HANSEL AND GRETEL

Hard by a great forest dwelt a poor wood-cutter with his wife and his two children. The boy was called Hansel and the girl Gretel. He had little to bite and to break, and once when great dearth fell on the land, he could no longer procure even daily bread. Now when he thought over this by night in his bed, and tossed about in his anxiety, he groaned and said to his wife: ‘What is to become of us? How are we to feed our poor children, when we no longer have anything even for ourselves?’ ‘I’ll tell you what, husband,’ answered the woman, ‘early tomorrow morning we will take the children out into the forest to where it is the thickest; there we will light a fire for them, and give each of them one more piece of bread, and then we will go to our work and leave them alone. They will not find the way home again, and we shall be rid of them.’ ‘No, wife,’ said the man, ‘I will not do that; how can I bear to leave my children alone in the forest?— the wild animals would soon come and tear them to pieces.’ ‘O, you fool!’ said she, ‘then we must all four die of hunger, you may as well plane the planks for our coffins,’ and she left him no peace until he consented. ‘But


I feel very sorry for the poor children, all the same,’ said the man.
The two children had also not been able to sleep for hunger, and had heard what their stepmother had said to their father. Gretel wept bitter tears, and said to Hansel:
‘Now all is over with us.’ ‘Be quiet, Gretel,’ said Hansel,
‘do not distress yourself, I will soon find a way to help us.’ And when the old folks had fallen asleep, he got up, put on his little coat, opened the door below, and crept outside. The moon shone brightly, and the white pebbles which lay in front of the house glittered like real silver pennies. Hansel stooped and stuffed the little pocket of his coat with as many as he could get in. Then he went back and said to Gretel: ‘Be comforted, dear little sister, and sleep in peace, God will not forsake us,’ and he lay down again in his bed. When day dawned, but before the sun had risen, the woman came and awoke the two children, saying: ‘Get up, you sluggards! we are going into the forest to fetch wood.’ She gave each a little piece of bread, and said: ‘There is something for your dinner, but do not eat it up before then, for you will get nothing else.’ Gretel took the bread under her apron, as Hansel had the pebbles in his pocket. Then they all set out together on the way to the forest. When they had walked a short time, Hansel


stood still and peeped back at the house, and did so again and again. His father said: ‘Hansel, what are you looking at there and staying behind for? Pay attention, and do not forget how to use your legs.’ ‘Ah, father,’ said Hansel, ‘I am looking at my little white cat, which is sitting up on the roof, and wants to say goodbye to me.’ The wife said:
‘Fool, that is not your little cat, that is the morning sun which is shining on the chimneys.’ Hansel, however, had not been looking back at the cat, but had been constantly throwing one of the white pebble-stones out of his pocket on the road.
When they had reached the middle of the forest, the father said: ‘Now, children, pile up some wood, and I will light a fire that you may not be cold.’ Hansel and Gretel gathered brushwood together, as high as a little hill. The brushwood was lighted, and when the flames were burning very high, the woman said: ‘Now, children, lay yourselves down by the fire and rest, we will go into the forest and cut some wood. When we have done, we will come back and fetch you away.’
Hansel and Gretel sat by the fire, and when noon came, each ate a little piece of bread, and as they heard the strokes of the wood-axe they believed that their father was near. It was not the axe, however, but a branch which he


had fastened to a withered tree which the wind was blowing backwards and forwards. And as they had been sitting such a long time, their eyes closed with fatigue, and they fell fast asleep. When at last they awoke, it was already dark night. Gretel began to cry and said: ‘How are we to get out of the forest now?’ But Hansel comforted her and said: ‘Just wait a little, until the moon has risen, and then we will soon find the way.’ And when the full moon had risen, Hansel took his little sister by the hand, and followed the pebbles which shone like newly-coined silver pieces, and showed them the way.
They walked the whole night long, and by break of day came once more to their father’s house. They knocked at the door, and when the woman opened it and saw that it was Hansel and Gretel, she said: ‘You naughty children, why have you slept so long in the forest?—we thought you were never coming back at all!’ The father, however, rejoiced, for it had cut him to the heart to leave them behind alone.
Not long afterwards, there was once more great dearth throughout the land, and the children heard their mother saying at night to their father: ‘Everything is eaten again, we have one half loaf left, and that is the end. The children must go, we will take them farther into the


