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The Pied Piper of Hamelin

14:44 |

Long long time ago, something very strange happened in the prosper town of Hamelin.

One morning, when his fat and satisfied inhabitants came out of their houses, they found the streets invaded by thousands of mice. They were prowling everywhere, devouring insatiably the grain of their barns and the food of their pantries.

Nobody could understand the cause of such an invasion and, even worse, nobody knew what to do to end with such a disturbing plague. No matter how they tried to exterminate them, or at least frighten them off, it seemed that each time more and more mice went to the city.

It was such the amount of mice that, day after day, dominated the streets and houses that even the cats fled frightened.

In view of the seriousness of the situation that the distinguished men of the town, who were seeing their fortunes in danger, called the Council and said

“We’ll give one hundred golden coins to the person who gets out of the mice”.

Few time after, a taciturn, tall and gangling flutist introduced to them. Nobody had seen him before and he told them.-

“The reward will be mine. By this night, there won’t be a single mouse in Hamelin”.

After that, he started walking through the streets playing with his flute a wonderful melody which enchanted the mice. They went out of their hidden places following spellbound the steps of the flutist who was playing his flute tirelessly.

This way, walking and playing, he took them to a very far place, so far that the walls of the town could not be seen. In that place, there was a large river where all the mice died drowned when they tried to cross it to follow the flutist.

The people from Hamelin, breathed relieved when they saw themselves free from the voracious troops of mice.

Calmed and satisfied, they returned to their prosper business and they were so happy that they organized a big party to celebrate the happy ending eating excellent food and dancing until night.

The next morning, the flutist went to the Council and claimed the distinguished men of the town the one hundred golden coins promised as a reward. But they, free from their problem and, blind by their avarice, replied him

“Go out of our town! Or do you think that we’ll pay you for such a little thing as playing the flute?”

After they had said that, the fat members of the Council turn their back laughing. Furious by the avarice and ingratitude of the people from Hamelin, the flautist played a sweet melody insistently.

But this time, there were not the mice who followed him, but the children of the town. Hand in hand and smiling, they were making a long row, deaf to the pleas and cries from their parents who weeping with desperation were trying to prevent them from following the flutist.

They did not get anything and the flutist took them far far away, so far away that nobody knew where and the children, as the mice, never returned.

In the city, there only remained their fat inhabitants and their full barns and well provided pantries, protected by their solid walls and an immense cloak of silence and sadness

And that’s what happened many many years ago in this desert and empty town of Hamelin where, no matter how you look for, you will never find nor a mouse neither a child.

THE END

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The Ugly Duckling

14:43 |

Once upon a time there were three little pigs.

One day they set out from the farm where they had been born. They were going out into the world to start new lives and enjoy any adventures that might come their way.

The first little pig met a man carrying some straw, and he asked him if he might have some to build himself a house.

-"Of course, little pig," said the man.

He gave the little pig a big bundle of straw, and the little pig built himself a lovely house of golden straw.

A big bad wolf lived nearby. He came along and saw the new house and, feeling rather hungry and thinking he would like to eat a little pig for supper, he called out:

-"Little pig, little pig, let me come in." To which the little pig replied,

-"No, no, by the hair of my chinny chin chin, I´ll not let you in!"

So the wolf shouted very crossly,

-"Then I´ll huff and I´ll puff, Till I blow your house in!"

And he huffed and he puffed, and he HUFFED and he PUFFED until the house of straw fell in, and the wolf ate the little pig for his supper that evening.

The second little pig was walking along the road when he met a man with a load of wood.

-"Please Sir," he said, "can you let me have some of that wood so that I can build a house?"

-"Of course," said the man, and he gave him a big pile of wood.

In no time at all, the little pig had built himself a lovely house.

The next evening, along came the same wolf. When he saw another little pig, this time in a wooden house, he called out,

-"Little pig, little pig, let me come in."

To which the pig replied,

-"No, no, by the hair of my chinny chin chin, I´ll not let you in!"

So the wolf shouted,

-"Then I´ll huff and I´ll puff, Till I blow your house in!"

And he huffed and he puffed and he HUFFED and he PUFFED until the house fell in and the wolf gobbled up the little pig for his supper.

The third little pig met a man with a cartload of bricks.

