k Ettemsuch
Laughing Eye and Weeping Eye, or the Limping Fox
The Unlooked for Prince
The Simpleton
The Street Musicians
The Twin Brothers
Cannetella
The Ogre
A Fairy's Blunder
Long, Broad, and Quickeye
Prunella

Donkey Skin

There was once upon a time a king who was so much beloved by his
subjects that he thought himself the happiest monarch in the whole
world, and he had everything his heart could desire. His palace was
filled with the rarest of curiosities, and his gardens with the sweetest
flowers, while in the marble stalls of his stables stood a row of
milk-white Arabs, with big brown eyes.

Strangers who had heard of the marvels which the king had collected,
and made long journeys to see them, were, however, surprised to find the
most splendid stall of all occupied by a donkey, with particularly large
and drooping ears. It was a very fine donkey; but still, as far as they
could tell, nothing so very remarkable as to account for the care with
which it was lodged; and they went away wondering, for they could
not know that every night, when it was asleep, bushels of gold pieces
tumbled out of its ears, which were picked up each morning by the
attendants.

After many years of prosperity a sudden blow fell upon the king in the
death of his wife, whom he loved dearly. But before she died, the
queen, who had always thought first of his happiness, gathered all her
strength, and said to him:

'Promise me one thing: you must marry again, I know, for the good of
your people, as well as of yourself. But do not set about it in a hurry.
Wait until you have found a woman more beautiful and better formed than
myself.'

'Oh, do not speak to me of marrying,' sobbed the king; 'rather let me
die with you!' But the queen only smiled faintly, and turned over on her
pillow and died.

For some months the king's grief was great; then gradually he began to
forget a little, and, besides, his counsellors were always urging him to
seek another wife. At first he refused to listen to them, but by-and-by
he allowed himself to be persuaded to think of it, only stipulating that
the bride should be more beautiful and attractive than the late queen,
according to the promise he had made her.

Overjoyed at having obtained what they wanted, the counsellors sent
envoys far and wide to get portraits of all the most famous beauties of
every country. The artists were very busy and