Do Things Keep Getting Better?

“There sat the dog, with eyes as large as tea-cups.”

He opened the first door. Yes, there sat the dog, with eyes as large as tea-cups, staring at him.

“There’s a good dog!” said the soldier, as he spread the witch’s apron on the floor, and lifted the beast on to it. He then filled his pockets with the copper coins in the chest, shut the lid, put the dog back into his place, and passed on into the second room.

There sat the second dog, with eyes as large as mill-stones.

“You had really better not stare at me so,” said the soldier; “it will hurt your eyes!” As he said this he set the dog down on the witch’s apron and lifted the lid of the chest. No sooner did he catch sight of all the silver it held than he threw away his copper coins, and filled his pockets and his knapsack with the shining silver.

He now passed on into the third room. What a start he got! A dog in this room had a pair of eyes each as large as a big round tower, and they kept rolling round and round in his head like wheels.

.

From the story “The Tinder-Box.”

Hans Andersen’s Fairy Tales.

By William Woodburn.

Illustrated by Gordon Robinson.

W. & R. Chambers, Limited: London & Edinburgh. 1917.

Stuck To A Golden Goose!

THE GOLDEN GOOSE.

. . . she seized the goose by the wing, but her finger and hand remained sticking fast to it.

The second came soon afterwards, thinking only of how she might get a feather for herself, but she had scarcely touched her sister than she was held fast.

At last the third also came with the like intent, and the others screamed out, “Keep away; for goodness’ sake keep away!” But she did not understand why she was to keep away. “The others are there,” she thought, “I may as well be there too,” and ran to them; but as soon as she had touched her sister, she remained sticking fast to her.

Grimm’s Fairy Tales.

Translated from the German By Margaret Hunt.

Illustrated By John B. Gruelle.

Cupples and Leon Company: New York. Ca 1914.