Molly Whuppie

J. Jacobs

Once upon a time there was a man and a wife who had too many children, and they could not get meat for them. So they took the three youngest and left them in a wood. They travelled and travelled and couldn’t find a house. It began to be dark, and they were hungry. At last they saw a light and made for it; it turned out to be a house.

They knocked at the door, and a woman came to it, who said: “What do you want?” They said: “Please let us in and give us something to eat.”

The woman said: “I can’t do that, as my man is a giant, and he would kill you if he comes home.” They begged harder.

“Let us stop for a little while,” said they, “and we will go away before he comes.” So she took them in, and set them down before the fire, and gave them milk and bread; but just as they had begun to eat a great knock came to the door, and a dreadful voice said:

“Fee, fie, fo, fum,

I smell the blood of someone.

“Who have you there wife?”

“Eh,” said the wife, “it’s three poor girls cold and hungry, and they will go away. You won’t touch them, man.”

He said nothing, but ate up a big supper, and ordered them to stay all night. Now he had three children of his own, and they were to sleep in the same bed with the three strangers.

The youngest of the three was called Molly Whuppie, and she was very clever. She noticed that before they went to bed, the giant put straw ropes round her neck and her sisters’, and round his own children’ necks he put gold chains.

So Molly took care and did not fall asleep, but waited till she was sure everyone was sleeping sound. Then she slipped out of the bed, and took the straw ropes off her own and her sisters’ necks, and took the gold chains off the giant’s children. She then put the straw ropes on the giant’s lassies and the gold on herself and her sisters, and lay down.

And in the middle of the night up rose the giant. It was dark. He took his own children out of bed on to the floor, and hit them until they were dead, and then lay down again.

Molly thought it was time to be out of that, so she woke her sisters up and told them to be quiet. They slipped out of the house. They all got out safe, and they ran and ran, and never stopped until morning, when they saw a grand house before them. It turned out to be a king’s house: so Molly went in. She told her story to the king. He said:

“Well, Molly, you are a clever girl, and you have managed well; but, if you would manage better, and go back, and steal the giant’s sword that hangs on the back of his bed, I would give your eldest sister my eldest son to marry.” Molly said she would try.

So she went back, and managed to slip into the giant’s house, and crept in below the bed. The giant came home, ate up a great supper, and went to bed. Molly waited until he was snoring, and she crept out, and reached over the giant and got down the sword. But just as she got it out over the bed it gave a rattle, and up jumped the giant. And Molly ran out at the door and the sword with her; and she ran, and he ran, till they came to the “Bridge of one hair”; and she got over, but he couldn’t. So Molly took the sword to the king, and her sister was married to his son.

Well, the king he says:

“You’ve managed well, Molly; but if you would manage better, and steal the purse that lies below the giant’s pillow, I would marry your second sister to my second son.”

And Molly said she would try. So she set out for the giant’s house, and slipped in, and hid again below the bed. She waited till the giant had eaten his supper, and was snoring sound asleep. She slipped out, and slipped her hand below the pillow, and got out the purse. But just as she was going out the giant woke up, and ran after her. And she ran, and he ran, till they came to the “Bridge of one hair,” and she got over, but he couldn’t. So Molly took the purse to the king, and her second sister was married to the king’s second son.

After that the king says to Molly:

“Molly, you are a clever girl, but if you would do better yet, and steal the giant’s ring that he wears on his finger, I will give you my youngest son for yourself.”

Molly said she would try. So back she went to the giant’s house, and hid herself below the bed. The giant wasn’t long, he came home, and, after he had eaten a great big supper, he went to his bed, and shortly was snoring loud. Molly crept out and reached over the bed, and got hold of the giant’s hand, and she pulled and she pulled until she got the ring off. But just as she got it off the giant got up, and gripped her by the hand, and he said: “Now I have catched you, Molly Whuppie, and, if I had done as much ill to you as you have done to me, what would you do to me?”

