We were dancing to the song of the frogs on the breath of the still pond when Lady Aya came out into the garden with her maidens. The moon had risen, round and silver. Lady Aya said, “The moon is a love-lorn lady; but have you seen her faint sister who is sadder and...
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Pine from Heaven
A Deity from High Heaven planted me. It was so long ago that the crane cannot remember it, and the tortoise knows it only by hearsay from his great-grandmother. Lightly, lightly, the Deity came by way of the Floating Bridge, bearing me in his right hand. Lightly,...
Young Fool Who Makes a Wise Wish
I begged my brothers to let me go with them when they set out to see the world, but they would have nothing of it. We’d all been given a wish, and we were told to make sure it was our best wish. My two elder brothers wished that every time they put their hands in...
Bee Who Knows How to Help
Prince Ivan, he comes to pieces so easily! He sat on a stone by the sea and wept while Baba Yaga's mares stood in water up to their necks. We herded them with our stingers. Ivan didn't see a thing, he was so lost in his own torment. After the sun set, I flew up to him...
Princess Martha Who Changes the Life a Stable Boy
There is something different about that stable boy. All he seems to want to do is sleep. The stable master beats him for his indolence but then he goes to sleep again! I'll rouse him. Better still, I'll raise him up. I'll give him a better life now that I’m in charge....
Princess Who is Taken Aboard
I asked my father to allow me to go to the port so I could see the ship of Ivan the merchant's son. To be honest, I was just as interested in Ivan as I was in his ship. I took my nurses, governesses and maidservants with me, and they lingered on deck while Ivan showed...
Hyacinthia Who is Trapped in the Underworld
I am one of thirty young women who have been trapped underground by my father who is a powerful magician. He allows us to surface and play in the water as ducks, but then we must put on our white robes and return through the portal of the willow tree that stands by...
Porcelain Maiden
I went swimming with my friends, and when we came out of the lake I couldn't find my clothes! I knew where I had stashed them. They were dazzling white. There wasn't any other explanation except that they had been stolen! My friends stopped helping me when they...
Enchanted Knife
If you hold me up in a meadow so that the sun shines on my blade, the whole meadow will be lit up by my rays, and the horses in the meadow will approach of their own free will. I can cut through brass. I am no ordinary knife, not when I am in the hands of the one who...
Princess with an Enchanted Knife
A young man came to speak to my father, the emperor. He asked for my hand, and said that he would only marry a girl with royal blood running in her veins. I watched him from behind the curtain and I thought I had never seen any man more handsome. My father gave him a...
Princess Who Wears a Magic Ring
I was walking with my attendants in the rose garden when a gold ring fell at my feet. “Why, here is a ring!” I cried. “Where could it have come from?” I picked it up and put it on my finger. It fit me as though it had been made for me. Just at that moment my father...
Prince Who Desires the Desirable Princess
When I wanted something, I had to have it, and if I couldn't have it, I became very upset. When I first saw the portrait of the princess Desiree, I wanted her to be my wife and no other wife would do. I refused to go through with my father's arrangements to marry...
Panther Who Covets Shoes
I was walking along the road one day when I met a jackal. He seemed to me to be a very distinguished fellow in his fine shoes. "Excuse me," I said politely. "But I cannot help admiring your shoes. Do you mind telling me who made them?" "Yes, they are very nice, aren't...
Pinkel the Thief
I took all the power away from the witch. Ha! First, I got her lantern. Then I got her goat with the tinkling bells, and finally, I stole her golden cloak. I jumped into the boat and rowed away from the island. She ran down to the shore, screaming: "Is that you,...
Prince Who Meets a Girl Wearing a Wreath
I was riding through the forest one day when I heard strange birds singing. I had never heard such tiny, sweet songs. Who could possibly be making that shower of sound? I came close to the place, tied my horse to a tree, and followed the sound to a girl who was...