wood, so that they will not find their way out again; there is no other means of saving ourselves!’ The man’s heart was heavy, and he thought: ‘It would be better for you to share the last mouthful with your children.’ The woman, however, would listen to nothing that he had to say, but scolded and reproached him. He who says A must say B, likewise, and as he had yielded the first time, he had to do so a second time also.
The children, however, were still awake and had heard the conversation. When the old folks were asleep, Hansel again got up, and wanted to go out and pick up pebbles as he had done before, but the woman had locked the door, and Hansel could not get out. Nevertheless he comforted his little sister, and said: ‘Do not cry, Gretel, go to sleep quietly, the good God will help us.’
Early in the morning came the woman, and took the children out of their beds. Their piece of bread was given to them, but it was still smaller than the time before. On the way into the forest Hansel crumbled his in his pocket, and often stood still and threw a morsel on the ground.
‘Hansel, why do you stop and look round?’ said the father,
‘go on.’ ‘I am looking back at my little pigeon which is sitting on the roof, and wants to say goodbye to me,’ answered Hansel. ‘Fool!’ said the woman, ‘that is not your


little pigeon, that is the morning sun that is shining on the chimney.’ Hansel, however little by little, threw all the crumbs on the path.
The woman led the children still deeper into the forest, where they had never in their lives been before. Then a great fire was again made, and the mother said: ‘Just sit there, you children, and when you are tired you may sleep a little; we are going into the forest to cut wood, and in the evening when we are done, we will come and fetch you away.’ When it was noon, Gretel shared her piece of bread with Hansel, who had scattered his by the way. Then they fell asleep and evening passed, but no one came to the poor children. They did not awake until it was dark night, and Hansel comforted his little sister and said: ‘Just wait, Gretel, until the moon rises, and then we shall see the crumbs of bread which I have strewn about, they will show us our way home again.’ When the moon came they set out, but they found no crumbs, for the many thousands of birds which fly about in the woods and fields had picked them all up. Hansel said to Gretel: ‘We shall soon find the way,’ but they did not find it. They walked the whole night and all the next day too from morning till evening, but they did not get out of the forest, and were very hungry, for they had nothing to eat but two or three


berries, which grew on the ground. And as they were so weary that their legs would carry them no longer, they lay down beneath a tree and fell asleep.
It was now three mornings since they had left their father’s house. They began to walk again, but they always came deeper into the forest, and if help did not come soon, they must die of hunger and weariness. When it was mid-day, they saw a beautiful snow-white bird sitting on a bough, which sang so delightfully that they stood still and listened to it. And when its song was over, it spread its wings and flew away before them, and they followed it until they reached a little house, on the roof of which it alighted; and when they approached the little house they saw that it was built of bread and covered with cakes, but that the windows were of clear sugar. ‘We will set to work on that,’ said Hansel, ‘and have a good meal. I will eat a bit of the roof, and you Gretel, can eat some of the window, it will taste sweet.’ Hansel reached up above, and broke off a little of the roof to try how it tasted, and Gretel leant against the window and nibbled at the panes. Then a soft voice cried from the parlour:
’Nibble, nibble, gnaw,
Who is nibbling at my little house?’

The children answered:


’The wind, the wind, The heaven-born wind,’

