'Now you are mine', said the lad; and so he got the Princess to wife,
and half the kingdom.




SHORTSHANKS

Once on a time, there was a poor couple who lived in a tumble-down
hut, in which there was nothing but black want, so that they hadn't a
morsel to eat, nor a stick to burn. But though they had next to
nothing of other things, they had God's blessing in the way of
children, and every year they had another babe. Now, when this story
begins, they were just looking out for a new child; and, to tell the
truth, the husband was rather cross, and he was always going about
grumbling and growling, and saying, 'For his part, he thought one
might have too many of these God's gifts.' So when the time came that
the babe was to be born, he went off into the wood to fetch fuel,
saying, 'he didn't care to stop and see the young squaller; he'd be
sure to hear him soon enough, screaming for food.'

Now, when her husband was well out of the house, his wife gave birth
to a beautiful boy, who began to look about the room as soon as ever
he came into the world.

'Oh! dear mother', he said, 'give me some of my brother's cast-off
clothes, and a few days' food, and I'll go out into the world and try
my luck; you have children enough as it is, that I can see.'

'God help you, my son!' answered his mother; 'that can never be, you