White Sword of Light
The giants are always fighting over me, but once they have me in hand, they just put me away. I have grown somewhat lackluster. I am currently in the custody of the Seven Big Women of Dhiurradh. A handsome youth has come into the castle. I can hear him saying that he...
Gille Mairteau the Fox
I watched him journey over the hills. I watched him ford the rivers and cross a wide plain. He couldn't find the blue falcon. The sky grew dark, and all the birds sought their nests, but Ian Direach had none of his own. He lay down under some bushes until sleep came...
King Who Wants to Glimpse Paradise
I always found it difficult to believe what I could not see. One day, in the prime of my youth, I was out hunting when I came upon a fakeer reading the Koran. He was sitting on a little bedstead in front of a cave in a lonely place on the mountain. He had an old,...
Shasasa Who Gives the Power Away
My father became wealthy overnight. How? That’s what I wanted to know. How did stone buildings with golden rooftops spring up along the Zambesi River while the people slept? Where did the herds of cattle come from? How did the river become crowded with fish? My father...
High and Mighty Princess
I HATE that he's so handsome. I HATE that he makes me weak in the knees. Most of all I HATE that I agreed to give him three chances to hide from me. I only give my suitors one chance, and when I catch them, I cut off their heads and stick them on posts. Ninety-nine...
Spinning Maiden with a Golden Thread
I glanced up from my spinning and I saw the prince sitting on his horse, looking at me through the window. The setting sun blazed on his face, and when he turned away, the room had become so warm! I went to the window and opened it. I watched him ride away for as long...
Count in Hiding
Under the light of a full moon, I could see the old woman coming down to the well. The light from the orb of the moon over the mountain was so bright that you could have found a needle in the grass. I watched from the tree as the old woman knelt before the well. She...
Soldier Who Grows a Huge Turnip
The king thought I had a green thumb because I presented him with the largest turnip anyone had ever seen. It was as big as the wagon I put it in when I brought it to the castle. I told him that I’m really not favored by Lady Fortune in any way. I’m a poor soldier who...
Queen Who Keeps the Wild Man
My husband and I were amazed to see the wild man that the huntsman caught. His body was red-brown like rusty iron, and his hair hung down over his face and down to his knees. My husband put him in a cage in the courtyard. He gave me the key and I kept it under my...
Maiden Betrothed to Bearskin
My old father came home beaming with happiness. He had paid the landlord. How? A man had helped him, and now, he said, we can help the man. My two sisters and I waited for my father to lead the man into the house, and when we saw him (and smelled him) we recoiled! He...
Princess Who Chooses Her Husband
I insisted that I choose my own husband from the men in the country. I would not allow my father to choose for me, much to his annoyance. The young men arrived—tall, short, dark, fair, rich, and poor. They stood in rows in the courtyard while I passed before them all,...
Subjugated Queen
Oh, I was so afraid, don't you see? Once my husband died, I had no protection at all, and so, when I was caught by the robber chief, what could I do but obey his commands? "Make me king and kill your son or I will kill you," he said. "How can I kill my son?" I cried....
Subbar Khan
I heard that there was a madman in the market, asking if anyone had patience to sell. Patience? How curious! I wanted to see the fellow, so my attendants went and brought him to me. "My master wants patience as a present for his daughter," said the madman. "Well, I...
Little King Loc Meets a Human Girl
Abeille, the human girl, was carried to me by the gnomes on a litter made of moss and twigs. She had wounded her foot. She was very big, and very beautiful, and I was willing to grant her every wish. What did she want? A pair of shoes, she said. I struck the earth...
Sultan’s Daughter at Her Wedding Feast
I did not wish to marry the son of the vizier, or, rather, I did not think it possible to marry anyone other than the man my father had chosen for me. For that reason, I hardly let my heart fly to the young man I saw resting under a tree when I went riding by with my...