and went on eating without disturbing themselves. Hansel, who liked the taste of the roof, tore down a great piece of it, and Gretel pushed out the whole of one round window-pane, sat down, and enjoyed herself with it. Suddenly the door opened, and a woman as old as the hills, who supported herself on crutches, came creeping out. Hansel and Gretel were so terribly frightened that they let fall what they had in their hands. The old woman, however, nodded her head, and said: ‘Oh, you dear children, who has brought you here? do come in, and stay with me. No harm shall happen to you.’ She took them both by the hand, and led them into her little house. Then good food was set before them, milk and pancakes, with sugar, apples, and nuts. Afterwards two pretty little beds were covered with clean white linen, and Hansel and Gretel lay down in them, and thought they were in heaven.
The old woman had only pretended to be so kind; she was in reality a wicked witch, who lay in wait for children, and had only built the little house of bread in order to entice them there. When a child fell into her power, she killed it, cooked and ate it, and that was a feast
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day with her. Witches have red eyes, and cannot see far, but they have a keen scent like the beasts, and are aware when human beings draw near. When Hansel and Gretel came into her neighbourhood, she laughed with malice, and said mockingly: ‘I have them, they shall not escape me again!’ Early in the morning before the children were awake, she was already up, and when she saw both of them sleeping and looking so pretty, with their plump and rosy cheeks she muttered to herself: ‘That will be a dainty mouthful!’ Then she seized Hansel with her shrivelled hand, carried him into a little stable, and locked him in behind a grated door. Scream as he might, it would not help him. Then she went to Gretel, shook her till she awoke, and cried: ‘Get up, lazy thing, fetch some water, and cook something good for your brother, he is in the stable outside, and is to be made fat. When he is fat, I will eat him.’ Gretel began to weep bitterly, but it was all in vain, for she was forced to do what the wicked witch commanded.
And now the best food was cooked for poor Hansel, but Gretel got nothing but crab-shells. Every morning the woman crept to the little stable, and cried: ‘Hansel, stretch out your finger that I may feel if you will soon be fat.’ Hansel, however, stretched out a little bone to her, and


the old woman, who had dim eyes, could not see it, and thought it was Hansel’s finger, and was astonished that there was no way of fattening him. When four weeks had gone by, and Hansel still remained thin, she was seized with impatience and would not wait any longer. ‘Now, then, Gretel,’ she cried to the girl, ‘stir yourself, and bring some water. Let Hansel be fat or lean, tomorrow I will kill him, and cook him.’ Ah, how the poor little sister did lament when she had to fetch the water, and how her tears did flow down her cheeks! ‘Dear God, do help us,’ she cried. ‘If the wild beasts in the forest had but devoured us, we should at any rate have died together.’ ‘Just keep your noise to yourself,’ said the old woman, ‘it won’t help you at all.’
Early in the morning, Gretel had to go out and hang up the cauldron with the water, and light the fire. ‘We will bake first,’ said the old woman, ‘I have already heated the oven, and kneaded the dough.’ She pushed poor Gretel out to the oven, from which flames of fire were already darting. ‘Creep in,’ said the witch, ‘and see if it is properly heated, so that we can put the bread in.’ And once Gretel was inside, she intended to shut the oven and let her bake in it, and then she would eat her, too. But Gretel saw what she had in mind, and said: ‘I do not know how I am


to do it; how do I get in?’ ‘Silly goose,’ said the old woman. ‘The door is big enough; just look, I can get in myself!’ and she crept up and thrust her head into the oven. Then Gretel gave her a push that drove her far into it, and shut the iron door, and fastened the bolt. Oh! then she began to howl quite horribly, but Gretel ran away and the godless witch was miserably burnt to death.
Gretel, however, ran like lightning to Hansel, opened his little stable, and cried: ‘Hansel, we are saved! The old witch is dead!’ Then Hansel sprang like a bird from its cage when the door is opened. How they did rejoice and embrace each other, and dance about and kiss each other! And as they had no longer any need to fear her, they went into the witch’s house, and in every corner there stood chests full of pearls and jewels. ‘These are far better than pebbles!’ said Hansel, and thrust into his pockets whatever could be got in, and Gretel said: ‘I, too, will take something home with me,’ and filled her pinafore full.
‘But now we must be off,’ said Hansel, ‘that we may get out of the witch’s forest.’
When they had walked for two hours, they came to a great stretch of water. ‘We cannot cross,’ said Hansel, ‘I see no foot-plank, and no bridge.’ ‘And there is also no


ferry,’ answered Gretel, ‘but a white duck is swimming there: if I ask her, she will help us over.’ Then she cried:
’Little duck, little duck, dost thou see, Hansel and Gretel are waiting for thee? There’s never a plank, or bridge in sight, Take us across on thy back so white.’

