A MILLER and his son were driving their Ass to a neighboring fair to sell him. They had not gone far when they met with a troop of women collected round a well, talking and laughin...
As a merry young huntsman was once going briskly along through a wood, there came up a little old woman, and said to him, 'Good day, good day; you seem merry enough, but I am hungr...
MARRIAGE.--A male must be eighteen years or more and a female sixteen years or more in order to be lawfully married. Marriage is forbidden between all descendants and ascendants, l...
"Pussy sits beside the fire How can she be fair? Then comes in the little dog. "Pussy, are you there? So so, dear Mistress Pussy, Pray tell me how you do?" "Indeed, I thank you lit...
A SHIPWRECKED MAN, having been cast upon a certain shore, slept after his buffetings with the deep. After a while he awoke, and looking upon the Sea, loaded it with reproaches. He...
An aged count once lived in Switzerland, who had an only son, but he was stupid, and could learn nothing. Then said the father: 'Hark you, my son, try as I will I can get nothing i...
Nimble, the fawn, stole away into the woods while his mother was sleeping. And when he went he took great pains not to disturb her. He was careful not to step on a single twig. For...
Once on a time there was a poor, poor Widow, who had an only Son. She dragged on with the boy till he had been confirmed, and then she said she couldn't feed him any longer, he mus...
Patty the Milkmaid was going to market carrying her milk in a Pail on her head. As she went along she began calculating what she would do with the money she would get for the milk....
There was once a king who had long been unmarried. Now one day, going through his palace, he came to a room that he had never opened before. So he sent for the key and entered it,...
A FLY sat on the axle-tree of a chariot, and addressing the Draught-Mule said, "How slow you are! Why do you not go faster? See if I do not prick your neck with my sting." The Drau...
Just before the world was drowned all the animals gathered in front of the Ark and Father Noah carefully inspected them. "All ye that lie down shall enter and be saved from the del...
Blow the wind high, blow the wind low, It bloweth good to Hawley's hoe. These lines are said to relate to one John Hawley, a wealthy merchant of Devon some centuries ago, who was f...
Once upon a time there lived in Egypt a king who lost his sight from a bad illness. Of course he was very unhappy, and became more so as months passed, and all the best doctors in...
A CERTAIN HUNTER, having snared a hare, placed it upon his shoulders and set out homewards. On his way he met a man on horseback who begged the hare of him, under the pretense of p...
There was once a pretty woman named Agnella, who cultivated a farm. She lived alone with a young servant named Passerose. The farm was small but beautiful and in fine order. She ha...
A certain father had two sons, the elder of who was smart and sensible, and could do everything, but the younger was stupid and could neither learn nor understand anything, and whe...
A MAN, very much annoyed with a Flea, caught him at last, and said, "Who are you who dare to feed on my limbs, and to cost me so much trouble in catching you?' The Flea replied, "O...
Once upon a time there lived a King and Queen who were foolish beyond all telling, but nevertheless they were vastly fond of one another. It is true that certain spiteful people we...
BY L. FRANK BAUM Author of "Queen Zixi of Ix," "The Wizard of Oz," etc. "Oh, Mama!" cried Fuzzy Wuz, running into the burrow where her mother lay dozing, "may I go walking with Cha...
There are villages in the heart of the Taunus Mountains that are little altered by this progressive age; no railway, not even the post-chaise reaches them, and motor-cars are only...
Children must often have wondered why jelly-fishes have no shells, like so many of the creatures that are washed up every day on the beach. In old times this was not so; the jelly-...
A PEASANT found an Eagle captured in a trap, and much admiring the bird, set him free. The Eagle did not prove ungrateful to his deliverer, for seeing the Peasant sitting under a w...
What a life that poor man led with his wife, to be sure! Not a day passed without her scolding him and calling him names, and indeed sometimes she would take the broom from behind...
Pussy cat, pussy cat, where have you been? I've been to London in my new machine. Pussy cat, pussy cat, what did you there? The auto broke down and was hard to repair. Adeline Knap...
How the Indian Pipe Came In the last tale you learned the fate of the Rev. John T. Arum, and the origin of Jack-in-the-Pulpit. But you must not suppose for a moment that the Indian...
On a pantry shelf there once lived a funny squatty-looking pitcher-man. His cap was brown and that was the top of the pitcher. His coat was yellow and his vest green. He was round...
Nine little mice sat down to spin; Pussy passed by, and she peeped in. "What are you at, my little men?" "Making coats for gentlemen." "Shall I come in and bite off your threads?"...
My fingers are so sleepy It's time they went to bed, So first, you Baby Finger Tuck in your Little Head. Ringman, come now its your turn, And then come, Tallman Great; Now, Pointer...
"Rabba, Rabba, silly, silly Rabba, have you caught another whale to-day?" With this strange cry a number of children followed an elderly man through the streets of a town in the Ea...