-"Please Sir, can I have some bricks to build myself a house?" he asked, and when the man had given him some, he built himself a lovely house with the bricks.

The big bad wolf came along, and licked his lips as he thought about the third little pig. He called out,

-"Little pig, little pig, let me come in!"

And the little pig called back,

-"No, no, by the hair of my chinny chin chin, I´ll not let you in!"

So the wolf shouted,

-"Then I´ll huff and I´ll puff, Till I blow your house in!"

And the wolf huffed and he puffed, and he HUFFED and he PUFFED, and he HUFFED again and PUFFED again, but still the house, which had been so well built with bricks, did The Three Little Pigs not blow in, no matter how hard the wolf tried.

The wolf went away to think how he could trick the little pig, and he came back and called through the window of the brick house,

-"Little pig, there are some marvellous turnips in the farmer´s field. Shall we go there tomorrow morning at six o´clock and get some?"

The little pig thought this was a very good idea, as he was very fond of turnips, but he went at five o´clock, not six o´clock, and collected all the turnips he needed before the wolf arrived.

The wolf was furious, but he thought he would try another trick. He told the little pig about the apples in the farmer´s orchard, and suggested they both went to get some at five o´clock the next morning.

The little pig agreed, and went as before, an hour earlier. But this time the wolf came early too, and arrived while the little pig was still in the apple tree. The little pig pretended to be pleased to see him and threw an apple down to the wolf.

While the wolf was picking it up, the little pig jumped down the tree and got into a barrel. He rolled quickly clown the hill inside this barrel to his house of bricks and rushed in and bolted the door.

The wolf was very angry that the little pig had got the better of him again, and chased him in the barrel back to his house.

When he got there he climbed on to the roof, intending to come down the chimney and catch the little pig that way. The little pig was waiting for him, however, with a large cauldron of boiling water on the fire.

The wolf came down the chimney and fell into the cauldron with a big SPLASH, and the little pig quickly put the lid on it.

The wicked wolf was never seen again, and the little pig lived happily in his brick house for many many years.

THE END

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The Ugly Duckling

14:42 |

Once upon a time down on an old farm, lived a duck family, and Mother Duck had been sitting on a clutch of new eggs. One nice morning, the eggs hatched and out popped six chirpy ducklings.

But one egg was bigger than the rest, and it didn´t hatch. Mother Duck couldn´t recall laying that seventh egg. How did it get there? TOCK! TOCK! The little prisoner was pecking inside his shell.

-"Did I count the eggs wrongly?"

Mother Duck wondered. But before she had time to think about it, the last egg finally hatched.

A strange looking duckling with gray feathers that should have been yellow gazed at a worried mother. The ducklings grew quickly, but Mother Duck had a secret worry.

- "I can´t understand how this ugly duckling can be one of mine!" she said to herself, shaking her head as she looked at her last born.

Well, the gray duckling certainly wasn´t pretty, and since he ate far more than his brothers, he was outgrowing them. As the days went by, the poor ugly duckling became more and more unhappy. His brothers didn´t want to play with him, he was so clumsy, and all the farmyard folks simply laughed at him.

He felt sad and lonely, while Mother Duck did her best to console him.

- "Poor little ugly duckling!" she would say. "Why are you so different from the others?"

And the ugly duckling felt worse than ever. He secretly wept at night. He felt nobody wanted him.

-"Nobody loves me, they all tease me! Why am I different from my brothers?"

Then one day, at sunrise, he ran away from the farmyard. He stopped at a pond and began to question all the other birds.

-"Do you know of any ducklings with gray feathers like mine?"

But everyone shook their heads in scorn.

- "We don´t know anyone as ugly as you."

The ugly duckling did not lose heart, however, and kept on making inquiries.

He went to another pond, where a pair of large geese gave him the same answer to his question. What´s more, they warned him:

-"Don´t stay here! Go away! It´s dangerous. There are men with guns around here!"

The duckling was sorry he had ever left the farmyard.

Then one day, his travels took him near an old countrywoman´s cottage. Thinking he was a stray goose, she caught him.

-"I´ll put this in a hutch. I hope it´s a female and lays plenty of eggs!" said the old woman, whose eyesight was poor.

But the ugly duckling laid not a single egg. The hen kept frightening him.

