Hardly had the needle put in the last stitch than the maiden
saw through the window the white feathers of the prince, whom the
spindle had brought thither by the golden thread. He alighted, stepped
over the carpet into the house, and when he entered the room, there
stood the maiden in her poor garments, but she shone out from within
them like a rose surrounded by leaves. “Thou art the poorest and also
the richest,” said he to her. “Come with me, thou shalt be my bride.”
She did not speak, but she gave him her hand. Then he gave her a kiss,
led her forth, lifted her on to his horse, and took her to the royal
castle, where the wedding was solemnized with great rejoicings. The
spindle, shuttle, and needle were preserved in the treasure-chamber,
and held in great honour. 189 The Peasant and the Devil

There was once on a time a far-sighted, crafty peasant whose tricks
were much talked about. The best story is, however, how he once got
hold of the Devil, and made a fool of him. The peasant had one day been
working in his field, and as twilight had set in, was making ready for
the journey home, when he saw a heap of burning coals in the middle of
his field, and when, full of astonishment, he went up to it, a little
black devil was sitting on the live coals. “Thou dost indeed sit upon a
treasure!” said the peasant. “Yes, in truth,” replied the Devil, “on a
treasure which contains more gold and silver than thou hast ever seen
in thy life!” “The treasure lies in my field and belongs to me,” said
the peasant. “It is thine,” answered the Devil, “if thou wilt for two
years give me the half of everything thy field produces. Money I have
enough of, but I have a desire for the fruits of the earth.” The
peasant agreed to the bargain. “In order, however, that no dispute may
arise about the division,” said he, “everything that is above ground
shall belong to thee, and what is under the earth to me.” The Devil was
quite satisfied with that, but the cunning peasant had sown turnips. Now when the time for harvest came, the Devil appeared and wanted to
take away his crop; but he found nothing but the yellow withered
leaves, while the peasant, full of delight, was digging up his turnips. “Thou hast had the best of it for once,” said the Devil, “but the next
time that won’t do. What grows above ground shall be thine, and what is
under it, mine.” “I am willing,” replied the peasant; but when the time
came to sow, he did not again sow turnips, but wheat. The grain became
ripe, and the peasant went into the field and cut the full stalks down
to the ground. When the Devil came, he found nothing but the stubble,
and went away in a fury down into a cleft in the rocks. “That is the
way to cheat the Devil,” said the peasant, and went and fetched away
the treasure. 190 The Crumbs on the Table

A countryman one day said to his little puppies, “Come into the parlour
and enjoy yourselves, and pick up the bread-crumbs on the table; your
mistress has gone out to pay some visits.” Then the little dogs said,
“No, no, we will not go. If the mistress gets to know it, she will beat
us.” The countryman said, “She will know nothing about it. Do come;
after all, she never gives you anything good.” Then the little dogs
again said, “Nay, nay, we must let it alone; we must not go.” But the
countryman let them have no peace until at last they went, and got on
the table, and ate up the bread-crumbs with all their might. But at
that very moment the mistress came, and seized the stick in great
haste, and beat them and treated them very hardly. And when they were
outside the house, the little dogs said to the countryman, “Dost, dost,
dost, dost, dost thou see?” Then the countryman laughed and said,
“Didn’t, didn’t, didn’t, you expect it?” So they just had to run away. 191 The Sea-Hare

There was once upon a time a princess, who, high under the battlements
in her castle, had an apartment with twelve windows, which looked out
in every possible direction, and when she climbed up to it and looked
around her, she could inspect her whole kingdom. When she looked out of
the first, her sight was more keen than that of any other human being;
from the second she could see still better, from the third more
distinctly still, and so it went on, until the twelfth, from which she
saw everything above the earth and under the earth, and nothing at all
could be kept secret from her. Moreover, as she was haughty, and would
be subject to no one, but wished to keep the dominion for herself
alone, she caused it to be proclaimed that no one should ever be her
husband who could not conceal himself from her so effectually, that it
should be quite impossible for her to find him. He who tried this,
however, and was discovered by her, was to have his head struck off,
and stuck on a post. Ninety-seven posts with the heads of dead men were
already standing before the castle, and no one had come forward for a
long time. The princess was delighted, and thought to herself, “Now I
shall be free as long as I live.” Then three brothers appeared before
her, and announced to her that they were desirous of trying their luck. The eldest believed he would be quite safe if he crept into a lime-pit,
but she saw him from the first window, made him come out, and had his
head cut off. The second crept into the cellar of the palace, but she
perceived him also from the first window, and his fate was sealed. His
head was placed on the nine and ninetieth post. Then the youngest came
to her and entreated her to give him a day for consideration, and also
to be so gracious as to overlook it if she should happen to discover
him twice, but if he failed the third time, he would look on his life
as over. As he was so handsome, and begged so earnestly, she said,
“Yes, I will grant thee that, but thou wilt not succeed.”

Next day he meditated for a long time how he should hide himself, but
all in vain. Then he seized his gun and went out hunting. He saw a
raven, took a good aim at him, and was just going to fire, when the
bird cried, “Don’t shoot; I will make it worth thy while not.” He put
his gun down, went on, and came to a lake where he surprised a large
fish which had come up from the depths below to the surface of the
water. When he had aimed at it, the fish cried, “Don’t shoot, and I
will make it worth thy while.” He allowed it to dive down again, went
onwards, and met a fox which was lame. He fired and missed it, and the
fox cried, “You had much better come here and draw the thorn out of my
foot for me.” He did this; but then he wanted to kill the fox and skin
it, the fox said, “Stop, and I will make it worth thy while.” The youth
let him go, and then as it was evening, returned home. Next day he was to hide himself; but howsoever much he puzzled his
brains over it, he did not know where.