The duck came to them, and Hansel seated himself on its back, and told his sister to sit by him. ‘No,’ replied Gretel, ‘that will be too heavy for the little duck; she shall take us across, one after the other.’ The good little duck did so, and when they were once safely across and had walked for a short time, the forest seemed to be more and more familiar to them, and at length they saw from afar their father’s house. Then they began to run, rushed into the parlour, and threw themselves round their father’s neck. The man had not known one happy hour since he had left the children in the forest; the woman, however, was dead. Gretel emptied her pinafore until pearls and precious stones ran about the room, and Hansel threw one handful after another out of his pocket to add to them. Then all anxiety was at an end, and they lived together in perfect happiness. My tale is done, there runs a mouse; whosoever catches it, may make himself a big fur cap out of it.

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THE VALIANT LITTLE TAILOR

One summer’s morning a little tailor was sitting on his table by the window; he was in good spirits, and sewed with all his might. Then came a peasant woman down the street crying: ‘Good jams, cheap! Good jams, cheap!’ This rang pleasantly in the tailor’s ears; he stretched his delicate head out of the window, and called: ‘Come up here, dear woman; here you will get rid of your goods.’ The woman came up the three steps to the tailor with her heavy basket, and he made her unpack all the pots for him. He inspected each one, lifted it up, put his nose to it, and at length said: ‘The jam seems to me to be good, so weigh me out four ounces, dear woman, and if it is a quarter of a pound that is of no consequence.’ The woman who had hoped to find a good sale, gave him what he desired, but went away quite angry and grumbling. ‘Now, this jam shall be blessed by God,’ cried the little tailor, ‘and give me health and strength’; so he brought the bread out of the cupboard, cut himself a piece right across the loaf and spread the jam over it. ‘This won’t taste bitter,’ said he,
‘but I will just finish the jacket before I take a bite.’ He


laid the bread near him, sewed on, and in his joy, made bigger and bigger stitches. In the meantime the smell of the sweet jam rose to where the flies were sitting in great numbers, and they were attracted and descended on it in hosts. ‘Hi! who invited you?’ said the little tailor, and drove the unbidden guests away. The flies, however, who understood no German, would not be turned away, but came back again in ever-increasing companies. The little tailor at last lost all patience, and drew a piece of cloth from the hole under his work-table, and saying: ‘Wait, and I will give it to you,’ struck it mercilessly on them. When he drew it away and counted, there lay before him no fewer than seven, dead and with legs stretched out. ‘Are you a fellow of that sort?’ said he, and could not help admiring his own bravery. ‘The whole town shall know of this!’ And the little tailor hastened to cut himself a girdle, stitched it, and embroidered on it in large letters: ‘Seven at one stroke!’ ‘What, the town!’ he continued, ‘the whole world shall hear of it!’ and his heart wagged with joy like a lamb’s tail. The tailor put on the girdle, and resolved to go forth into the world, because he thought his workshop was too small for his valour. Before he went away, he sought about in the house to see if there was anything which he could take with him; however, he found


nothing but an old cheese, and that he put in his pocket. In front of the door he observed a bird which had caught itself in the thicket. It had to go into his pocket with the cheese. Now he took to the road boldly, and as he was light and nimble, he felt no fatigue. The road led him up a mountain, and when he had reached the highest point of it, there sat a powerful giant looking peacefully about him. The little tailor went bravely up, spoke to him, and said:
‘Good day, comrade, so you are sitting there overlooking the wide-spread world! I am just on my way thither, and want to try my luck. Have you any inclination to go with me?’ The giant looked contemptuously at the tailor, and said: ‘You ragamuffin! You miserable creature!’
’Oh, indeed?’ answered the little tailor, and unbuttoned his coat, and showed the giant the girdle, ‘there may you read what kind of a man I am!’ The giant read: ‘Seven at one stroke,’ and thought that they had been men whom the tailor had killed, and began to feel a little respect for the tiny fellow. Nevertheless, he wished to try him first, and took a stone in his hand and squeezed it together so that water dropped out of it. ‘Do that likewise,’ said the giant, ‘if you have strength.’ ‘Is that all?’ said the tailor,
‘that is child’s play with us!’ and put his hand into his pocket, brought out the soft cheese, and pressed it until


