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Andras Baine

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When I came to the village in the mountains, it was midwinter in Lapland, yet the villagers had heard of my strength. The town bailiff soon made it known that he wanted to compete with me. He fancied himself the strongest, fastest man in the land, and he couldn't wait...

Tailor Who Solves a Riddle

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The princess has announced that she won't marry any man who can't solve her riddle. My two clever tailor friends think they'll have the riddle sewn up in no time. They think I'm useless, and that I should stay at home, but I'm going too, no matter what they think....

Scheming King

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My three sons are all brave and clever, and for that reason, I worry that they'll start to quarrel for my crown long before I'm ready for the grave. I would prefer to spend these years in peace, so I've come up with a scheme. I'll summon my sons and tell them that I...

Glass Hill

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I'm a high, high, glass mountain, slippery as ice, standing close to the king's palace. On my peak sits a princess with three golden apples on her lap. The man who can ride up and take those apples will win her hand in marriage, and half the kingdom too. The Princess...

Prince Ahmed

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I shot my arrow farther than my brothers, but since it could not be found, the hand of the princess went to my second eldest brother, Ali. My eldest brother was so upset about losing the contest that he renounced all his rights to succession and went off to become a...

Hummingbird

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I flew beside him, hoping he would think of me. He was in a race with a cunning witch who kept slipping past him. But he had the power to change his shape. He wished himself into a pigeon, then a crow, and then a hawk, but still, he fell behind. His eyes grew dim and...

Artificial Nightingale

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I came to the emperor in a parcel labeled Nightingale. I am a mechanical bird who looks and sounds exactly like the real one—with several important improvements. Unlike the dull, dun-colored nightingale, I am set all over with diamonds, rubies, and sapphires, and,...

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