled on the ground, and close by the trunk something was

jumping backwards and forwards in the grass, but they could

not make out what it was. When they came nearer they saw a dwarf

with an old withered face and a snow-white beard a yard long. The

end of the beard was caught in a crevice of the tree, and the

little fellow was jumping about like a dog tied to a rope, and did

not know what to do.

He glared at the girls with his fiery red eyes and cried, why do

you stand there. Can you not come here and help me. What are

you up to, little man, asked rose-red. You stupid, prying

goose, answered the dwarf. I was going to split the tree to get

a little wood for cooking. The little bit of food that we people

get is immediately burnt up with heavy logs. We do not swallow

so much as you coarse, greedy folk. I had just driven the

wedge safely in, and everything was going as I wished, but the

cursed wedge was too smooth and suddenly sprang out, and the tree

closed so quickly that I could not pull out my beautiful white

beard, so now it is tight in and I cannot get away, and the silly,

sleek, milk-faced things laugh. Ugh. How odious you are.

The children tried very hard, but they could not pull the

beard out, it was caught too fast. I will run and fetch someone,

said rose-red. You senseless goose, snarled the dwarf. Why

should you fetch someone. You are already two too many for me.

Can you not think of something better. Don't be impatient, said

snow-white, I will help you, and she pulled her scissors out of

her pocket, and cut off the end of the beard.

As soon as the dwarf felt himself free he laid hold of a bag which

lay amongst the roots of the tree, and which was full of gold,

and lifted it up, grumbling to himself, uncouth people, to cut

off a

piece of my fine beard. Bad luck to you, and then he swung the

bag upon his back, and went off without even once looking at

the children.

Some time afterwards snow-white and rose-red went to catch a

dish of fish. As they came near the brook they saw something

like a large grasshopper jumping towards the water, as if

it were going to leap in. They ran to it and found it was the

dwarf. Where are you going, said rose-red, you surely don't

want to go into the water. I am not such a fool, cried the

dwarf. Don't you see that the accursed fish wants to pull

me in. The little man had been sitting there fishing, and

unluckily the wind had tangled up his beard with the fishing-line.

A moment later a big fish made a bite and the feeble

creature had not strength to pull it out. The fish kept the

upper hand and pulled the dwarf towards him. He held on to

all the reeds and rushes, but it was of little good, for he

was forced to follow the movements of the fish, and was in

urgent danger of being dragged into the water.

The girls came just in time. They held him fast and tried to

free his beard from the line, but all in vain, beard and line

were entangled fast together. There was nothing to do but to

bring out the scissors and cut the beard, whereby a small part

of it was lost. When the dwarf saw that he screamed out,

is that civil, you toadstool, to disfigure a man's face. Was

it not enough to clip off the end of my beard. Now you have

cut off the best part of it. I cannot let myself be seen by

my people. I wish you had been made to run the soles off your

shoes. Then he took out a sack of pearls which lay in the

rushes, and without another word he dragged it away and

disappeared behind a stone.

It happened that soon afterwards the mother sent the two children

to the town to buy needles and thread, and laces and ribbons. The

road led them across a heath upon which huge pieces of rock lay

strewn about. There they noticed a large bird hovering in the

air, flying slowly round and round above them. It sank lower and

lower, and at last settled near a rock not far away. Immediately

they heard a loud, piteous cry. They ran up and saw with horror

that the

eagle had seized their old acquaintance the dwarf, and was going

to carry him off.

The children, full of pity, at once took tight hold of the little

man, and pulled against the eagle so long that at last he let

his booty go. As soon as the dwarf had recovered from his

first fright he cried with his shrill voice, could you not have

done it more carefully. You dragged at my brown coat so that it

is all torn and full of holes, you clumsy creatures. Then he

took up a sack full of precious stones, and slipped away again

under the rock into his hole. The girls, who by this time

were used to his ingratitude, went on their way and did their

business in the town.

As they crossed the heath again on their way home they surprised

the dwarf, who had emptied out his bag of precious stones in

a clean spot, and had not thought that anyone would come there

so late. The evening sun shone upon the brilliant stones.

They glittered and sparkled with all colors so beautifully that

the children stood still and stared at them. Why do you stand

gaping there, cried the dwarf, and his ashen-gray face became

copper-red with rage. He was still cursing when a loud

growling was heard, and a black bear came trotting towards them

out of the forest. The dwarf sprang up in a fright, but he

could not reach his cave, for the bear was already close. Then

in the dread of his heart he cried, dear mr. Bear, spare me, I

will give you all my treasures, look, the beautiful jewels

lying there. Grant me my life. What do you want with such a

slender little fellow as I. You would not feel me between

your teeth. Come, take these two wicked girls, they are tender

morsels for you, fat as young quails, for mercy's sake eat them.

The bear took no heed of his words, but gave the wicked creature

a single blow with his paw, and he did not move again.

The girls had run away, but the bear called to them, snow-white

and rose-red, do not be afraid. Wait, I will come with you.

Then they recognised his voice and waited, and when he came up

to them suddenly his bearskin fell off, and he stood there,

a handsome man, clothed all in gold. I am a king's son, he said,

and I was bewitched by that wicked dwarf, who had stolen my

treasures.

I have had to run about the forest as a savage bear until I was

freed by his death. Now he has got his well-deserved punishment.

Snow-white was married to him, and rose-red to his brother,

and they divided between them the great treasure which the dwarf

had gathered together in his cave. The old mother lived

peacefully and happily with her children for many years. She took

the two rose-trees with her, and they stood before her window, and

every year bore the most beautiful roses, white and red.

 

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