the liquid ran out of it. ‘Faith,’ said he, ‘that was a little better, wasn’t it?’ The giant did not know what to say, and could not believe it of the little man. Then the giant picked up a stone and threw it so high that the eye could scarcely follow it. ‘Now, little mite of a man, do that likewise,’ ‘Well thrown,’ said the tailor, ‘but after all the stone came down to earth again; I will throw you one which shall never come back at all,’ and he put his hand into his pocket, took out the bird, and threw it into the air. The bird, delighted with its liberty, rose, flew away and did not come back. ‘How does that shot please you, comrade?’ asked the tailor. ‘You can certainly throw,’ said the giant, ‘but now we will see if you are able to carry anything properly.’ He took the little tailor to a mighty oak tree which lay there felled on the ground, and said: ‘If you are strong enough, help me to carry the tree out of the forest.’ ‘Readily,’ answered the little man; ‘take you the trunk on your shoulders, and I will raise up the branches and twigs; after all, they are the heaviest.’ The giant took the trunk on his shoulder, but the tailor seated himself on a branch, and the giant, who could not look round, had to carry away the whole tree, and the little tailor into the bargain: he behind, was quite merry and happy, and whistled the song: ‘Three tailors rode forth


from the gate,’ as if carrying the tree were child’s play. The giant, after he had dragged the heavy burden part of the way, could go no further, and cried: ‘Hark you, I shall have to let the tree fall!’ The tailor sprang nimbly down, seized the tree with both arms as if he had been carrying it, and said to the giant: ‘You are such a great fellow, and yet cannot even carry the tree!’
They went on together, and as they passed a cherry- tree, the giant laid hold of the top of the tree where the ripest fruit was hanging, bent it down, gave it into the tailor’s hand, and bade him eat. But the little tailor was much too weak to hold the tree, and when the giant let it go, it sprang back again, and the tailor was tossed into the air with it. When he had fallen down again without injury, the giant said: ‘What is this? Have you not strength enough to hold the weak twig?’ ‘There is no lack of strength,’ answered the little tailor. ‘Do you think that could be anything to a man who has struck down seven at one blow? I leapt over the tree because the huntsmen are shooting down there in the thicket. Jump as I did, if you can do it.’ The giant made the attempt but he could not get over the tree, and remained hanging in the branches, so that in this also the tailor kept the upper hand.


The giant said: ‘If you are such a valiant fellow, come with me into our cavern and spend the night with us.’ The little tailor was willing, and followed him. When they went into the cave, other giants were sitting there by the fire, and each of them had a roasted sheep in his hand and was eating it. The little tailor looked round and thought:
‘It is much more spacious here than in my workshop.’ The giant showed him a bed, and said he was to lie down in it and sleep. The bed, however, was too big for the little tailor; he did not lie down in it, but crept into a corner. When it was midnight, and the giant thought that the little tailor was lying in a sound sleep, he got up, took a great iron bar, cut through the bed with one blow, and thought he had finished off the grasshopper for good. With the earliest dawn the giants went into the forest, and had quite forgotten the little tailor, when all at once he walked up to them quite merrily and boldly. The giants were terrified, they were afraid that he would strike them all dead, and ran away in a great hurry.
The little tailor went onwards, always following his own pointed nose. After he had walked for a long time, he came to the courtyard of a royal palace, and as he felt weary, he lay down on the grass and fell asleep. Whilst he lay there, the people came and inspected him on all sides,


and read on his girdle: ‘Seven at one stroke.’ ‘Ah!’ said they, ‘what does the great warrior want here in the midst of peace? He must be a mighty lord.’ They went and announced him to the king, and gave it as their opinion that if war should break out, this would be a weighty and useful man who ought on no account to be allowed to depart. The counsel pleased the king, and he sent one of his courtiers to the little tailor to offer him military service when he awoke. The ambassador remained standing by the sleeper, waited until he stretched his limbs and opened his eyes, and then conveyed to him this proposal. ‘For this very reason have I come here,’ the tailor replied, ‘I am ready to enter the king’s service.’ He was therefore honourably received, and a special dwelling was assigned him.
The soldiers, however, were set against the little tailor, and wished him a thousand miles away. ‘What is to be the end of this?’ they said among themselves. ‘If we quarrel with him, and he strikes about him, seven of us will fall at every blow; not one of us can stand against him.’ They came therefore to a decision, betook themselves in a body to the king, and begged for their dismissal. ‘We are not prepared,’ said they, ‘to stay with a man who kills seven at one stroke.’ The king was sorry that for the sake of one he


