English

THE SEVEN RAVENS THERE was once a man who had seven sons, but never a daughter no matter how much he wished for one. At length, his wife had a child, and it was a daughter. The joy was great. But the child was sickly and small, and so weak that it had to be baptized at once. The father sent one of the boys in a hurry to the spring, to fetch water for the baptism. The other six boys ran along with him. And as each strove to be the first to fill the jug, it fell into the spring. There they stood, and did not know what to do.

CLEVER ELSIE THERE was once a man who had a daughter who was called Clever Elsie. And when she had grown up her father said, “We will get her married.” “Yes,” said the mother, “if only any one would come who would have her.” At length a man came from a distance, and wooed her, who was called Hans.

LITTLE RED-CAP ONCE upon a time, there was a sweet little girl, who was loved by every one who looked at her, and most of all by her Grandmother. There was nothing that she would not have given the child! Once she gave her a little cap of red velvet, which suited her so well that she would not wear anything else. So she was always called Little Red-Cap. One day, her Mother said to her, “Come, Little Red-Cap, here is a piece of cake and a bottle of wine. Take them to your Grandmother. She is ill and weak, and they will do her good. Set out before it gets hot. Walk nicely and quietly.

Nobody would call Mr. Tod "nice." As a fox, the rabbits could not bear him; they could smell him half a mile off though they never knew where he’d appear next. He had half a dozen houses all over the woods, but hardly lived in them. Still, his homes were not always empty. Sometimes, when Mr. Tod moved out, Tommy Brock would move in (without asking permission). Tommy Brock was a brisly little badger with a big smile and terrible habits. He ate wasp nests and frogs and worms; and he waddled about by moonlight, digging things up.