Mother's Nursery Tales
Copyright© 2024 by Katharine Pyle
Brittle-Legs
There was once a man who was such a boaster that scarcely a word he said was true. One day he was talking with some companions and he said, “I have no need to work or worry over anything. I could be richer than the King himself if I chose, for I have a daughter who can spin straw into gold.”
A nobleman who was passing by overheard this, and he went to the King and repeated to him what the man had said.
Now the King of that country was very fond of gold; he never could have enough of it. He at once sent to the boaster’s house and had him and his daughter brought to the palace. They were brought to where the King sat, and the King said, “I hear that you have boasted that your daughter can spin straw into gold. Is that true?”
The man was very much frightened when he heard this, but he was afraid to deny what he had already said.
“Yes, your majesty, that is what I said,” he answered.
“Very well,” said the King. “We shall soon know whether you have spoken the truth or not. I have had a large room made ready for your daughter. It is filled with straw. I will have her taken to it, and if she spins it into gold you shall be well rewarded, but if she fails you shall both be punished severely.”
Both the father and daughter were terrified at these words. They did not know what would become of them. The boaster was allowed to go home, but the girl was taken to a large room filled with straw, and was left there. She sat and cried and cried.
Presently the door opened and a crooked little brown dwarf came into the room.
“Tut, tut, what a noise,” said he. “Why are you crying so bitterly.”
“I am crying because the King has put me here to spin this straw into gold, and I do not know how to set about it.”
“That should not be such a hard matter. What will you give me if I do it for you?”
“This necklace around my neck,” said the girl.
“Very well, give it to me.” The dwarf took the necklace and sat down to the spinning wheel, and it did not take him long to spin all the straw into gold—heaps and heaps of it. Then he hopped away, and no one saw him come or go but the girl.
Early the next morning the King came to see how the girl was getting on. When he saw the room full of glittering gold instead of straw he was filled with joy and wonder. But for all that he was not satisfied. He led the girl into a still larger room, and it, too, was full of straw.
“You have done very well,” said he, “but I expect you to do still better. Spin this straw into gold for me and the reward shall not be lacking.” Then he went away, leaving the girl alone.
She sat and cried and cried.
Presently the door opened, and the same little dwarf came hopping into the room.
“What will you give me,” said he, “if I spin this straw into gold for you?”
“I will give you the gold ring from my finger,” answered the girl.
The dwarf sat down at the spinning wheel, and soon all the straw was spun into gold. Then the dwarf took the ring from the girl’s finger and went away.
The next day, when the King came and saw all the gold he was even more delighted than before. He was now as rich as any emperor, but even yet he was not content. He took the girl into a still larger room, and it, like the others, was full of straw.
“If you will spin this, too, into gold, then you shall be my bride,” said he.
The King had scarcely left her before the dwarf came hopping into the room. “Well,” said he, “what will you give me this time if I spin the straw into gold for you?”
“Alas, alas!” cried the girl, “I have nothing more to give.”
“Promise me that if the King marries you, you will give me your first child, and I will help you,” said the dwarf.
At first the girl did not want to promise this, but then she thought that after all it was very unlikely the King would marry her, and even if he did she might never have a child. “Very well,” said she, “I promise.”
The dwarf laughed aloud and snapped his fingers with joy. Then he sat down at the spinning wheel and spun till the wheel whirred. You could scarcely see it, it flew so fast. Soon all the straw was spun. “There,” said he, “now you will not need me again. But do not forget your promise, for at the right time I shall certainly come to claim the child.” Then he hopped away, laughing as he went.
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