Once upon a time there lived at Salerno a poor old woman who earned her bread by fishing, and whose only comfort and stay in life was her grandson, a boy twelve years of age, whose father had been drowned in a storm and whose mother had died of grief. Graceful, for this was the […]
Continue ReadingWhy the Lamb is Meek
Once upon a time, there was a little lamb frisking gaily about the pasture. The bright sunshine and the soft breezes made him very happy. He had just finished a hearty meal and that made him happy too. He was the very happiest little lamb in all the world and he thought that he was […]
Continue ReadingThe Story of Gore-Gorinskoe
There once lived in a village two brothers, one of whom was rich, and the other poor. With the rich man everything went swimmingly, in everything he laid his hand to he found luck and bliss; but as for the poor man, slave and toil as he might, fortune flew away from him. The rich […]
Continue ReadingThe Fool Who Sold Wisdom
A fool, in town, did wisdom cry; The people, eager, flock’d to buy. Each for his money got, Paid promptly on the spot, Besides a box upon the head, Two fathoms’ length of thread. The most were vex’d—but quite in vain, The public only mock’d their pain. The wiser they who nothing said, But pocketed […]
Continue ReadingThe Two Gossips
At Minane, near Tracton, there was a young couple whose name was Mac Daniel, and they had such a fine, wholesome-looking child, that the fairies determined on having it in their company, and putting a changeling in its place; but it so happened that Mrs. Mac Daniel had a gossip whose name was Norah Buckeley, […]
Continue ReadingOuyan the Curlew
Bleargah the hawk, mother of Ouyan the curlew, said one day to her son: “Go, Ouyan, out, take your spears and kill an emu. The women and I are hungry. You are a man, go out and kill, that we may eat. You must not stay always in the camp like an old woman; you […]
Continue ReadingThe Fairies of Caragonan
Once upon a time a lot of fairies lived in Mona. One day the queen fairy’s daughter, who was now fifteen years of age, told her mother she wished to go out and see the world. The queen consented, allowing her to go for a day, and to change from a fairy to a bird, […]
Continue ReadingThe Two Bulls and the Frog
Two bulls engaged in shocking battle, Both for a certain heifer’s sake, And lordship over certain cattle, A frog began to groan and quake. “But what is this to you?” Inquired another of the croaking crew. “Why, sister, don’t you see, The end of this will be, That one of these big brutes will yield, […]
Continue ReadingChilde Rowland
Childe Rowland and his brothers twain Were playing at the ball, And there was their sister Burd Ellen In the midst, among them all. Childe Rowland kicked it with his foot And caught it with his knee; At last as he plunged among them all O’er the church he made it flee. Burd Ellen round […]
Continue ReadingThe Tobacco Fairy from The Blue Hills
A man and his wife and two little children were living long ago on the shores of a lake surrounded by large trees, deep in the Canadian forest. They lived very happily together, and as game was plentiful, they wanted for nothing. As the children grew up they became each day more beautiful and gentle, […]
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