I
Der var engang en lille pige. Hver eftermiddag gav hendes mor hende en lille skål med mælk og tvebakker og så satte hun sig ud i gården. Når hun begyndte at spise, kom en skrubtudse kravlende ud af en revne i muren, stak hovedet ned i mælken og spiste med. Barnet morede sig derover, og når skrubtudsen ikke kom straks, når hun havde sat sig derude med sin lille skål, råbte hun:
"Skynd dig, lille tudse, kom du lidt
mælk og brød skal have, du er
sulten vist, og tom er din lille
mave."
mælk og brød skal have, du er
sulten vist, og tom er din lille
mave."
Så kom tudsen løbende og tog for sig af retterne. Til tak bragte den barnet mange smukke ting fra sit skatkammer, skinnende stene, perler og legetøj af guld. Den drak imidlertid kun mælken og lod tvebakkerne ligge. En dag tog pigen sin ske, gav den lille et tjat på hovedet og sagde: "Du skal også spise tvebakker." Moderen, som stod ude i køkkenet hørte, at barnet snakkede med nogen, og da hun så, at det slog en skrubtudse med sin ske, løb hun derud og slog det skikkelige dyr ihjel med et stykke brænde.
Fra nu af blev barnet helt anderledes. Så længe tudsen spiste sammen med det, voksede det sig stor og stærk, men nu mistede det sine røde kinder og blev mager. Kort efter begyndte uglen at skrige om natten, rødkælken samlede grene og blade til en krans, og det varede ikke længe, før barnet døde.
II
En lille pige, som hverken havde far eller mor, sad en dag ved byens mur og spandt. Da kom en skrubtudse kravlende ud af en revne i muren, og i en fart bredte hun sit blå silketørklæde ud ved siden af sig. Sådan et holder tudserne så meget af at gå på. Da skrubtudsen så det, vendte den om og kom tilbage med en lille guldkrone, som den lagde på tørklædet, og så kravlede den bort igen. Pigen tog kronen, den lyste og skinnede og var af det fineste, spundne guld. Kort tid efter kom tudsen igen, men da den ikke så kronen, kravlede den hen til væggen og slog i sin sorg hovedet imod den, så længe den havde kræfter til det, og til sidst faldt den død om. Hvis den lille pige havde ladet kronen ligge, havde skrubtudsen nok bragt hende flere smukke ting fra sin hule.
III
"Huhu," råber tudsen. "Kom herud," siger barnet, og når tudsen kommer spørger det efter sin lille søster: "Har du ikke set lille rødstrømpe?" - "Nej," svarer tudsen, "har du ikke, huhu, huhu, huhu."
There was once a little child whose mother gave her every afternoon a small bowl of milk and bread, and the child seated herself in the yard with it. When she began to eat however, a snake came creeping out of a crevice in the wall, dipped its little head in the dish, and ate with her. The child had pleasure in this, and when she was sitting there with her little dish and the snake did not come at once, she cried,
"Snake, snake, come swiftly
Hither come, thou tiny thing,
Thou shalt have thy crumbs of bread,
Thou shalt refresh thyself with milk."
Hither come, thou tiny thing,
Thou shalt have thy crumbs of bread,
Thou shalt refresh thyself with milk."
Then the snake came in haste, and enjoyed its food. Moreover it showed gratitude, for it brought the child all kinds of pretty things from its hidden treasures, bright stones, pearls, and golden playthings. The snake, however, only drank the milk, and left the bread-crumbs alone. Then one day the child took its little spoon and struck the snake gently on its head with it, and said, "Eat the bread-crumbs as well, little thing." The mother, who was standing in the kitchen, heard the child talking to someone, and when she saw that she was striking a snake with her spoon, ran out with a log of wood, and killed the good little creature.
From that time forth, a change came over the child. As long as the snake had eaten with her, she had grown tall and strong, but now she lost her pretty rosy cheeks and wasted away. It was not long before the funeral bird began to cry in the night, and the redbreast to collect little branches and leaves for a funeral garland, and soon afterwards the child lay on her bier.
From that time forth, a change came over the child. As long as the snake had eaten with her, she had grown tall and strong, but now she lost her pretty rosy cheeks and wasted away. It was not long before the funeral bird began to cry in the night, and the redbreast to collect little branches and leaves for a funeral garland, and soon afterwards the child lay on her bier.
Second Story.
An orphan child was sitting on the town walls spinning, when she saw a snake coming out of a hole low down in the wall. Swiftly she spread out beside this one of the blue silk handkerchiefs which snakes have such a strong liking for, and which are the only things they will creep on. As soon as the snake saw it, it went back, then returned, bringing with it a small golden crown, laid it on the handkerchief, and then went away again. The girl took up the crown, it glittered and was of delicate golden filagree work. It was not long before the snake came back for the second time, but when it no longer saw the crown, it crept up to the wall, and in its grief smote its little head against it as long as it had strength to do so, until at last it lay there dead. If the girl had but left the crown where it was, the snake would certainly have brought still more of its treasures out of the hole.
Third Story.
A snake cries, "Huhu, huhu." A child says, "Come out." The snake comes out, then the child inquires about her little sister: "Hast thou not seen little Red-stockings?" The snake says, "No." - "Neither have I." - "Then I am like you. Huhu, huhu, huhu."