The Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault 13

The Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault 13

"What need you do it now? It is time enough to-morrow?"

 

"Hold your prattling," said the Ogre, "they will eat the tenderer."

 

"But you have so much meat already," replied his wife, "you have no

occasion. Here is a calf, two sheep, and half a hog."

 

"That is true," said the Ogre, "give them their belly-full, that they

may not fall away, and put them to bed."

 

The good woman was overjoyed at this, and gave them a good supper; but

they were so much afraid, they could not eat a bit. As for the Ogre,

he sat down again to drink, being highly pleased that he had got

wherewithal to treat his friends. He drank a dozen glasses more than

ordinary, which got up into his head, and obliged him to go to bed.

 

The Ogre had seven daughters, all little children, and these young

Ogresses had all of them very fine complexions, because they used to

eat fresh meat like their father; but they had little grey eyes, quite

round, hooked noses, wide mouths, and very long sharp teeth standing

at a good distance from each other. They were not as yet over and

above mischievous; but they promised very fair for it, for they

already bit little children, that they might suck their blood. They

had been put to bed early, with every one a crown of gold upon her

head. There was in the same chamber another bed of the like bigness,

and it was into this bed the Ogre's wife put the seven little boys;

after which she went to bed to her husband.

 

Little Thumb, who had observed that the Ogre's daughters had crowns of

gold upon their heads, and was afraid lest the Ogre should repent his

not killing them, got up about midnight; and taking his brothers'

bonnets and his own, went very softly, put them upon the heads of the

seven little Ogresses, after having taken off their crowns of gold,

which he put upon his own head and his brothers', that the Ogre might

take them for his daughters, and his daughters for the little boys

whom he wanted to kill. All this succeeded according to his desire;

for the Ogre waking about midnight, and sorry that he deferred to do

that till morning which he might have done over-night, threw himself

hastily out of bed, and taking his great knife:

 

"Let us see," said he, "how our little rogues do, and not make two

jobs of the matter."

 

He then went up, groping all the way, into his daughters' chamber; and

came to the bed where the little boys lay, who were every soul of them

fast asleep; except Little Thumb, who was terribly afraid when he

found the Ogre fumbling about his head, as he had done about his

brothers'. The Ogre, feeling the golden crowns, said:

 

"I should have made a fine piece of work of it truly; I find I guzzled

too much last night."

 

Then he went to the bed where the girls lay; and having found the

boys' little bonnets: "Hah!" said he, "my merry lads, are you there?

Let us to work!"

 

And saying these words, without more ado, he cut the throats of all

his seven daughters.

 

Well pleased with what he had done, he went to bed again to his wife.

So soon as Little Thumb heard the Ogre snore, he waked his brothers,

and bade them put on their clothes presently, and follow him. They

stole down softly into the garden, and got over the wall. They kept

running almost all night, trembling all the while, without knowing

which way they went.

 

The Ogre, when he waked, said to his wife:

 

"Go up stairs and dress those young rascals who came here last night."

 

The Ogress was very much surprised at this goodness of her husband,

not dreaming after what manner he intended she should dress them; but

thinking that he had ordered her to go and put on their cloaths, went

up, and was strangely astonished when she perceived her seven

daughters killed, and weltering in their blood. She fainted away; for

this is the first expedient almost all women find in such-like cases.

The Ogre, fearing his wife would be too long in doing what he had

ordered, went up himself to help her. He was no less amazed than his

wife, at this frightful spectacle.

 

"Ah! what have I done?" cried he. "The cursed wretches shall pay for

it, and that instantly."

 

He threw then a pitcher of water upon his wife's face; and having

brought her to herself:

 

"Give me quickly," cried he, "my boots of seven leagues, that I may go

and catch them."

 

He went out; and, having run over a vast deal of ground, both on this

side and that, he came at last into the very road where the poor

children were, and not above a hundred paces from their father's

house. They espied the Ogre, who went at one step from mountain to

mountain, and over rivers as easily as the narrowest kennels.[5]

Little Thumb, seeing a hollow rock near the place where they were,

made his brothers hide themselves in it, and crowded into it himself,

minding always what would become of the Ogre.

