And so, when he got home, he was able to show Susan’s father that when he pulled the donkey’s ears, money fell out of his mouth and when he called out: “Table, be covered!” At once the table was covered with food. But still the father wouldn’t let Tim marry Susan. He wanted to know what the stick was for. Once he found out, he soon agreed and so Susan and Tim were married and lived happily every after.
17 - THE STORY OF THE LITTLE MAN IN RED
This is a story about three brothers. Their names were Harold, Horace and Herbert. The family was very poor, and one day the eldest brother, Harold, decided to go and seek his fortune. “When I come back, I’ll be rich and famous,” he said.
Harold walked a long way and at last came to a wood. He was tired and hungry. He saw a large stone by the side of the road. So he sat down on the stone and began to eat the bread and cheese that he had brought with him. While he was eating, he heard a voice in the distance. He looked round and saw a little man dressed all in red, coming out of the wood. The little man came up to Harold and said: “I’m hungry. Please could you give me something to eat?” But Harold wouldn’t give the little man anything. He kicked him and told him to go away. He said: “I’m not going to waste my time over you!” And the little man went limping back into the wood. Harold went on his way, but he did not make his fortune and returned home poorer than when he left.
A little while later, the second son, Horace, decided to go and seek his fortune. “When I come back, we’ll all be rich,” he said. Horace walked a long way. At last he came to the same wood that his elder brother had been to, and sat down on the same stone by the side of the road. The same little man dressed in red came out of the wood and asked him for something to eat. Horace finished eating and threw the little man the crumbs and bits that were left. The little man was very grateful and said to Horace: “I’ve got something to tell you. If you go into the middle of the wood, you’ll find a mine. Go and look there.” So Horace set off for the middle of the wood. He found the mine and looked down into it, but he couldn’t see anything. “I’m not going to waste my time over that,” he said. And he went on his way. But Horace had no luck. He didn’t make his fortune and came home poorer than when he left.
A little while later the youngest son, Herbert, decided to go and seek his fortune. Herbert walked a long way. At last he came to the same wood that his brothers had been to, and sat down on the same stone by the side of the road. The same little man dressed in red came out of the wood and asked him for something to eat. And Herbert gave the little man some of his bread and cheese.
“Have as much as you like,” he said. The little man was very grateful. “I’m going to help you make your fortune. But you must do what I tell you. First you must find the mine in the middle of the wood.”
So Herbert went to the middle of the wood. The little man appeared and told him to go down the mine. And when Herbert climbed down the ladder and reached the bottom, he found himself in a strange land. And who should be there too but the little man in red who gave him a sword and said: “First you must fight a giant. And then you must rescue a beautiful princess who is being kept prisoner by the giant.” “Where is the giant,” Herbert asked. So the little man in red showed him a large rock. “See that rock?”, said the little man. “I’m going to push it and you must follow it.”
So he pushed the rock and Herbert followed it until it came to a castle made of gold. The door of the castle was shut and the rock struck it with a loud clang. At once the door opened and a huge giant came out. “What’s all that noise? Who’s knocking at my door?” And the giant roared with anger. Herbert waved his sword at the giant and to his surprise the giant ran away! “It must be magic,” said Herbert.
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