Perhaps he is ferrying
still? If he is, it is because no one has taken the oar from him. 30 The Louse and the Flea

A louse and a flea kept house together and were brewing beer in an
egg-shell. Then the little louse fell in and burnt herself. On this the
little flea began to scream loudly. Then said the little room-door,
“Little flea, why art thou screaming?” “Because the louse has burnt
herself.”

Then the little door began to creak. On this a little broom in the
corner said, “Why art thou creaking, little door?” “Have I not reason
to creak?”

“The little louse has burnt herself,
The little flea is weeping.”


So the little broom began to sweep frantically. Then a little cart
passed by and said, “Why art thou sweeping, little broom?” “Have I not
reason to sweep?”

“The little louse has burnt herself,
The little flea is weeping,
The little door is creaking.”


So the little cart said, “Then I will run,” and began to run wildly. Then said the ash-heap by which it ran, “Why art thou running so,
little cart?” “Have I not reason to run?”

“The little louse has burnt herself,
The little flea is weeping,
The little door is creaking,
The little broom is sweeping.”


The ash-heap said, “Then I will burn furiously,” and began to burn in
clear flames. A little tree stood near the ash-heap and said,
“Ash-heap, why art thou burning?” “Have I not reason to burn?”

“The little louse has burnt herself,
The little flea is weeping,
The little door is creaking,
The little broom is sweeping,
The little cart is running.”


The little tree said, “Then I will shake myself,” and began to shake
herself so that all her leaves fell off; a girl who came up with her
water-pitcher saw that, and said, “Little tree, why art thou shaking
thyself?” “Have I not reason to shake myself?”

“The little louse has burnt herself,
The little flea is weeping,
The little door is creaking,
The little broom is sweeping,
The little cart is running,
The little ash-heap is burning.”


On this the girl said, “Then I will break my little water-pitcher,” and
she broke her little water-pitcher. Then said the little spring from
which ran the water, “Girl, why art thou breaking thy water-jug?” “Have
I not reason to break my water-jug?”

“The little louse has burnt herself,
The little flea is weeping,
The little door is creaking,
The little broom is sweeping,
The little cart is running,
The little ash-heap is burning,
The little tree is shaking itself.”


“Oh, ho!” said the spring, “then I will begin to flow,” and began to
flow violently. And in the water everything was drowned, the girl, the
little tree, the little ash-heap, the little cart, the broom, the
little door, the little flea, the little louse, all together. 31 The Girl Without Hands

A certain miller had little by little fallen into poverty, and had
nothing left but his mill and a large apple-tree behind it. Once when
he had gone into the forest to fetch wood, an old man stepped up to him
whom he had never seen before, and said, “Why dost thou plague thyself
with cutting wood, I will make thee rich, if thou wilt promise me what
is standing behind thy mill?” “What can that be but my apple-tree?”
thought the miller, and said, “Yes,” and gave a written promise to the
stranger. He, however, laughed mockingly and said, “When three years
have passed, I will come and carry away what belongs to me,” and then
he went. When the miller got home, his wife came to meet him and said,
“Tell me, miller, from whence comes this sudden wealth into our house? All at once every box and chest was filled; no one brought it in, and I
know not how it happened.” He answered, “It comes from a stranger who
met me in the forest, and promised me great treasure. I, in return,
have promised him what stands behind the mill; we can very well give
him the big apple-tree for it.” “Ah, husband,” said the terrified wife,
“that must have been the devil! He did not mean the apple-tree, but our
daughter, who was standing behind the mill sweeping the yard.”

The miller’s daughter was a beautiful, pious girl, and lived through
the three years in the fear of God and without sin. When therefore the
time was over, and the day came when the Evil-one was to fetch her, she
washed herself clean, and made a circle round herself with chalk. The
devil appeared quite early, but he could not come near to her. Angrily,
he said to the miller, “Take all water away from her, that she may no
longer be able to wash herself, for otherwise I have no power over
her.” The miller was afraid, and did so. The next morning the devil
came again, but she had wept on her hands, and they were quite clean. Again he could not get near her, and furiously said to the miller, “Cut
her hands off, or else I cannot get the better of her.” The miller was
shocked and answered, “How could I cut off my own child’s hands?” Then
the Evil-one threatened him and said, “If thou dost not do it thou art
mine, and I will take thee thyself.” The father became alarmed, and
promised to obey him. So he went to the girl and said, “My child, if I
do not cut off both thine hands, the devil will carry me away, and in
my terror I have promised to do it. Help me in my need, and forgive me
the harm I do thee.” She replied, “Dear father, do with me what you
will, I am your child.” Thereupon she laid down both her hands, and let
them be cut off. The devil came for the third time, but she had wept so
long and so much on the stumps, that after all they were quite clean. Then he had to give in, and had lost all right over her. The miller said to her, “I have by means of thee received such great
wealth that I will keep thee most delicately as long as thou livest.”
But she replied, “Here I cannot stay, I will go forth, compassionate
people will give me as much as I require.” Thereupon she caused her
maimed arms to be bound to her back, and by sunrise she set out on her
way, and walked the whole day until night fell. Then she came to a
royal garden, and by the shimmering of the moon she saw that trees
covered with beautiful fruits grew in it, but she could not enter, for
there was much water round about it. And as she had walked the whole
day and not eaten one mouthful, and hunger tormented her, she thought,
“Ah, if I were but inside, that I might eat of the fruit, else must I
die of hunger!” Then she knelt down, called on God the Lord, and
prayed. And suddenly an angel came towards her, who made a dam in the
water, so that the moat became dry and she could walk through it. And
now she went into the garden and the angel went with her. She saw a
tree covered with beautiful pears, but they were all counted. Then she
went to them, and to still her hunger, ate one with her mouth from the
tree, but no more. The gardener was watching; but as the angel was
standing by, he was afraid and thought the maiden was a spirit, and was
silent, neither did he dare to cry out, or to speak to the spirit.