FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143  
144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   >>   >|  
s received by the forty slaves, he nearly lost his wits from surprise. 'I will assuredly give my daughter to the old woman's son,' thought he. 'If I were to search all the world through I could never find a more powerful son-in-law.' And when the old woman entered his presence he informed her that he was ready to fulfil his promise, and she was to bid her son appear at the palace without delay. This command did not at all please the old woman, though, of course, she made no objections to the sultan. 'All has gone well so far,' she grumbled, when she told her story to the head,' but what do you suppose the sultan will say, when he sees his daughter's husband?' 'Never mind what he says! Put me on a silver dish and carry me to the palace.' So it was done, though the old woman's heart beat as she laid down the dish with the head upon it. At the sight before him the king flew into a violent rage. 'I will never marry my daughter to such a monster,' he cried. But the princess placed her head gently on his arm. 'You have given your word, my father, and you cannot break it,' said she. 'But, my child, it is impossible for you to marry such a being,' exclaimed the sultan. 'Yes, I will marry him. He had a beautiful head, and I love him already.' So the marriage was celebrated, and great feasts were held in the palace, though the people wept tears to think of the sad fate of their beloved princess. But when the merry-making was done, and the young couple were alone, the head suddenly disappeared, or, rather, a body was added to it, and one of the handsomest young men that ever was seen stood before the princess. 'A wicked fairy enchanted me at my birth,' he said, 'and for the rest of the world I must always be a head only. But for you, and you only, I am a man like other men.' 'And that is all I care about,' said the princess. [Traditions populaires de toutes les nations (Asie Mineure)]. The Sister of the Sun A long time ago there lived a young prince whose favourite playfellow was the son of the gardener who lived in the grounds of the palace. The king would have preferred his choosing a friend from the pages who were brought up at court; but the prince would have nothing to say to them, and as he was a spoilt child, and allowed his way in all things, and the gardener's boy was quiet and well-behaved, he was suffered to be in the palace, morning, noon, and night. The game the ch
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143  
144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
palace
 

princess

 

sultan

 

daughter

 

prince

 
gardener
 
enchanted
 

wicked

 
disappeared
 

feasts


people

 

beloved

 
handsomest
 

making

 
couple
 

suddenly

 
nations
 
spoilt
 

brought

 

grounds


preferred

 

choosing

 

friend

 

allowed

 

morning

 

suffered

 

things

 

behaved

 

playfellow

 

favourite


Traditions

 
populaires
 

toutes

 

celebrated

 

Mineure

 
Sister
 

monster

 
command
 

fulfil

 
promise

grumbled
 

objections

 
informed
 
surprise
 

assuredly

 

received

 
slaves
 

thought

 
powerful
 

entered