Molly said: “I would put you into a sack, and I’d put the cat inside with you, and the dog aside you, and a needle and thread and a shears, and I’d hang you up upon the wall, and I’d go to the wood, and choose the thickest stick I could get, and I would come home, and take you down, and hit you till you were dead.”

“Well, Molly,” said the giant, “I’ll just do that to you.”

So he got a sack, and put Molly into it, and the cat and the dog beside her, and a needle and thread and scissors, and hung her up upon the wall, and went to the wood to choose a stick.

Molly she sings out: “Oh, wife, if you saw what I see.”

“Oh,” says the giant’s wife, “what do you see, Molly?”

But Molly never said a word but, “Oh, if you saw what I see!”

The giant’s wife asked that Molly would take her up into the sack so that she would see what Molly saw. So Molly took the scissors and cut a hole in the sack, and took out the needle and thread with her, and jumped down and helped, the giant’s wife up into the sack, and sewed up the hole.

The giant’s wife saw nothing, and began to ask to get down again. Molly said nothing, but hid herself at the back of the door. Home came the giant, and a great big tree in his hand, and he took down the sack, and began to hit it.

His wife cried, “It’s me, man!”

But the dog barked and the cat mewed, and he did not know his wife’s voice. But Molly came out from the back of the door, and the giant saw her, and he ran after her. And he ran and she ran, till they came to the “Bridge of one hair,” and she got over but he couldn’t.

So Molly took the ring to the king, and she was married to his youngest son, and she never saw the giant again.

The Comb and the Collar

A. Lang

Once upon a time there was a king of Lombardy. He was ugly but he loved beauty in others, so he married a woman who was the handsomest of women; but also very cruel.

Certainly she could not stand the sight of a pretty person, and her servants were not pretty at all. Worse than all, she was jealous of the king’s son and daughter by his former wife.

Unfortunately, in spite of all her evil features, the king was in love with her. She treated the boy very badly, but the lovely princess suffered ten times as much. The cruel stepmother did everything she could think of to spoil the girl’s beauty. She made her to appear as ugly as she was herself. But when the ugly clothes and frightful brown paint had been removed, her loveliness was as bright as ever.

Now the king of Lombardy was cousin to the Archduke of Placenza, who had lately lost his mind, to the great grief of his son and daughter, Perarthrites and Ferrandina. The doctors failed to restore him to health, the prince and princess sent their man to consult a famous witch. She was called the Mother of Sheaths, because everyone who visited her brought with him a knife. She put them into one of the sheaths with which her cavern was lined. However, she didn’t help them much, she only said to seek their father’s wits in the place where he had lost them. Against the wishes of the chief ministers, Perarthrites and Ferrandina went off to the castle where the king had slept when he lost his mind, and, once inside the gates, nothing more was heard of them.

When three weeks had passed and still there was no news, the king’s chief minister called a council to talk over the matter. At the end, it was decided that a company of skilled people should visit the Mother of Sheaths, and that the knives they must take with them should be of pure gold, richly set with precious stones. The witch was so pleased with the beauty of the gifts that she not only listened attentively to their story, but also had a present in return: a little case containing a comb, and a steel collar, fastened by a gold key.

‘Carry this comb and the collar to every court until you find a lady beautiful enough to unlock the collar, and a man good enough to draw the comb from its case. When you have discovered these, you can return.’

‘But I do not see,’ said the chief minister, ‘how that will help us to bring back our lost prince and princess.’

‘It is all I can do for you,’ answered the Mother of Sheaths; and she went into the back of the cavern, where they dared not follow her.

For the next few months the mad king’s principal ministers wandered from one court to another. At last they reached Lombardy, where they found that their story had already travelled before them. As soon as they appeared in the presence-chamber the king met them with open arms. In his heart he had no doubt that his wife was the beauty destined to unfasten the collar. But, blinded by his love for this wicked woman, he had really no idea that her charms were not her own.

