When all the world was young, and nymphs and fauns and dryads dwelt in the forests, there was no nymph more lovely and sweet than she whose name was Echo. Diana would smile on her for her fleetness of foot when she followed her in the chase, and those whom she met in the leafy… Read More »Echo and Narcissus
Arachne was a nymph once, they say—the daughter of Idmon the dyer, of Colophon, a city of Lydia. In all Lydia there was none who could weave as wove the beautiful Arachne.
King Midas ever longed for more gold, that could buy him a place in the world that no descendant of a long race of kings should be able to contest. And from Olympus the gods looked down and smiled and vowed that Midas should have the chance of realizing his heart’s desire.
Once, in the old, old times, a fountain gushed out of a hillside, in the land of Greece. And, for aught I know, after so many thousand years, it is still gushing out of the very selfsame spot. At any rate, there was the pleasant fountain, welling freshly forth and sparkling down the hillside, in… Read More »Pegasus and the Chimera
A poor widow once lived in a little cottage. In front of the cottage was a garden, in which were growing two rose trees; one of these bore white roses, and the other red. She had two children, who resembled the rose trees. One was called Snow-White, and the other Rose-Red; and they were as… Read More »Snow White and Rose Red
Once upon a time there was a King who was so ill that everybody despaired of his life, and his three sons were very sorry, and went out into the palace gardens to weep. There they met an old man, who asked the cause of their grief, and they told him their Father was so… Read More »The Water of Life
One fine day a Tailor was sitting on his bench by the window in very high spirits, sewing away most diligently, and presently up the street came a country woman, crying, “Good jams for sale! Good jams for sale!” This cry sounded nice in the Tailor’s ears, and, poking his diminutive head out of the… Read More »The Valiant Little Taylor
Once upon a time there lived a King who had three sons; the two elder were learned and bright, but the youngest said very little and was often ignored. When the King grew old and feeble, feeling that he was nearing his end, he wished to leave the crown to one of his three sons,… Read More »The Three Feathers
A King was once hunting in a large wood and pursued his game so hotly that none of his courtiers could follow him. But when evening approached, he stopped, and looking around him perceived that he had lost himself. He sought a path out of the forest but could not find one, and presently he… Read More »The Six Swans
There was once a widow who had two daughters—one of whom was pretty and industrious, while the other was ugly and idle. But she was much fonder of the ugly and idle one, because she was her own daughter; and the other, who was a step-daughter, was obliged to do all the work of the… Read More »Mother Holle
