Fairy Tales From All Nations

by Anthony R. Montalba

The little man did as the nun desired him, but presently after he exclaimed: "Oh, how hungry I am!"

Then the nun said to him: "There is food by the fire; eat some of it."

The little man fell upon the food, and in a very short time devoured it all. When the nun saw what he had done she was very angry, and scolded him for not having left any food for her companions. Upon this the little man flew into a great passion, seized the nun, beat her, and threw her from one wall to the other. He then quitted the castle and went his way, leaving the nun on the floor. Towards evening the two companions returned home very hungry, and when they found no food they reproached the nun bitterly, and would not believe her when she told them what had happened.

The following day the miner proposed to keep watch in the castle, and said he would take good care that no one should have to go to bed fasting. So the two others went into the forest, and the miner looked after the cooking, ate his share, and put the rest by on the oven. The little grey clad man came as before, but how terrified was the miner when he perceived that this time the little man had two heads. He shivered as on the preceding day, saying: "Oh, how cold I am!"

Much frightened, the miner pointed to the hearth. Then the little man said: "Oh, how hungry I am!"

"There is food on the oven," said the miner; "eat some."

Then the little man fell to with both his heads, and soon ate it all up, and licked the plates clean. When the miner reproached him for eating all up, he got for his pains just the same treatment as the nun. The little man beat him black and blue, and flung him against the walls till they cracked; the poor miner lost both sight and hearing, and at last the little man left him lying there, and went his way.

When the blacksmith and the nun returned hungry in the evening, and found no supper, the blacksmith fell into a great rage with the miner, and declared that when his turn should come next day to watch, the castle, no one should want a supper. The next day, at meal time, the little man appeared again but this time he had three heads. He complained of cold, and was bidden by the blacksmith to sit by the hearth. When he said he was hungry, the blacksmith gave him a portion of the food. The little man soon dispatched that, and looked greedily round with his six eyes, asking for more food, and when the blacksmith hesitated to give it him, he tried to treat him as he had done the nun and the miner; the blacksmith, however, was no coward, and seizing a great smith's hammer, he rushed on the little man, and struck off two of his heads, so that he made off as fast as he could with his remaining head. But the blacksmith chased him through the forest along many a pathway, till at last he suddenly disappeared through an iron door. The blacksmith was thus obliged to give up the pursuit, but promised himself not to rest until, with the aid of his two companions, he should have brought the matter to a satisfactory conclusion.

Meantime the nun and the miner had returned home. The smith set their supper before them as he had undertaken to do, and then related his adventure, showing them the two heads he had cut off, with their staring glazed eyes. They then all three resolved to free themselves altogether, if possible, from the little grey man, and the very next day they set to work. They searched a long time before they could find the iron door through which he had disappeared the preceding day, and great toil did it cost them before they were able to break it open. They then found themselves in a great vaulted chamber wherein sat a beautiful maiden at a table, working. She started up, and threw herself at their feet, thanking them as her deliverers, and told them that she was the daughter of a king, and had been confined there by a powerful sorcerer. Yesterday afternoon she had suddenly felt that the spell was loosened, and from that moment she had hourly expected her freedom, but that besides herself there was the daughter of another king confined in the same place. They then went in search of the other king's daughter and set her at liberty also. She thanked them joyfully in like manner, and said that she also had felt since yesterday afternoon that the spell was unbound. The two royal maidens now informed their liberators that in concealed caves of the castle great treasures were hoarded, which were guarded by a terrible dog. They went in search of them and at length came upon the dog, whom the blacksmith slew with his hammer, although he endeavoured to defend himself.