MemGPT/example_short_stories · Datasets at Hugging Face

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'Enough of your foolish chatter, said the waggoner. 'Come, go with
me, I will see about a place for you.' The youth went with the
waggoner, and in the evening they arrived at an inn where they wished
to pass the night. Then at the entrance of the parlor the youth
again said quite loudly 'if I could but shudder. If I could but
shudder.' The host who heard this, laughed and said 'if that is your
desire, there ought to be a good opportunity for you here.' 'Ah, be
silent, said the hostess, 'so many prying persons have already lost
their lives, it would be a pity and a shame if such beautiful eyes as
these should never see the daylight again.' But the youth said
'however difficult it may be, I will learn it. For this purpose
indeed have I journeyed forth.' He let the host have no rest, until
the latter told him, that not far from thence stood a haunted castle
where any one could very easily learn what shuddering was, if he
would but watch in it for three nights. The king had promised that
he who would venture should have his daughter to wife, and she was
the most beautiful maiden the sun shone on. Likewise in the castle
lay great treasures, which were guarded by evil spirits, and these
treasures would then be freed, and would make a poor man rich enough.
Already many men had gone into the castle, but as yet none had come
out again. Then the youth went next morning to the king and said 'if
it be allowed, I will willingly watch three nights in the haunted
castle.' The king looked at him, and as the youth pleased him, he
said 'you may ask for three things to take into the castle with you,
but they must be things without life.' Then he answered 'then I ask
for a fire, a turning lathe, and a cutting-board with the knife.' The
king had these things carried into the castle for him during the day.
When night was drawing near, the youth went up and made himself a
bright fire in one of the rooms, placed the cutting-board and knife
beside it, and seated himself by the turning-lathe. 'Ah, if I could
but shudder.' Said he, 'but I shall not learn it here either.'
Towards midnight he was about to poke his fire, and as he was blowing
it, something cried suddenly from one corner 'au, miau. How cold we
are.' 'You fools.' Cried he, 'what are you crying about. If you are
cold, come and take a seat by the fire and warm yourselves.' And when
he had said that, two great black cats came with one tremendous leap
and sat down on each side of him, and looked savagely at him with
their fiery eyes. After a short time, when they had warmed
themselves, they said 'comrade, shall we have a game of cards.' 'Why
not.' He replied, 'but just show me your paws.' Then they stretched
out their claws. 'Oh, said he, 'what long nails you have. Wait, I
must first cut them for you.' Thereupon he seized them by the
throats, put them on the cutting-board and screwed their feet fast.
'I have looked at your fingers, said he, 'and my fancy for
card-playing has gone, and he struck them dead and threw them out
into the water. But when he had made away with these two, and was
about to sit down again by his fire, out from every hole and corner
came black cats and black dogs with red-hot chains, and more and more
of them came until he could no longer move, and they yelled horribly,
and got on his fire, pulled it to pieces, and tried to put it out.
He watched them for a while quietly, but at last when they were going
too far, he seized his cutting-knife, and cried 'away with you,
vermin, and began to cut them down. Some of them ran away, the others
he killed, and threw out into the fish-pond. When he came back he
fanned the embers of his fire again and warmed himself. And as he
thus sat, his eyes would keep open no longer, and he felt a desire to
sleep. Then he looked round and saw a great bed in the corner.
'That is the very thing for me, said he, and got into it. When he
was just going to shut his eyes, however, the bed began to move of
its own accord, and went over the whole of the castle. 'That's right,
said he, 'but go faster.' Then the bed rolled on as if six horses
were harnessed to it, up and down, over thresholds and stairs, but
suddenly hop, hop, it turned over upside down, and lay on him like a
mountain. But he threw quilts and pillows up in the air, got out and
said 'now any one who likes, may drive, and lay down by his fire, and
slept till it was day. In the morning the king came, and when he saw
him lying there on the ground, he thought the evil spirits had killed
him and he was dead. Then said he 'after all it is a pity, -- for so
handsome a man.' The youth heard it, got up, and said 'it has not
come to that yet.' Then the king was astonished, but very glad, and
asked how he had fared. 'Very well indeed, answered he, 'one night
is past, the two others will pass likewise.' Then he went to the
innkeeper, who opened his eyes very wide, and said 'I never expected
to see you alive again. Have you learnt how to shudder yet.' 'No,
said he, 'it is all in vain. If some one would but tell me.' The
second night he again went up into the old castle, sat down by the
fire, and once more began his old song 'if I could but shudder.' When
midnight came, an uproar and noise of tumbling about was heard, at
first it was low, but it grew louder and louder. Then it was quiet
for a while, and at length with a loud scream, half a man came down
the chimney and fell before him. 'Hullo.' Cried he, 'another half
belongs to this. This is not enough.' Then the uproar began again,
there was a roaring and howling, and the other half fell down
likewise. 'Wait, said he, 'I will just stoke up the fire a little
for you.' When he had done that and looked round again, the two
pieces were joined together, and a hideous man was sitting in his
place. 'That is no part of our bargain, said the youth, 'the bench
is mine.' The man wanted to push him away, the youth, however, would
not allow that, but thrust him off with all his strength, and seated
himself again in his own place. Then still more men fell down, one
after the other, they brought nine dead men's legs and two skulls,
and set them up and played at nine-pins with them. The youth also
wanted to play and said 'listen you, can I join you.' 'Yes, if you
have any money.' Money enough, replied he, 'but your balls are not
quite round.' Then he took the skulls and put them in the lathe and
turned them till they were round. 'There, now they will roll
better.' Said he. 'Hurrah. Now we'll have fun.' He played with them
and lost some of his money, but when it struck twelve, everything
vanished from his sight. He lay down and quietly fell asleep. Next
morning the king came to inquire after him. 'How has it fared with