Bald Suitor
My mother thinks that I will get nowhere in the world because I'm idle and we are penniless, and, worst of all, I'm bald. Well, I never had much passion for anything until I saw the princess riding by the other day. Her face was veiled but from the moment I caught a...
Fish Man
The troll turned me into a fish and I sprang into the river. No use fighting against the stream. I let it carry me out to sea. At the end of the current, I found myself at the bottom of the ocean, outside a palace made of glass. I peered into the rooms and halls. The...
Snow Man
I take pride in being cool and collected. I'm a Snow Man, after all. But something at the very core of me cracks. It's always cracking, and I find myself longing for something that is not at all becoming of a Snow Man—the hot stove! I look through the window of the...
Yard Dog
You would think that being a snow man, he would have been interested in the frost that flowered on the kitchen window. But no, no, no! The frost only irritated him because he was trying to see through the window to the hot wood stove. I can understand how a yard-dog...
Toy Soldier
I am one of twenty-five tin soldiers. We are all brothers, born of the same old tin spoon. We shoulder our muskets and look straight ahead, splendid in our red and blue uniforms. We all look exactly alike. I am the only one who is different. I was the last to be cast...
A Village Storyteller
I love to tell the story of the gnome Rubezahl. He did everything he could to win the affection of a princess, but he could not force her to stay with him. With all his power and magic, the king of the gnomes could not change the heart of a woman. He was left in the...
Hippo
One day, the most beautiful princess came up the river in a barge. She and several servants built a small home on an island in the middle of the river. It was a very lonely place for her to be. Nobody ever came up this part of the river. Every day, she would come and...
Princess Who Changes a Letter
In the heat of the afternoon, when everyone had gone to sleep, I left the governor's house and went walking in the garden. I rambled about in my favorite nooks and crannies, and when I turned a corner, I came upon a man sleeping under a tree. I nearly tripped over...
Alfonso
Julia is weeping because she afraid that I will be seduced by the siren I've heard in the woods. In her upset, she goes and takes a seashell from a treasure box. Then she sings into it in her pure, beautiful voice. She gives the shell to me and tells me to put it to...
Helga Who Names Her Husband
I honestly do not know where the name Habogi came from. It popped into my mind when my father asked me to name my future husband. I had a name in mind but then a voice in my head whispered, "Marry nobody who is not called Habogi." I found the name strange and...
Princess on the Glass Hill
Ah, he's a handsome youth in his copper armor. I hope he makes it to the top of the glass mountain. I just might marry him. Yes, I think I would! He is more attractive every moment! What is he doing? Why is he turning around? Doesn't he find me attractive? Well, have...
Princess Who Marries a Head
After all the miraculous acts that the old woman's son performed, my father and I agreed to meet him. Perhaps I would marry him after all. The old woman came into the palace, and what do you think she carried with her? Her son's head on a silver platter! I laughed,...
Witch-Maiden
With the help of King Solomon's magic ring, I can do all sorts of things. I don't understand all the secret signs engraved on the ring. But I do know that if I put it on the little finger of my left hand, I can fly like a bird. If I put it on my ring finger, I am...
Prince Rainbow
The princess who is passing by the fountain is well-named "Fairer-than-a-Fairy." A fairy could never surpass her tender mortal beauty. She is surprised when I speak to her. I tell her that I am the son of a powerful king, and that the wicked old fairy Lagree...
Crab Princess
It was the strangest wedding ceremony you could possibly imagine. Picture me, a princess, making my vows to a Crab who sat on a golden cushion wearing a golden robe! On our wedding night, he told me that he is a Man by night, a Crab by day, and an Eagle whenever he...
Iwanich in the Apple Tree
A celebrated magician gave magic seeds to my grandfather. The magician said that they would grow into the finest golden apple trees in the world. He warned my grandfather that if one unripe fruit were plucked from the tree, the rest would become rotten at once. The...
