was once a little child whose mother gave her every afternoon a
small bowl of milk and bread, and the child seated herself in the yard
with it. When she began to eat however, a snake came creeping out of a
crevice in the wall, dipped its little head in the dish, and ate with
her. The child had pleasure in this, and when she was sitting there with
her little dish and the snake did not come at once, she cried,
Then the snake came in haste, and enjoyed its food. Moreover it showed
gratitude, for it brought the child all kinds of pretty things from its
hidden treasures, bright stones, pearls, and golden playthings. The snake,
however, only drank the milk, and left the bread-crumbs alone. Then one
day the child took its little spoon and struck the snake gently on its
head with it, and said, "Eat the bread-crumbs as well, little thing." The
mother, who was standing in the kitchen, heard the child talking to
someone, and when she saw that she was striking a snake with her spoon,
ran out with a log of wood, and killed the good little creature.
From that time forth, a change came over the child. As long as the snake
had eaten with her, she had grown tall and strong, but now she lost her
pretty rosy cheeks and wasted away. It was not long before the funeral
bird began to cry in the night, and the redbreast to collect little
branches and leaves for a funeral garland, and soon afterwards the child
lay on her bier.
orphan child was sitting on the town walls spinning, when she saw
a snake coming out of a hole low down in the wall. Swiftly she spread
out beside this one of the blue silk handkerchiefs which snakes have
such a strong liking for, and which are the only things they will
creep on. As soon as the snake saw it, it went back, then returned,
bringing with it a small golden crown, laid it on the handkerchief,
and then went away again. The girl took up the crown, it glittered and
was of delicate golden filagree work. It was not long before the snake
came back for the second time, but when it no longer saw the crown, it
crept up to the wall, and in its grief smote
its little head against it
as long as it had strength to do so, until at last it lay there dead. If
the girl had but left the crown where it was, the snake would certainly
have brought still more of its treasures out of the hole.
cries, "Huhu, huhu." A child says, "Come out." The snake comes
out, then the child inquires about her little sister: "Hast thou not seen
little Red-stockings?" The snake says, "No." "Neither have I." "Then I
am like you. Huhu, huhu, huhu."