At the appointed hour the queen entered the throne-room, having by her side the young princess, in the most disgusting dress. Her dress was so strange, so it looked as if she had a hump. Her pink-and-white skin was covered with yellow paint, and her black hair all hidden by a brown cap. All the people were shocked, and the ambassadors, who had frequently heard the princess compared to the lovely Ferrandina, were dumb with astonishment. As for the king, he could hardly raise his eyes from the ground, so ashamed was he. He signed his son the throne to sit and slowly left.

The prince sat on the throne and commanded the trial to begin at once. And the collar was handed to the princess’s governess, who failed to turn the key. He then further commanded the ladies in waiting to attend his sister to her room, and bathe her and dress her in the queen’s most wonderful dress, because she had none of her own. The queen, though gnashing her teeth with anger, didn’t dare to interfere. The princess returned, looking so beautiful that everyone was amazed and even sure that the beauty she has can unlock the collar. The prince looked at her, but said nothing, and, signing to one of the ambassadors, he ordered him to make trial of the comb. One by one each man did his best to remove it from its case. No one could do that. Finally only the prince remained, but as he was the judge he must wait till the last.

After the men had finished, the ladies of the court had the collar presented to them according to rank, but none could even turn the key. Finally it was handed to the queen, who managed to open it a little way. Her heart beat with triumph, but immediately it closed again with a snap, and, she went back, disappointed.

By this time there were only left the prince and his sister; and no sooner did he touch the case than it opened of itself. The princess took hold of the key. All the people started crying and cheering. But this was interrupted by thick darkness, and followed by an earthquake. When all was calm again, and the sun shining, the prince and princess had disappeared.

The king’s son and daughter were the only people who had disappeared in the storm, but unluckily they had been carried off in different directions. The princess nearly lost her senses a second time, when she found herself alone in the middle of a thick forest. She ran wildly about it, calling to her brother to come to her. But her cries only attracted the attention of some hungry wolves. She suddenly saw them, coming slowly towards her with their jaws gaping and their red tongues hanging out. She fell on her knees, and covered her face with one hand. In the other hand she held the collar. Already she could feel their hot breath on her cheek, when the eyes of the foremost wolf caught sight of the collar. With a howl that echoed through the forest he stepped aside, and ran away, followed by his companions.

As soon as the princess had recovered from the shock she rose and ran. She didn’t know where to, but she ran until she saw a broad road, and a flock of sheep driven by two shepherds. She ran towards them in order to ask for their help. Suddenly the sheep caught sight of her collar and instantly ran in all directions.

‘I must have something about me which frightens all animals,’ she thought. She went her way, till she came to the gates of an old castle. She was just about to enter and ask for a night’s shelter, when a snow white fox ran across the road, and stopped in front of her.

He was so pretty, and had such bright eyes, that the princess quickly hid the collar under her dress. She didn’t want him to run away. Very gently she came near, hoping he might follow her into the castle, but he only set off in another direction. The princess was tired, but she decided to follow him. When they turned a corner, the fox sat down before the door of a tiny castle. It was built on the bank of a river. When she came up he led her into a room where there was a table covered with milk and fruit. After she had eaten and drunk, she lay down upon pillows, with the fox at her feet, and fell asleep to dream of her lost brother.

If the princess was dreaming of her brother, he was also thinking of her, on the wild seashore. All was bare, except a green island which he could only see from the top of a high rock. He passed all his days, looking at the palm trees and bright waterfalls in the distance.

‘Suppose she should be there?’ he said to himself; and though there was no reason to expect that the princess should be in that place more than in any other, he could not stop thinking about her.

The young man suddenly heard a song. It was the loveliest voice he had ever heard. He turned in the direction from which it had come. But the singer seemed close to him he could see her nowhere.

Days passed without any adventures, and the prince had almost made up his mind to leave the shore, and to seek his sister inland, when once more he heard the voice that had so charmed him, and beheld the bloody skin lying on the sand, and the bath, now filled with water, in the grotto.

He had not very long to wait, for with the first rays of the sun there appeared, out to sea, a shining white object which was blown by gentle breezes towards the shore. As it came nearer he saw a lovely girl. She was seated in a shell. In her hand she held the rope with which the shell was guided.