-"Just wait! If you don´t lay eggs, the old woman will wring your neck and pop you into the pot!"

And the cat chipped in:

- "Hee! Hee! I hope the woman cooks you, then I can gnaw at your bones!"

The poor ugly duckling was so scared that he lost his appetite, though the old woman kept stuffing him with food and grumbling:

-"If you won´t lay eggs, at least hurry up and get plump!"

-"Oh, dear me!" moaned the now terrified duckling. "I´ll die of fright first! And I did so hope someone would love me!"

Then one night, finding the hutch door open, he escaped.

Once again he was all alone. He fled as far away as he could, and at dawn, he found himself in a thick bed of reeds.

-"If nobody wants me, I´ll hid here forever."

There was plenty a food, and the duckling began to feel a little happier, though he was lonely.

One day at sunrise, he saw a flight of beautiful birds wing overhead. White, with long slender necks, yellow beaks and large wings, they were migrating south.

- "If only I could look like them, just for a day!" said the duckling, admiringly.

Winter came and the water in the reed bed froze. The poor duckling left home to seek food in the snow. He dropped exhausted to the ground, but a farmer found him and put him in his big jacket pocket.

- "I´ll take him home to my children. They´ll look after him. Poor thing, he´s frozen!".

The duckling was showered with kindly care at the farmer´s house. In this way, the ugly duckling was able to survive the bitterly cold winter.

However, by springtime, he had grown so big that the farmer decided:

"I´ll set him free by the pond!"

That was when the duckling saw himself mirrored in the water.

- "Goodness! How I´ve changed! I hardly recognize myself!"

The flight of swans winged north again and glided on to the pond. When the duckling saw them, he realized he was one of their kind, and soon made friends.

-"We´re swans like you!" they said, warmly.

-"Where have you been hiding?"

-"It´s a long story," replied the young swan, still astounded.

Now, he swam majestically with his fellow swans.

One day, he heard children on the river bank exclaim: "Look at that young swan! He´s the finest of them all!" And he almost burst with happiness.

THE END

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The Hare and the Turtle

14:41 |

In the world of the animals, there was a very arrogant hare because she said to everyone she was the fastest. That’s why she was always laughing at the slow turtle.

-Look at the turtle! Hey turtle, don’t run so much that you’re going to get tired of going so fast!- The hare used to say laughing at the turtle.

One day, they were talking and it occurred to the turtle to make a strange bet with the hare.

-I’m sure I can win you a race- she said.

- To me?- asked the hare astonished.

-Yes, to you. Let’s put our bet on that stone and let’s see who wins the race.

The hare, very amused, accepted. All the animals met to watch the race. The road and the finishing line were marked. Once it was ready, the race started among big applauses.

Relying on her speed, the hare left the turtle go and she remained lazing about. She had time enough to win such a slow creature!

Then she start running, she run fast as the wind while the turtle went slow but without stopping. At once she went ahead. She stopped next to the road and she sat to rest.

When the turtle passed by her side, the hare made fun of her once more. She left her advantage and set out her quick walk. She did the same several times but, in spite of her mocks, the turtle kept her way until she arrived to the finishing line. When the hare woke up, she ran with all her might but it was too late, the turtle had won the race.

That day was very sad for the hare and she learnt a lesson she would never forget: you must never mock of the others.

THE END

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Sleeping Beauty

14:39 |

In times past there lived a king and queen, who said to each other every day of their lives, “Would that we had a child!” and yet they had none.

But it happened once that when the queen was bathing, there came a frog out of the water, and he squatted on the ground, and said to her:

-“Thy wish shall be fulfilled; before a year has gone by, thou shalt bring a daughter into the world.”

And as the frog foretold, so it happened; and the queen bore a daughter so beautiful that the king could not contain himself for joy, and he ordained a great feast. Not only did he bid to it his relations, friends, and acquaintances, but also the wise women, that they might be kind and favourable to the child. There were thirteen of them in his kingdom, but as he had only provided twelve golden plates for them to eat from, one of them had to be left out.

However, the feast was celebrated with all splendour; and as it drew to an end, the wise women stood forward to present to the child their wonderful gifts: one bestowed virtue, one beauty, a third riches, and so on, whatever there is in the world to wish for. And when eleven of them had said their say, in came the uninvited thirteenth, burning to revenge herself, and without greeting or respect, she cried with a loud voice,

-“In the fifteenth year of her age the princess shall prick herself with a spindle and shall fall down dead.”

