Читать книгу The National Nursery Book - Unknown - Страница 2

Once upon a time there lived on the borders of a great forest a woodman and his wife who had one little daughter, a sweet, kind child, whom every one loved. She was the joy of her mother's heart, and to please her, the good woman made her a little scarlet cloak and hood, and the child looked so pretty in it that everybody called her Little Red Riding-Hood.

RED RIDING HOOD PREPARING FOR HER JOURNEY.

One day her mother told her she meant to send her to her grandmother—a very old woman who lived in the heart of the wood—to take her some fresh butter and new-laid eggs and a nice cake. Little Red Riding-Hood was very pleased to be sent on this errand, for she liked to do kind things, and it was so very long since she had seen her grandmother that she had almost forgotten what the dame looked like.

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD GATHERING FLOWERS.

THE WOLF

The sun was shining brightly, but it was not too warm under the shade of the old trees, and Red Riding-Hood sang with glee as she gathered a great bunch of wild flowers to give to her grandmother. She sang so sweetly that a cushat dove flew down from a tree and followed her. Now, it happened that a wolf, a very cruel, greedy creature, heard her song also, and longed to eat her for his breakfast, but he knew Hugh, the woodman, was at work very near, with his great dog, and he feared they might hear Red Riding-Hood cry out, if he frightened her, and then they would kill him. So he came up to her very gently and said, "Good day, Little Red Riding-Hood; where are you going?"

“To see my grandmother,” said the child, "and take her a present from mother of eggs and butter and cake."

“Where does your grandmamma live?” asked the wolf.

“Quite in the middle of the wood,” she replied.

“Oh! I think I know the house. Good day, Red Riding-Hood.” And the wolf ran off as fast as he could

AT PLAY IN THE WOOD

Little Red Riding-Hood was not in a hurry, and there were many things to amuse her in the wood. She ran after the white and yellow butterflies that danced before her, and sometimes she caught one, but she always let it go again, for she never liked to hurt any creature.

THE WOLF FOLLOWS LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD.

And then there were the merry, cunning little squirrels to watch, cracking nuts on the branches of the old trees, and every now and then a rabbit would hurry away through the tall ferns, or a great bee come buzzing near her, and she would stop to watch it gathering honey from the flowers, and wild thyme. So she went on very slowly. By-and-by she saw Hugh, the woodman. "Where are you going, Little Red Riding-Hood," said he, “all alone?”

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD CATCHING BUTTERFLIES.

“I am going to my grandmamma's,” said the child. "Good day; I must make haste now, for it grows late."

GRANDMOTHER AND THE WOLF

While Little Red Riding-Hood was at play in the wood, the great wolf galloped on as fast as he could to the old woman's house. Grandmother lived all by herself, but once or twice a-day a neighbour's child came to tidy her house and get her food. Now, grandmother was very feeble, and often kept her bed; and it happened that she was in bed the day Little Red Riding-Hood went to see her. When the wolf reached the cottage door he tapped.

“Who is there?” asked the old dame.

“Little Red Riding-Hood, granny,” said the wolf, trying to speak like the child.

“Come in, my dear,” said the old lady, who was a little deaf. "Pull the string and the latch will come up."

The wolf did as she told him, went in, and you may think how frightened poor grandmother was when she saw him standing by her bed instead of Little Red Riding-Hood.

RED RIDING-HOOD AT THE DOOR

Very soon the wolf, who was quite hungry after his run, eat up poor grandmother. Indeed, she was not enough for his breakfast, and so he thought he would like to eat sweet Red Riding-Hood also. Therefore he dressed himself in granny's nightcap and got into bed, and waited for the child to knock at the door. But he waited a long time.

THE WOLF AT THE GRANDMOTHER'S COTTAGE.

By and by Little Red Riding-Hood reached her grandmother's house, and tapped at the door.

RED RIDING HOOD AT HER GRANDMOTHER'S DOOR.

