snow White

Chapter 6 The Gnome
There was once upon a time a rich King who had three daughters, who daily went to walk in the palace garden, and the King was a great lover of all kinds of fine trees, but there was one for which he had such an affection, that if any one gathered an apple from it he wished him a hundred fathoms underground. And when harvest time came, the apples on this tree were all as red as blood. The three daughters went every day beneath the tree, and looked to see if the wind had not blown down an apple, but they never by any chance found one, and the tree was so loaded with them that it was almost breaking, and the branches hung down to the ground.Then the King's youngest child had a great desire for an apple, and said to her sisters:“Our father loves us far too much to wish us underground, it is my belief that he would only do that to people who were strangers.”And while she was speaking, the child plucked off quite a large apple, and ran to her sisters, saying:“Just taste, my dear little sisters, for never in my life have I tasted anything so delightful.”Then the two other sisters also ate some of the apple, whereupon all three sank deep down into the earth, where they could hear no cock crow.
When midday came, the King wished to call them to come to dinner, but they were nowhere to be found. He sought them everywhere in the palace and garden, but could not find them.Then he was much troubled, and made known to the whole land that whosoever brought his daughters back again should have one of them to wife.Hereupon so many young men went about the country in search, that there was no counting them, for everyone loved the three children because they were so kind to all, and so fair of face.Three young huntsmen also went out, and when they had travelled about for eight days, they arrived at a great castle, in which were beautiful apartments, and in one room a table was laid on which were delicate dishes which were still so warm that they were smoking, but in the whole of the castle no human being was either to be seen or heard.They waited there for half a day, and the food still remained warm and smoking, and at length they were so hungry that they sat down and ate, and agreed with each other that they would stay and live in that castle, and that one of them, who should be chosen by casting lots, should remain in the house, and the two others seek the King's daughters.They cast lots, and the lot fell on the eldest;so next day the two younger went out to seek, and the eldest had to stay at home.At midday a small, small mannikin came and begged for a piece of bread, then the huntsman took the bread which he had found there, and cut a round off the loaf and was about to give it to him, but while he was giving it to the mannikin, the latter let it fall, and asked the huntsman to be so good as to give him that piece again.The huntsman was about to do so and stooped, on which the mannikin took a stick, seized him by the hair, and gave him a good beating.Next day, the second stayed at home, and he fared no better.When the two others returned in the evening, the eldest said:“Well, how have you got on?”

“Oh, very badly,”said he, and then they lamented their misfortune together, but they said nothing about it to the youngest, for they did not like him at all, and always called him Stupid Hans, because he did not know the ways of the world.
In the meantime the youngest huntsman was wandering about the three chambers in great trouble, fully expecting to have to end his days there, when he saw, hanging on the wall, a flute;then said he:“Why do you hang there?No one can be merry here.”He looked at the dragons'heads likewise and said:“You too cannot help me now.”He walked to and fro for such a long time that he made the surface of the ground quite smooth. But at last other thoughts came to his mind, and he took the flute from the wall, and played a few notes on it, and suddenly a number of elves appeared, and with every note that he sounded one more came.Then he played until the room was entirely filled.They all asked what he desired, so he said he wished to get above ground back to daylight, on which they seized him by every hair that grew on his head, and thus they flew with him onto the earth again.When he was above ground;he at once went to the King's palace, just as the wedding of one princess was about to be celebrated, and he went to the room where the King and his three daughters were.When the princesses saw him they fainted.Hereupon the King was angry, and ordered him to be put in prison at once, because he thought he must have done some injury to the children.When the princesses came to themselves, however, they entreated the King to set him free again.The King asked why, and they said that they were not allowed to tell that, but their father said that they were to tell it to the stove.And he went out, listened at the door, and heard everything.Then he caused the two brothers to be hanged on the gallows, and to the third he gave his youngest daughter, and on that occasion I wore a pair of glass shoes, and I struck them against a stone, and they said“Klink,”and were broken.
(End of this chapter)