And without speaking one more word she turned away and left the hall. Every one was terrified at her saying, when the twelfth came forward, for she had not yet bestowed her gift, and though she could not do away with the evil prophecy, yet she could soften it, so she said,

-“The princess shall not die, but fall into a deep sleep for a hundred years.”

Now the king, being desirous of saving his child even from this misfortune, gave commandment that all the spindles in his kingdom should be burnt up.

The maiden grew up, adorned with all the gifts of the wise women; and she was so lovely, modest, sweet, and kind and clever, that no one who saw her could help loving her.

It happened one day, she being already fifteen years old, that the king and queen rode abroad, and the maiden was left behind alone in the castle. She wandered about into all the nooks and corners, and into all the chambers and parlours, as the fancy took her, till at last she came to an old tower. She climbed the narrow winding stair which led to a little door, with a rusty key sticking out of the lock; she turned the key, and the door opened, and there in the little room sat an old woman with a spindle, diligently spinning her flax.

-“Good day, mother,” said the princess, “what are you doing?”

-“I am spinning,” answered the old woman, nodding her head.

-“What thing is that that twists round so briskly ?”asked the maiden, and taking the spindle into her hand she began to spin; but no sooner had she touched it than the evil prophecy was fulfilled, and she pricked her finger with it.

In that very moment she fell back upon the bed that stood there, and lay in a deep sleep. And this sleep fell upon the whole castle; the king and queen, who had returned and were in the great hall, fell fast asleep, and with them the whole court. The horses in their stalls, the dogs in the yard, the pigeons on the roof, the flies on the wall, the very fire that flickered on the hearth, became still, and slept like the rest; and the meat on the spit ceased roasting, and the cook, who was going to pull the scullion´s hair for some mistake he had made, let him go, and went to sleep. And the wind ceased, and not a leaf fell from the trees about the castle.

Then round about that place there grew a hedge of thorns thicker every year, until at last the whole castle was hidden from view, and nothing of it could be seen but the vane on the roof. And a rumour went abroad in all that country of the beautiful sleeping Rosamond, for so was the princess called; and from time to time many kings´ sons came and tried to force their way through the hedge; but it was impossible for them to do so, for the thorns held fast together like strong hands, and the young men were caught by them, and not being able to get free, there died a lamentable death.

Many a long year afterwards there came a king´s son into that country, and heard an old man tell how there should be a castle standing behind the hedge of thorns, and that there a beautiful enchanted princess named Rosamond had slept for a hundred years, and with her the king and queen, and the whole court. The old man had been told by his grandfather that many king´s sons had sought to pass the thorn-hedge, but had been caught and pierced by the thorns, and had died a miserable death. Then said the young man,

-“Nevertheless, I do not fear to try; I shall win through and see the lovely Rosamond.”

The good old man tried to dissuade him, but he would not listen to his words. For now the hundred years were at an end, and the day had come when Rosamond should be awakened.

When the prince drew near the hedge of thorns, it was changed into a hedge of beautiful large flowers, which parted and bent aside to let him pass, and then closed behind him in a thick hedge. When he reached the castle-yard, he saw the horses and brindled hunting-dogs lying asleep, and on the roof the pigeons were sitting with their heads under their wings. And when he came indoors, the flies on the wall were asleep, the cook in the kitchen had his hand uplifted to strike the scullion, and the kitchen-maid had the black fowl on her lap ready to pluck.

Then he mounted higher, and saw in the hall the whole court lying asleep, and above them, on their thrones, slept the king and the queen. And still he went farther, and all was so quiet that he could hear his own breathing; and at last he came to the tower, and went up the winding stair, and opened the door of the little room where Rosamond lay. And when he saw her looking so lovely in her sleep, he could not turn away his eyes; and presently he stooped and kissed her. And she awaked, and opened her eyes, and looked very kindly on him. And she rose, and they went forth together, and the king and the queen and whole court waked up, and gazed on each other with great eyes of wonderment. And the horses in the yard got up and shook themselves, the hounds sprang up and wagged their tails, the pigeons on the roof drew their heads from under their wings, looked round, and flew into the field, the flies on the wall crept on a little farther, the kitchen fire leapt up and blazed, and cooked the meat, the joint on the spit began to roast, the cook gave the scullion such a box on the ear that he roared out, and the maid went on plucking the fowl.

