Household Tales | Page 8

her
all things in abundance. Although she could not speak, she was still so
beautiful and charming that he began to love her with all his heart, and
it was not long before he married her.
After a year or so had passed, the Queen brought a son into the world.
Thereupon the Virgin Mary appeared to her in the night when she lay in
her bed alone, and said, "If thou wilt tell the truth and confess that thou
didst unlock the forbidden door, I will open thy mouth and give thee
back thy speech, but if thou perseverest in thy sin, and deniest
obstinately, I will take thy new-born child away with me." Then the
queen was permitted to answer, but she remained hard, and said, "No, I
did not open the forbidden door;" and the Virgin Mary took the
new-born child from her arms, and vanished with it. Next morning
when the child was not to be found, it was whispered among the people
that the Queen was a man-eater, and had killed her own child. She
heard all this and could say nothing to the contrary, but the King would
not believe it, for he loved her so much.
When a year had gone by the Queen again bore a son, and in the night
the Virgin Mary again came to her, and said, "If thou wilt confess that
thou openedst the forbidden door, I will give thee thy child back and
untie thy tongue; but if you continuest in sin and deniest it, I will take
away with me this new child also." Then the Queen again said, "No, I
did not open the forbidden door;" and the Virgin took the child out of
her arms, and away with her to heaven. Next morning, when this child
also had disappeared, the people declared quite loudly that the Queen
had devoured it, and the King's councillors demanded that she should

be brought to justice. The King, however, loved her so dearly that he
would not believe it, and commanded the councillors under pain of
death not to say any more about it.
The following year the Queen gave birth to a beautiful little daughter,
and for the third time the Virgin Mary appeared to her in the night and
said, "Follow me." She took the Queen by the hand and led her to
heaven, and showed her there her two eldest children, who smiled at
her, and were playing with the ball of the world. When the Queen
rejoiced thereat, the Virgin Mary said, "Is thy heart not yet softened? If
thou wilt own that thou openedst the forbidden door, I will give thee
back thy two little sons." But for the third time the Queen answered,
"No, I did not open the forbidden door." Then the Virgin let her sink
down to earth once more, and took from her likewise her third child.
Next morning, when the loss was reported abroad, all the people cried
loudly, "The Queen is a man-eater. She must be judged," and the King
was no longer able to restrain his councillors. Thereupon a trial was
held, and as she could not answer, and defend herself, she was
condemned to be burnt alive. The wood was got together, and when she
was fast bound to the stake, and the fire began to burn round about her,
the hard ice of pride melted, her heart was moved by repentance, and
she thought, "If I could but confess before my death that I opened the
door." Then her voice came back to her, and she cried out loudly, "Yes,
Mary, I did it;" and straight-way rain fell from the sky and extinguished
the flames of fire, and a light broke forth above her, and the Virgin
Mary descended with the two little sons by her side, and the new-born
daughter in her arms. She spoke kindly to her, and said, "He who
repents his sin and acknowledges it, is forgiven." Then she gave her the
three children, untied her tongue, and granted her happiness for her
whole life.
4 The Story of the Youth Who Went Forth to Learn What Fear Was
A certain father had two sons, the elder of whom was smart and
sensible, and could do everything, but the younger was stupid and
could neither learn nor understand anything, and when people saw him
they said, "There's a fellow who will give his father some trouble!"

When anything had to be done, it was always the elder who was forced
to do it; but if his father bade him fetch anything when it was late, or in
the night-time, and the way led through the churchyard, or any other
dismal place, he answered "Oh, no, father, I'll not go there, it makes