There was once upon a time a tailor who had three sons, and only one goat. But as the goat supported all of them with her milk, she was obliged to have good food, and to be taken every day to pasture.

One very fine day it came to pass that the good God wished to enjoy himself in the heavenly garden, and took all the apostles and saints with him, so that no one stayed in heaven but Saint Peter. The Lord had commanded him to let no one in during his absence...

There was once a man who had a daughter who was called Clever Elsie. And when she had grown up her father said, "We will get her married."

An aged count once lived in Switzerland, who had an only son, but he was stupid, and could learn nothing.

The mother of Hans said, "Where away, Hans?" 

Hans answered, "To Gretel."

"Behave well, Hans."

"Oh, I'll behave well. Goodbye, mother."

"Goodbye, Hans."

Hans comes to Gretel...

A certain miller had little by little fallen into poverty, and had nothing left but his mill and a large apple tree behind it. Once when he had gone into the forest to fetch wood, an old man stepped up to him whom he had never seen before...

A louse and a flea kept house together and were brewing beer in an eggshell. Then the little louse fell in and burnt herself. At this the little flea began to scream loudly.

There was once a poor woman who gave birth to a little son; and as he came into the world with a caul on, it was predicted that in his fourteenth year he would have the King's daughter for his wife. It happened that soon afterward, the King came into the village...

In a certain country there was once a great lamentation over a wild boar that ravaged the farmer's fields, killed the cattle, and ripped up people's bodies with its tusks. The King promised a large reward to anyone who would free the land from this plague...

A certain man had a donkey, which had carried the sacks of corn to the mill tirelessly for many long years; but his strength was going, and he was growing more and more unfit for work. Then his master began to consider doing away with him...