Then the wedding of the Prince and Rosamond was held with all splendour, and they lived very happily together until their lives´ end.

THE END

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The Princess and the pea

14:38 |

Once there was a prince who was looking for a princess. But she must be a real princess. The prince went right round the world, and although he found several once upon a time the beautiful princesses, there was always something not quite right about them. In the end he came home, very disappointed.

One night, there was the most terrible storm. It thundered, it lightninged and the rain poured down in sheets. The king and queen and prince sat round the fire toasting crumpets. Suddenly there was a ringing of the bell at the palace gates. Putting on his mackintosh, the king went to see who could be outside on such a dreadful night. When he opened the gates a princess was standing there. But what a sight she was! Water streamed off the ends of her long hair, ran down her clothes and into her shoes.

-"You´d better come in," said the king, leading the princess into the palace where she stood, dripping, and not looking at all like a princess.
- "Yes, I am a princess," she assured them.
The old queen was doubtful. "We´ll soon see about that," she said to herself. And she went to prepare the spare bed for their young visitor.
First she took off all the bedding and then she laid a pea at the very bottom. On top of the pea she put twenty mattresses and on top of the mattresses she put twenty feather beds.

The next morning the princess was asked how she had slept.

-"I hardly slept a wink all night," she said. "The bed was desperately uncomfortable. There was something hard at the bottom of it and I´m sure I am bruised all over."
Now they knew she was a real princess. For no one but a princess would be able to feel a pea through twenty mattresses and twenty feather beds! The prince was thrilled to bits for he had already fallen in love with her. And they decided to be married.
As for the pea, well it was put into a museum where it may still be seen if no one has stolen it.

THE END

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Rufus The Rabbit

14:37 |

Rufus was a mischievous little rabbit who lived with his mum in the country. His mum was very good with him. She made all the possible for him to have everything he needed. If the little rabbit was hungry, her mum went to look for a carrot. If he was thirsty, his mum went to the river and looked for water. In the morning, when Rufus had to go to school, his mum woke him up, prepared him the clothes and made him the breakfast.

One day Mum Rabbit had to go on a trip and Rufus was left alone. He was hungry and he did not know where to look for food. He was thirsty but he did not know where was the water. A bit sad, he went to bed because the following day he had to go very early to school. He slept a lot and while he was dreaming, he woke up because he felt that the rays of the sun were illuminating his face. While he looked the clock.. it was 11 o’clock in the morning! He had to go early to school and he had fallen asleep because his mum was not at home to wake him up. Neither had anyone prepared him breakfast.

Rufus started crying. He felt very sad because if his mother was not there, he did not know how to do anything. He cried for a long time and then he thought “That has happened to me because I leave my mum to do all the things that I, at my age, can do by my own. When mum returns I’ll ask her to teach me to do what she does so I will know how to do it next time she goes on a trip”

In the afternoon Mum Rabbit arrived from her trip and Rufus was very happy. He went running to say her hello and give her a kiss.

During the week, Rufus started to investigate and learn the things that her mum used to do and that he could also do. When he was hungry and her mum brought him a carrot, he asked her where she had taken it from, what he had to do to get one. When he was thirsty and her mother brought him water, he asked her to teach her how to get it.

So, one day, when Mum Rabbit went to look for the carrot for her son, Rufus said her:

-“No, mum. I can do it by my own. Let me go to look for my own carrot”

Then, Rufus made what his mother had taught him and got his carrot. When he arrived home, Mum Rabbit got very happy and said:

-“Congratulations, son. You are a big rabbit now and you can do your things by your own. You’ve grown up and it isn’t necessary that I do everything that you have to do”

Rufus was very happy. He knew that the next time that his mother went on a trip, he would not be hungry nor thirsty. He knew how to do his things by his own and did not need to depend on anyone to live.

THE END

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The Pied Piper of Hamelin

THE END

The Ugly Duckling

THE END

The Ugly Duckling

THE END

The Hare and the Turtle

THE END

Sleeping Beauty

THE END

The Princess and the pea

THE END

Rufus The Rabbit

THE END