Contes et légendes. 1re Partie. Guerber Hélène Adeline

regrettés après leur mort de tous leurs sujets.

      LA VILLE SUBMERGÉE. 9

      Il y avait une fois, en Hollande, une grande et belle ville appelée Stavoren. Cette ville était située près de la mer, et les habitants étaient très riches, parce que leurs vaisseaux allaient dans toutes les différentes parties du monde chercher les trésors de toutes les différentes contrées.

      Les habitants de Stavoren étaient très riches, et ils étaient fiers de leur or, fiers de leur argent, fiers de leurs vaisseaux, et fiers de leurs grands palais. Ils étaient fiers et égoïstes aussi, parce qu'ils ne pensaient jamais aux pauvres, qui n'avaient ni or, ni argent, ni vaisseaux, ni palais.

      Il y avait une dame à Stavoren qui était plus riche et plus fière que tous les autres habitants; elle était aussi plus égoïste et plus cruelle envers les pauvres. Un jour, cette dame si riche appela le capitaine de son plus grand vaisseau, et dit:

      "Capitaine, préparez votre vaisseau, et quittez le port. Allez me chercher une grande cargaison de la chose la plus précieuse du monde."

      "Certainement, madame," dit le capitaine, "commandez, et j'obéirai. Mais que voulez-vous, madame? Voulez-vous une grande cargaison d'or, d'argent, de pierres précieuses, ou d'étoffes? Que voulez-vous?"

      "Capitaine," répondit la dame, "j'ai donné mes ordres. Je demande une cargaison de la chose la plus précieuse du monde. Il y a seulement une chose qui est plus précieuse que toutes les autres. Allez chercher cette chose-là et partez immédiatement."

      1

      The original of this story is the common English nursery tale, "The Three Bears and Little Silver Hair."

      2

      This is one of the most popular of the Bohemian folk stories. It has been translated into many languages, and an elaborate version of it can be found in Laboulaye's "Fairy Book."

      3

      The story of the "Moss Rose" has been developed from the following beautiful lines by Krummacher:—

      "Weary of pleasure,

      And laden with treasure,

      The Angel of flowers

      Had wandered for hours;

      When he sunk to his rest

      With his wings on his breast.

      And the rose of the glade

      Lent her beautiful shade,

      To guard and to cover

      The flower king's slumber.

      When the Angel awoke,

      Then in rapture he spoke:

      "Thou queen of my bowers,

      Thou fairest of flowers,

      What gift shall be mine,

      And what guerdon be thine?"

      "In guerdon of duty

      Bestow some new beauty,"

      She said, and then smiled,

      Like a mischievous child.

      In anger he started,

      But ere he departed,

      To rebuke the vain flower,

      In the pride of her power,

      He flung some rude moss

      Her fair bosom across.

      But her new robes of green

      So became the fair queen,

      That the Angel of flowers

1

The original of this story is the common English nursery tale, "The Three Bears and Little Silver Hair."

2

This is one of the most popular of the Bohemian folk stories. It has been translated into many languages, and an elaborate version of it can be found in Laboulaye's "Fairy Book."

3

The story of the "Moss Rose" has been developed from the following beautiful lines by Krummacher:—

"Weary of pleasure,And laden with treasure,The Angel of flowersHad wandered for hours;When he sunk to his restWith his wings on his breast.And the rose of the gladeLent her beautiful shade,To guard and to coverThe flower king's slumber.When the Angel awoke,Then in rapture he spoke:"Thou queen of my bowers,Thou fairest of flowers,What gift shall be mine,And what guerdon be thine?""In guerdon of dutyBestow some new beauty,"She said, and then smiled,Like a mischievous child.In anger he started,But ere he departed,To rebuke the vain flower,In the pride of her power,He flung some rude mossHer fair bosom across.But her new robes of greenSo became the fair queen,That the Angel of flowersMistrusted his powers,And was heard to declareHe had granted her prayer.

4

Another version of this story can be found in "Les Contes de Fées de Charles Perrault," where it is entitled "Les Souhaits Ridicules."

5

A Russian folk story. The cat is considered a foreigner who has just arrived from Siberia, while the fox, the bear, and the wolf are quite at home in the forest.

6

This is the Russian version of the myth of the Snow Maiden, which appears in the folk tales of all northern nations. Small at the beginning of the season, the child's rapid growth is emblematic of the rapid increase of the cold, and her sudden disappearance in the woods is typical of the melting of the last snows, which linger longest in the dense forests where the sunbeams cannot penetrate.

7

Jumping through the fire is a vestige of heathenism.

8

One of the Austro-Hungarian folk tales. Different versions of this story have been given, among others by Wratislaw, in his "Sixty Folk Tales from exclusively Slavonic Sources," and by Laboulaye in his well-known "Fairy Book."

9

This is one of the Dutch Mediæval Legends. The only Stavoren now existing is a little fishing town on the northeast coast of the Zuyder Zee. This gulf was caused by "the terrific inundations of the thirteenth century," when thousands of people perished. It was only after this inundation took place that the city of Amsterdam arose on the southwest shore of the Zuyder Zee. The story, with the exception of the inundation, is purely mythical.

9

This is one of the Dutch Mediæval Legends. The only Stavoren now existing is a little fishing town on the northeast coast of the Zuyder Zee. This gulf was caused by "the terrific inundations of the thirteenth century," when thousands of people perished. It was only after this inundation took place that the city of Amsterdam arose on the southwest shore of the Zuyder Zee. The story, with the exception of the inundation, is purely mythical.