 

[Footnote 5: That is, 'channels.']

 

The Ogre, who found himself much tired with his long and fruitless

journey (for these boots of seven leagues extremely fatigue the

wearer), had a great mind to rest himself, and, by chance, went to

sit down upon the rock where these little boys had hid themselves. As

he was worn out, he fell asleep: and, after reposing himself some time

he began to snore so frightfully, that the poor children were no less

afraid of him, than when he held up his great knife, and was going to

cut their throats. Little Thumb was not so much frightened as his

brothers, and told them that they should run away immediately towards

home, while the Ogre was asleep so soundly; and that they should not

be anxious about him. They took his advice, and got home presently.

Little Thumb came up to the Ogre, pulled off his boots gently, and put

them on upon his own legs. The boots were very long and large; but as

they were Fairies, they had the gift of becoming big and little,

according to the legs of those who wore them; so that they fitted his

feet and legs as well as if they had been made on purpose for him.

 

He went immediately to the Ogre's house, where he saw his wife crying

bitterly for the loss of her murdered daughters.

 

"Your husband," said Little Thumb, "is in very great danger, being

taken by a gang of thieves, who have sworn to kill him, if he does not

give them all his gold and silver. Just when they held their daggers

at his throat, he perceived me, and desired me to come and tell you

the condition he is in, and that you should give me whatsoever he has

of value, without retaining any one thing; for otherwise they will

kill him without mercy; and, as his case is very pressing, he desired

me to make use (you see I have them on) of his boots, that I might

make the more haste, and to shew you that I do not impose upon you."

 

The good woman, being sadly frightened, gave him all she had: for this

Ogre was a very good husband, tho' he used to eat up little children.

Little Thumb, having thus got all the Ogre's money, came home to his

father's house, where he was received with abundance of joy.

 

There are many people who do not agree in this circumstance, and

pretend that Little Thumb never robbed the Ogre at all, and that he

only thought he might very justly, and with safe conscience take off

his boots of seven leagues, because he made no other use of them, but

to run after little children. These folks affirm, that they were very

well assured of this, and the more, as having drank and eaten often at

the faggot-maker's house. They aver, that, when Little Thumb had taken

off the Ogre's boots, he went to Court, where he was informed that

they were very anxious about a certain army, which was two hundred

leagues off, and the success of a battle. He went, say they, to the

King, and told him that, if he desired it, he would bring him news

from the army before night. The King promised him a great sum of money

upon that condition. Little Thumb was as good as his word, and

returned that very same night with the news; and this first expedition

causing him to be known, he got whatever he pleased; for the King paid

him very well for carrying his orders to the army, and abundance of

ladies gave him what he would to bring them news from their lovers;

and that this was his greatest gain. There were some married women,

too, who sent letters by him to their husbands, but they paid him so

ill that it was not worth his while, and turned to such small account,

that he scorned ever to reckon what he got that way. After having, for

some time, carried on the business of a messenger, and gained thereby

great wealth, he went home to his father, where it was impossible to

express the joy they were all in at his return. He made the whole

family very well-to-do, bought places for his father and brothers; and

by that means settled them very handsomely in the world, and, in the

mean time, rose high in the King's favour.

 

[Illustration]

 

 

_The Moral_

 

_At many children parents don't repine,

If they are handsome; in their judgment shine;

Polite in carriage are, in body strong,

Graceful in mien, and elegant in tongue.

But if perchance an offspring prove but weak,

Him they revile, laugh at, defraud and cheat.

Such is the wretched world's curs'd way; and yet

Sometimes this urchin whom despis'd we see,

Through unforeseen events doth honour get,

And fortune bring to all his family._

 

[Illustration]

 

 

 

 

_The Ridiculous Wishes_

 

[Illustration]

 

[Illustration: "JUPITER APPEARED BEFORE HIM WIELDING HIS MIGHTY

THUNDERBOLTS"]

 

 

The Ridiculous Wishes