'Enough of your foolish chatter, said the waggoner. 'Come, go with

me, I will see about a place for you.' The youth went with the

waggoner, and in the evening they arrived at an inn where they wished

to pass the night. Then at the entrance of the parlor the youth

again said quite loudly 'if I could but shudder. If I could but

shudder.' The host who heard this, laughed and said 'if that is your

desire, there ought to be a good opportunity for you here.' 'Ah, be

silent, said the hostess, 'so many prying persons have already lost

their lives, it would be a pity and a shame if such beautiful eyes as

these should never see the daylight again.' But the youth said

'however difficult it may be, I will learn it. For this purpose

indeed have I journeyed forth.' He let the host have no rest, until

the latter told him, that not far from thence stood a haunted castle

where any one could very easily learn what shuddering was, if he

would but watch in it for three nights. The king had promised that

he who would venture should have his daughter to wife, and she was

the most beautiful maiden the sun shone on. Likewise in the castle

lay great treasures, which were guarded by evil spirits, and these

treasures would then be freed, and would make a poor man rich enough.

Already many men had gone into the castle, but as yet none had come

out again. Then the youth went next morning to the king and said 'if

it be allowed, I will willingly watch three nights in the haunted

castle.' The king looked at him, and as the youth pleased him, he

said 'you may ask for three things to take into the castle with you,

but they must be things without life.' Then he answered 'then I ask

for a fire, a turning lathe, and a cutting-board with the knife.' The

king had these things carried into the castle for him during the day.

When night was drawing near, the youth went up and made himself a

bright fire in one of the rooms, placed the cutting-board and knife

beside it, and seated himself by the turning-lathe. 'Ah, if I could

but shudder.' Said he, 'but I shall not learn it here either.'

Towards midnight he was about to poke his fire, and as he was blowing

it, something cried suddenly from one corner 'au, miau. How cold we

are.' 'You fools.' Cried he, 'what are you crying about. If you are

cold, come and take a seat by the fire and warm yourselves.' And when

he had said that, two great black cats came with one tremendous leap

and sat down on each side of him, and looked savagely at him with

their fiery eyes. After a short time, when they had warmed

themselves, they said 'comrade, shall we have a game of cards.' 'Why

not.' He replied, 'but just show me your paws.' Then they stretched

out their claws. 'Oh, said he, 'what long nails you have. Wait, I

must first cut them for you.' Thereupon he seized them by the

throats, put them on the cutting-board and screwed their feet fast.

'I have looked at your fingers, said he, 'and my fancy for

card-playing has gone, and he struck them dead and threw them out

into the water. But when he had made away with these two, and was

about to sit down again by his fire, out from every hole and corner

came black cats and black dogs with red-hot chains, and more and more

of them came until he could no longer move, and they yelled horribly,

and got on his fire, pulled it to pieces, and tried to put it out.

He watched them for a while quietly, but at last when they were going

too far, he seized his cutting-knife, and cried 'away with you,

vermin, and began to cut them down. Some of them ran away, the others

he killed, and threw out into the fish-pond. When he came back he

fanned the embers of his fire again and warmed himself. And as he

thus sat, his eyes would keep open no longer, and he felt a desire to

sleep. Then he looked round and saw a great bed in the corner.

'That is the very thing for me, said he, and got into it. When he

was just going to shut his eyes, however, the bed began to move of

its own accord, and went over the whole of the castle. 'That's right,

said he, 'but go faster.' Then the bed rolled on as if six horses

were harnessed to it, up and down, over thresholds and stairs, but

suddenly hop, hop, it turned over upside down, and lay on him like a

mountain. But he threw quilts and pillows up in the air, got out and

said 'now any one who likes, may drive, and lay down by his fire, and

slept till it was day. In the morning the king came, and when he saw

him lying there on the ground, he thought the evil spirits had killed

him and he was dead. Then said he 'after all it is a pity, -- for so

handsome a man.' The youth heard it, got up, and said 'it has not

come to that yet.' Then the king was astonished, but very glad, and

asked how he had fared. 'Very well indeed, answered he, 'one night

is past, the two others will pass likewise.' Then he went to the

innkeeper, who opened his eyes very wide, and said 'I never expected

to see you alive again. Have you learnt how to shudder yet.' 'No,

said he, 'it is all in vain. If some one would but tell me.' The

second night he again went up into the old castle, sat down by the

fire, and once more began his old song 'if I could but shudder.' When

midnight came, an uproar and noise of tumbling about was heard, at

first it was low, but it grew louder and louder. Then it was quiet

for a while, and at length with a loud scream, half a man came down

the chimney and fell before him. 'Hullo.' Cried he, 'another half

belongs to this. This is not enough.' Then the uproar began again,

there was a roaring and howling, and the other half fell down

likewise. 'Wait, said he, 'I will just stoke up the fire a little

for you.' When he had done that and looked round again, the two

pieces were joined together, and a hideous man was sitting in his

place. 'That is no part of our bargain, said the youth, 'the bench

is mine.' The man wanted to push him away, the youth, however, would

not allow that, but thrust him off with all his strength, and seated

himself again in his own place. Then still more men fell down, one

after the other, they brought nine dead men's legs and two skulls,

and set them up and played at nine-pins with them. The youth also

wanted to play and said 'listen you, can I join you.' 'Yes, if you

have any money.' Money enough, replied he, 'but your balls are not

quite round.' Then he took the skulls and put them in the lathe and

turned them till they were round. 'There, now they will roll

better.' Said he. 'Hurrah. Now we'll have fun.' He played with them

and lost some of his money, but when it struck twelve, everything

vanished from his sight. He lay down and quietly fell asleep. Next

morning the king came to inquire after him. 'How has it fared with