Prince with a Mirror
When I was fifteen, I woke up one day and found a mirror had been placed in my room. It was not large, and it had a black frame. When I looked into it, I did not see my own reflection. Instead, I saw the face of a girl as lovely as the dawn. She, like me, was coming...
Militza in the Apple Tree
I fell into the arms of the king's son Iwanich. He was awake when I arrived, so I could not hold onto my swan shape. Oh, I did love him and I wanted to cling to him, but it was time to leave. I was under the power of a witch who had put me far out of the reach of any...
Bee Palace
Get a whiff of me! The bees made me out of the most exquisite flowers that ever grew. I stand on a hillside outside the walls of the city. My roof is made of crimson roses, my windows are lilies, my walls are white carnations, my floors glow with auriculas and...
Tiny Bell
Ring me once and you'll summon the king of the eagles. Ring me twice and the king of foxes will come to you. Ring me three times and the king of fishes will appear. I belong to the fairies, and if you have me in your possession, then you have distinguished yourself as...
Invisible Prince
When I was born and my future was foretold, my parents were so upset by my life of perilous adventures that a Fairy comforted them by giving me a little pebble. Whenever I put the pebble in my mouth, I would become invisible. I met many ordeals and escaped the worst...
Guest at the Fiery Feast
The king married a snow-daughter who could not stand the heat. She had a fire-brother who could not stand the cold. The king made an underground house of ice for his queen, and he had a huge oven built for the fire-brother so he could live comfortably. One day, the...
Bear Princess
The last time we danced together, I was wearing a dress woven out of star-light and studded with gems. We had such a dance! But I wouldn't say a word to him. At the end of the evening, he slipped a ring on my finger, and then he tried to follow my carriage home. He...
Naked Elves
We came to the cobbler's house and found his last pieces of leather, cut exquisitely. We were inspired! So we stitched, sewed, and hammered them into a pair of perfect shoes. The next night, there were two sets of shoes to finish, and the work doubled, and after that,...
Witch’s Son Bensiabel
My mother, who is a witch, kidnapped a girl named Prunella, and she grew up into a very beautiful young woman. I know, because I am the witch's son. Prunella has never seen me, though. One day my mother told Prunella to take a basket to the well and bring it back. She...
Prince in the Tower
The king is ailing, and he wants me to marry before he dies. I have not met a woman I could imagine as my wife. He tells me to go up the staircase to the top of the tower and look carefully at what I find there. I haven't been up here before. I unlock an iron door...
Sea Tower Princess
One day, when I was standing on the balcony of my sea tower, the most extraordinary figure rose out of the water. He seemed to be some kind of a man, with a bluish face and long, sea-green hair. He swam towards the tower, and I was amazed to see that the sharks took...
Fortunatus
My father had a great fortune but he didn’t value it. By the time I reached the age of ten, he had squandered his wealth. I didn’t get any education. When I was ready to leave home, I had no trade, and my father confessed that he had failed me. I should have been out...
Paper Dancer
I do pirouettes on the table in front of a cardboard castle while little boys play with their toy soldiers on the floor. The castle has little windows, and I can see inside them when the breeze spins me round. In front of the castle, cardboard trees gaze at their...
Shape-Changing Princess
I am the youngest of twelve sisters, and we are the daughters of King Kostiei, king of the Underworld. Our favorite thing to do is to go to the seashore at sunset, change our shapes into geese, swim in the water, and fly in the dusk. When we leave our dresses on the...
Gingerbread House
I'm made of sugar and spice and everything nice, but I wish I wasn't so charming and sweet because a witch is using me as a trap. Two little children have come along, a boy and a girl. It's easy to see that they're starved. They shout for joy when they see me, and...
Witch of Albatroz
Mine is the castle of Albatroz. Woe to the one who disturbs the echoes who sleep here! We do not encourage guests. There's a commotion outside. Someone is blowing a horn and knocking on the door. He's shouting, "Is there anyone home? Anyone who will give a knight some...