“Come in,” said the wolf, in a squeaking voice. "Pull the string, and the latch will come up."

Red Riding-Hood thought grandmother must have a cold, she spoke so hoarsely; but she went in at once, and there lay her granny, as she thought, in bed.

“If you please, grandmamma, mother sends you some butter and eggs,” she said.

“Come here, dear,” said the wicked wolf, “and let me kiss you,” and Red Riding-Hood obeyed.

THE WOLF AND THE CHILD

But when Red Riding-Hood saw the wolf she felt frightened. She had nearly forgotten grandmother, but she did not think she had been so ugly.

“Grandmamma,” she said, “what a great nose you have.”

“All the better to smell with, my dear,” said the wolf.

“And, grandmamma, what large ears you have.”

“All the better to hear with, my dear.”

“Ah! grandmamma, and what large eyes you have.”

“All the better to see with, my dear,” said the wolf, showing his teeth, for he longed to eat the child up.

“Oh, grandmamma, and what great teeth you have!” said Red Riding-Hood.

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD DISCOVERS THE WOLF.

“All the better to eat you up with,” growled the wolf, and, jumping out of bed, he rushed at Red Riding-Hood and would have eaten her up, but just at that minute the door flew open and a great dog tore him down. The wolf and the dog were still fighting when Hugh, the woodman, came in and killed the wicked wolf with his axe.

DEATH OF THE WOLF.

DEATH OF THE WOLF

Little Red Riding-Hood threw her arms round the woodman Hugh's neck and kissed him, and thanked him again and again.

“Oh, you good, kind Hugh,” she said, "how did you know the wolf was here, in time to save me?"

“Well,” said Hugh, "when you were gone by, I remembered that a wolf had been seen about the wood lately, and I thought I would just come after you and see if you were safe. When we came near grandmother's house Trim sniffed and ran to the door and whined, and then he pushed it open—you had not shut it close—and rushed in, and I followed him, and between us we have killed the wolf."

Then Hugh took the child home, and her mother and father could not thank him enough for saving Little Red Riding-Hood.

PUSS IN BOOTS

Once upon a time there was a miller who had three sons. When he died he left his mill to the eldest son, his ass to the second son, and his cat to the youngest, who had always been his favourite.

The two eldest sons resolved to live together; but they would not let their brother live with them, because he had only a cat. So the poor lad was very sorrowful, and wondered what he should do to get his bread. While he was sitting thinking about it, Puss jumped up on the table, and touched him with her paw.

PUSS CONSOLING THE MILLER'S SON.

“My dear master,” she said, "do not fret. I will get your living for you. Only you must buy me a pair of boots and give me a bag."

PUSS CATCHING THE RABBITS.

The miller's son had very little money, but he thought it such a wonderful thing to hear a cat talk that he could not refuse her request. So he took Puss to the shoemaker's, and got him to make her a very smart pair of boots, and then he gave her a nice large bag.

THE RABBIT WARREN

Now, not far from the mill there was a rabbit warren, and Puss resolved to catch some rabbits for dinner. So she put some lettuce leaves and fine parsley into her bag, went into the warren, and held the bag very quietly open, hiding herself behind it. And little greedy rabbits, who knew no better, ran into it, to have a feast. Directly they were safe in, Puss pulled the string of the bag, and carried them off to her master. The miller's son killed them, and cooked one for dinner; but Puss took away the other, which was a very fine one, and hung it up for their next day's meal.

But although their larder was thus provided, early the next day Puss took her bag and went again into the warren, and in the same manner caught two more fine young rabbits. But instead of carrying them home she walked to the king's palace and knocked at the door.

PUSS AT THE PALACE

The king's porter asked who was there. "I have brought a present to the king," said Puss. “Please let me see his majesty.”

The porter let her in, and when Puss came into the king's presence she made a low bow, and, taking a fine rabbit out of her bag, said, "My Lord Marquis of Carrabas sends this rabbit to your majesty with his respects."