The prince was so charmed by her beauty that he forgot that he was in hiding. He rushed out, sank on his knees on the sands, holding out his hands towards this wonderful vision. But as he did so the comb and its case fell out of his pocket. At the sight the lady cried, and, vanished quickly in the direction of the island. Throwing off his clothes, the prince was going to swim after her. But he saw a snow white fox, looking the same way, and making signs with his paws. A small boat set sail towards them, to the great joy of the little creature.

When the boat came closer to the beach, the fox waved his paw towards the prince’s clothes. So the prince put them on again. The prince suddenly remembered that the sight of the comb had frightened away the beautiful lady. He raised his hand to throw it into the sea, but the fox jumped on him and held on so tightly to his arm that he could not lift it. At that moment a horseman on the shore let fly an arrow at the fox, the little creature fell heavily into the boat, and closed its eyes. The grief of the prince was great. He instantly jumped to land, but the murderer was already far away. When the young man turned round again, the boat and the fox were nowhere to be seen.

An approaching storm drove him into the grotto. Over the bath was a tent-shaped covering of white, embroidered with sheaths, and from beneath it came a voice:

‘Prince, will you trust me whatever happens, knowing that my heart is yours, and as I feel that yours is mine? But, I warn you, for if you give the smallest sign of fear, when the tent is opened, you will lose me forever.’

She did well to warn him; and even then he tried to keep the colour in his cheeks and his hand from trembling. He saw a crocodile’s head with snapping jaws towards him. He remained still, but it was difficult. Soon he turned into the Lady of the Shell.

‘Quick! Prince! Quick! The time is flying, comb me at once or I will disappear.’

At her words he took out the comb, but found to his surprise that it needed all his strength to draw it from its sheath.

‘Enough. Now burn my skin.’

‘Ah, that I can never do,’ cried he; but the lady cut him short.

‘Then we will both regret it forever,’ she said, ‘I can only be the wife of the man who will burn my skin.’

And while he still stood hesitating, the curtains of the tent fell back on her. A fire was burning, he almost fell over the skin, which was lying on the ground.

‘Ah, fool that I was! This must be the skin she wished me to burn,’ said he. And he took it in both hands he threw it into the fire. It exploded with a terrific noise. The skin had gone and left no traces, but among the cinders he beheld something shining, which proved to be the magic collar. Ah! Then his sister must be near at last! And before he could turn his head or pick up the collar, her arms were round his neck.

‘You will tell your story first,’ she said, when at length they could speak. And so he did; but his head was so full of the Lady of the Shell that he forgot to say anything about the fox. And it was good that he had forgotten. When the princess told him about her own adventures, she ended up by speaking it is all thanks to the little white fox.

‘You cannot even guess the care he took of me in the little palace. I saw by his eyes that there was something he wanted me to give him, but I could not tell what. I had hidden the collar in a thick bush. One day, when we were in the garden, the sun happened to shine straight on it, and he jumped towards it with every sign of delight. He was about to take it between his teeth when it closed with a loud noise. The fox ran away with a piercing scream, and though I have looked for him far and wide, I have never seen him since. I was here when you threw the skin into the fire, and the collar must have dropped from me. Ah, dear brother,’ she continued with tears in her eyes, ‘I can no longer live without my beloved fox, help me to find him.’

So great was her grief that the prince dared not tell her what sad fate had happened to the poor little animal. He said to her that he would go with her wherever she wanted if she would agree to spend one day on the seashore. And with this the princess was forced to agree.

The prince was standing on the rock, looking out towards the lovely island, and straining his eyes to see the white sail once more. Suddenly he heard cries. He soon saw a knight on horseback, with a bow slung to his back. He was trying to lift a woman on to his saddle. The knight was surprised to see a man here and he dropped the woman’s arm. She rushed to take shelter behind her defender, who, to his amazement, then recognized his step-mother.

‘How did you come here?’ he asked coldly, more than half regretting that he had not left her to her fate. But she read what was in his heart, and fell on her knees before him.

