The Best English Fairy Tales / Лучшие английские сказки

Then she gave one last burst of music. The red rose heard it, and opened its petals to the cold morning air.

“Look, look!” cried the Tree, “the rose is finished now”; but the Nightingale made no answer. She was lying dead in the long grass, with the thorn in her heart.

And the Student opened his window and looked out.

“Oh!” he cried; “here is a red rose! I have never seen any rose like it in all my life. It is so beautiful that I am sure it has a long Latin name!”

He plucked it and ran up to the Professor’s house with the rose in his hand.

The daughter of the Professor was sitting next to the window, and her little dog was lying at her feet.

“You said that you would dance with me if I brought you a red rose,” cried the Student. “Here is the reddest rose in all the world. You will wear it tonight next your heart, and as we dance together it will tell you how I love you.”

But the girl was not satisfied.

“I am afraid it will not go with my dress,” she answered; “and, besides, the Officer’s nephew has sent me some real jewels.

“Well, upon my word, you are very ungrateful,” said the Student angrily. He threw the rose into the street, where it fell into the gutter, and a cart-wheel went over it.

“Ungrateful!” said the girl. “And you are very rude. Who are you? Only a Student. Why, I don’t believe you have even got silver buckles to your shoes as the Officer’s nephew has!”

She got up from her chair and went into the house.

“What a silly thing Love is,” said the Student as he walked away. “It does not prove anything, I will go back to Philosophy and study Metaphysics.”

So he returned to his room and pulled out a dusty book, and began to read.

The Daughter of the Skies

J. F. Campbell

There was a farmer, and he had daughters. He also had cattle and sheep. One day they all disappeared, and he couldn’t find them. Suddenly he saw a dog next to the house.

“What will you give me,” said the dog, “if I find your cattle and sheep?”

“I don’t know myself”, answered the farmer.

“Will you let me marry your daughter?” asked the dog.

“I will give her to you,” said he, “if she agrees.”

They went home. The farmer asked his daughters to marry the dog. The eldest daughter and the second daughter said they would not take the dog. He asked the youngest one.