_CONTENTS_
PAGE
_The Blue Bird_ 1
_The Half-Chick_ 27
_The Story of Caliph Stork_ 32
_The Enchanted Watch_ 43
_Rosanella_ 48
_Sylvain and Jocosa_ 56
_Fairy Gifts_ 64
_Prince Narcissus and the Princess Potentilla_ 68
_Prince Featherhead and the Princess Celandine_ 85
_The Three Little Pigs_ 100
_Heart of Ice_ 106
_The Enchanted Ring_ 137
_The Snuff-box_ 145
_The Golden Blackbird_ 151
_The Little Soldier_ 157
_The Magic Swan_ 175
_The Dirty Shepherdess_ 180
_The Enchanted Snake_ 186
_The Biter Bit_ 194
_King Kojata_ 202
_Prince Fickle and Fair Helena_ 216
_Puddocky_ 222
_The Story of Hok Lee and the Dwarfs_ 229
_The Story of the Three Bears_ 234
_Prince Vivien and the Princess Placida_ 238
_Little One-eye, Little Two-eyes, and Little Three-eyes_ 262
_Jorinde and Joringel_ 271
_Allerleirauh; or, the Many-furred Creature_ 276
_The Twelve Huntsmen_ 282
_Spindle, Shuttle, and Needle_ 286
_The Crystal Coffin_ 290
_The Three Snake-leaves_ 296
_The Riddle_ 300
_Jack my Hedgehog_ 304
_The Golden Lads_ 311
_The White Snake_ 319
_The Story of a Clever Tailor_ 324
_The Golden Mermaid_ 328
_The War of the Wolf and the Fox_ 339
_The Story of the Fisherman and his Wife_ 343
_The Three Musicians_ 353
_The Three Dogs_ 360
_THE BLUE BIRD_
Once upon a time there lived a King who was immensely rich. He had broad
lands, and sacks overflowing with gold and silver; but he did not care a
bit for all his riches, because the Queen, his wife, was dead. He shut
himself up in a little room and knocked his head against the walls for
grief, until his courtiers were really afraid that he would hurt
himself. So they hung feather-beds between the tapestry and the walls,
and then he could go on knocking his head as long as it was any
consolation to him without coming to much harm. All his subjects came to
see him, and said whatever they thought would comfort him: some were
grave, even gloomy with him; and some agreeable, even gay; but not one
could make the least impression upon him. Indeed, he hardly seemed to
hear what they said. At last came a lady who was wrapped in a black
mantle, and seemed to be in the deepest grief. She wept and sobbed until
even the King's attention was attracted; and when she said that, far
from coming to try and diminish his grief, she, who had just lost a good
husband, was come to add her tears to his, since she knew what he must
be feeling, the King redoubled his lamentations.