‘Oh, forgive me,’ she cried, ‘for indeed I regret that I was cruel towards you and your sister. We need you help! Your father was hurt in the battle. That mad knight hit him with the spear! There is no time to follow him,’ she added, as the prince wanted to avenge him. When they pushed their way along the path she told him all that had happened since they had last met.

‘From the moment that the king knew of my cruelty to your sister,’ said she, ‘he said he would never see me again, and he left the court to look for you both. I followed him secretly, I consulted the Mother of Sheaths, who took me to rest in that island where the palm trees are waving. There she showed me a lovely princess who, under a spell, turned into a crocodile every day. But now she’s suffering because the skin was not burned properly. It is to this island I am leading you; but first we must find your sister, she can save the white fox if he is not dead already.’

‘The white fox!’ cried the prince. What do you know of him?’

‘Not much,’ answered the queen; ‘but, since I arrived on the island, he was always with us, and charmed us all. Yesterday we missed him, but in the evening a little boat drifted up on the sands, and in it lay the fox. He was covered with blood. I consulted a wizard, who told me that I have to search for the prince and princess of Lombardy. And that if, in twenty-four hours, I could find them, his life would be saved. On a rock along the beach I found your father with a wound through his shoulder. The mad knight was going to kill me too, but I ran away! And then you saved me.’

‘My father is so near!’ cried the prince. ‘We must return and seek him, and also look for my sister.’

They found her in the grotto, with her father’s head in her lap. They decided to take the boat, to sail towards the island. On the way the prince told his sister the sad state of the white fox.

‘Take me to him!’ she said, as soon as the boat touched the island. And in silence the queen went down the path to the palace.

The white fox was lying on a soft mattress in front of a fire. His eyes were closed, and a look on his face which told that death was not far distant. But he knew, somehow, that the princess was near him. And he opened his eyes. The princess started crying, till a hand on her shoulder touched her.

‘Why do you waste the few moments that are left you?’ asked the governor of the island. ‘Place the collar you wear round his neck, and he will be cured at once. But you must do it quickly.’

The princess seemed turned to stone as she listened.

‘The collar!’ she cried. ‘But I have not got it, I lost it in the forest!’ And the thousand sheaths with which the walls were hung echoed:

‘The collar is lost! The collar is lost!’

‘What collar are you talking about?’ asked the king, who was lying on another bed, with the physicians bending over him. ‘Here is one that I picked up, before that madman hurt me. It may be the one you want.’ And he asked to take the collar from the pocket of his jacket.

The princess jumped with joy at the sight of the collar. She grabbed it from the hand of the man and placed it round the neck of the fox. Everyone held their breath as they watched what was happening. His legs grew longer and longer, and his nose grew shorter and shorter. The fox was gone, and there lay Perarthrites, in a coat of thick white fur.

The prince of Lombardy was happy to see his friend and cousin again. But he was thinking about the beautiful lady who had disappeared so mysteriously. His face was so sad that the governor of the island noticed it, and asked what was the matter.

‘Oh! Help me, if you can,’ cried the prince. ‘The enchanted girl is suffering, I need to break the spell!’

‘You can,’ gravely replied the governor; ‘but if you still have your comb. Ah! That is well,’ he continued, as the prince quickly showed the comb from its case. ‘Now follow me.’

Not only the prince, but every one else followed. And the governor led them down a long gallery to a heavy door. It flew open. But what the prince saw! The lady was sitting in a chair wrapped in flames, which were twisting like hair about her head. Her face was red, her mouth was open as if gasping for breath.

‘You did it,’ said the governor to the prince; ‘you did this to her when you burnt the crocodile’s skin. Now try you comb, maybe you can save her.’

At the first touch of the comb the flames disappeared; at the second, her face returned into its usual size; at the third, she rose from the chair. She was lovelier than she ever was before. She rushed into the arms of her brother Perarthrites.

After this there was nothing more to be done but to marry the two couples as fast as possible. And when the wedding was over, Perarthrites and his bride returned to Placenza, and Ferrandina and her husband to Lombardy, and they all lived happily till they died.