Danish Fairy Legends and Tales (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1861. Excerpt: ... "Now he is dead, and we are rid of him " thought the wicked brother; "he will never come back again. He was to have taken a long journey over the mountains, and beyond the sea; men often lose their lives in travelling, as he has done He will never come back again, and my sister dares not question me about him." So he shoved with his foot some withered leaves over the upturned earth, and then walked home amid the shades of night. But he did not go alone, as he imagined; the tiny Elf went with him, sitting rolled up in a withered lime-leaf, which had fallen into the wicked man's hair while he was digging the grave. The man put on his hat, and then it was so dark for our little Elf, who was underneath, trembling with horror and indignation at the shameful deed he had witnessed. By the morning the wicked man had reached his home; he took off his hat, and went into his sister's sleeping-room; the bright and beautiful girl lay dreaming of him whom she loved so well, and who, she imagined, was now wandering far away across mountain and forest. Her wicked brother bent over her with a hideous, devilish smile, the withered leaf fell out of his hair upon the counterpane, but he did not notice it, and went away, intending to sleep a little while himself. The Elf now glided out of the withered leaf, crept into the ear of the sleeping girl, and told her, as though in a dream, all about the horrible murder of her lover; he described to her the spot where her brother had buried the corpse, close under the lime-tree, and added, "In token that all I have told thee is not a mere dream, thou shalt find a withered leaf upon thy bed, when thou awakest " Oh, what bitter tears she shed when she awoke and actually found the withered lime-leaf on her bed but she dared not speak ...