PUSS MAKES A PRESENT TO THE KING.

“I am much obliged to the marquis,” said the king, and he ordered his head cook to dress the rabbit for dinner.

PUSS CALLS ON THE OGRE.

By the king's side sat his daughter, a very beautiful lady. She ordered one of the attendants to give Puss a good cup of cream, which she liked very much; and she went home and told her master all she had done. The miller's son laughed; but every morning Puss caught a rabbit, and carried it to the palace with the same message.

THE OGRE

Now, in that country there lived a cruel ogre, who used to eat children, so everybody was afraid of him; but nobody could kill him, he was such a giant. One day Puss went to call on him. He received her civilly, for he did not care to eat cats, so Puss sat down, and began to talk:—"I hear," she said, "great Ogre, that you are so clever, that you can turn yourself into any creature you please."

“Yes, so I can,” said the ogre.

“Dear me,” said Puss, "how much I should like to see your ogreship do it."

Then the ogre, who liked to show how clever he was, turned himself into a lion, and roared so loudly that Puss was quite frightened, and jumped out of the way. Then he changed back into an ogre again. Puss praised him a great deal, and then said, "Can your ogreship become a small animal as well as a large one?"

“Oh, yes,” said the vain ogre; and he changed himself into a little mouse. Directly Puss saw him in this form she jumped at him and killed him on the spot.

THE MARQUIS OF CARRABAS

Then Puss ran home and bade her master go and bathe in the river, and he should see what she would do for him. The miller's son obeyed; and while he was in the water, Puss took away all his clothes, and hid them under a large stone. Now, the king's carriage came in sight soon after, just as Puss had expected, for he always drove in that direction, and directly she saw it, she began to cry very loudly, "Help, help, for my Lord the Marquis of Carrabas." The king put his head out, and asked what was the matter.

PUSS ASKS HELP FOR HIS MASTER.

“Oh, your majesty,” said Puss, "my master the marquis was bathing, and some one has taken away his clothes. He will catch the cramp and be drowned."

PUSS THREATENS THE REAPERS.

Then the king ordered one of his attendants to ride back to the palace and get a suit of his own clothes for the marquis, "who had so often sent him gifts," he said. And when they were brought, Puss took them to her master, and helped him to dress in them.

PUSS FRIGHTENS THE REAPERS

The miller's son looked quite like a gentleman in the king's clothes, and when he went to thank his majesty for them, the king asked him to get into the coach and he would drive him home. Then Puss told the coachman where to go, and ran on before and came to some reapers. "Reapers," said she, "if the king asks you whose field this is, say it belongs to the Marquis of Carrabas; if you don't say so, you shall be chopped up as small as mincemeat."

The reapers were so frightened that they promised to obey her. And she ran on and told all the other labourers on the road to say the same. So when the king asked, “To whom do these fine fields belong?” the reapers answered, “To the Marquis of Carrabas.” The herdsmen said the same of the cattle, and the king, turning to the miller's son, said, "My lord, you have a fine property." But all had belonged really to the ogre, for it was to his castle the cunning cat had told the coachman to drive.

THE CASTLE

At last the coach stopped at the Ogre's castle, and Puss came out, and bowing very low, said, "Your majesty and the princess are welcome to the castle of my Lord Marquis of Carrabas."

THE KING AND PRINCESS VISIT THE MARQUIS.

The king was delighted, for it was indeed a very nice castle, full of riches. They sat down to a great feast, which Puss ordered to be served, and the king was so pleased with the miller's son and thought him such a good match for the princess, that he invited him to court, and in a little while gave him his daughter for his wife, and made him a prince.

MARRIAGE OF THE MARQUIS AND PRINCESS.

You may be quite sure that the miller's son was very grateful to Puss for his good fortune, and she never had to catch mice for her dinner any more, for dainty meat and the best cream were every day given to Puss in Boots.