should lose all his faithful servants, wished that he had never set eyes on the tailor, and would willingly have been rid of him again. But he did not venture to give him his dismissal, for he dreaded lest he should strike him and all his people dead, and place himself on the royal throne. He thought about it for a long time, and at last found good counsel. He sent to the little tailor and caused him to be informed that as he was a great warrior, he had one request to make to him. In a forest of his country lived two giants, who caused great mischief with their robbing, murdering, ravaging, and burning, and no one could approach them without putting himself in danger of death. If the tailor conquered and killed these two giants, he would give him his only daughter to wife, and half of his kingdom as a dowry, likewise one hundred horsemen should go with him to assist him. ‘That would indeed be a fine thing for a man like me!’ thought the little tailor.
‘One is not offered a beautiful princess and half a kingdom every day of one’s life!’ ‘Oh, yes,’ he replied, ‘I will soon subdue the giants, and do not require the help of the hundred horsemen to do it; he who can hit seven with one blow has no need to be afraid of two.’
The little tailor went forth, and the hundred horsemen followed him. When he came to the outskirts of the


forest, he said to his followers: ‘Just stay waiting here, I alone will soon finish off the giants.’ Then he bounded into the forest and looked about right and left. After a while he perceived both giants. They lay sleeping under a tree, and snored so that the branches waved up and down. The little tailor, not idle, gathered two pocketsful of stones, and with these climbed up the tree. When he was halfway up, he slipped down by a branch, until he sat just above the sleepers, and then let one stone after another fall on the breast of one of the giants. For a long time the giant felt nothing, but at last he awoke, pushed his comrade, and said: ‘Why are you knocking me?’ ‘You must be dreaming,’ said the other, ‘I am not knocking you.’ They laid themselves down to sleep again, and then the tailor threw a stone down on the second. ‘What is the meaning of this?’ cried the other ‘Why are you pelting me?’ ‘I am not pelting you,’ answered the first, growling. They disputed about it for a time, but as they were weary they let the matter rest, and their eyes closed once more. The little tailor began his game again, picked out the biggest stone, and threw it with all his might on the breast of the first giant. ‘That is too bad!’ cried he, and sprang up like a madman, and pushed his companion against the tree until it shook. The other paid him back in the same coin,


and they got into such a rage that they tore up trees and belaboured each other so long, that at last they both fell down dead on the ground at the same time. Then the little tailor leapt down. ‘It is a lucky thing,’ said he, ‘that they did not tear up the tree on which I was sitting, or I should have had to sprint on to another like a squirrel; but we tailors are nimble.’ He drew out his sword and gave each of them a couple of thrusts in the breast, and then went out to the horsemen and said: ‘The work is done; I have finished both of them off, but it was hard work! They tore up trees in their sore need, and defended themselves with them, but all that is to no purpose when a man like myself comes, who can kill seven at one blow.’
‘But are you not wounded?’ asked the horsemen. ‘You need not concern yourself about that,’ answered the tailor,
‘they have not bent one hair of mine.’ The horsemen would not believe him, and rode into the forest; there they found the giants swimming in their blood, and all round about lay the torn-up trees.
The little tailor demanded of the king the promised reward; he, however, repented of his promise, and again bethought himself how he could get rid of the hero.
‘Before you receive my daughter, and the half of my kingdom,’ said he to him, ‘you must perform one more
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heroic deed. In the forest roams a unicorn which does great harm, and you must catch it first.’ ‘I fear one unicorn still less than two giants. Seven at one blow, is my kind of affair.’ He took a rope and an axe with him, went forth into the forest, and again bade those who were sent with him to wait outside. He had not long to seek. The unicorn soon came towards him, and rushed directly on the tailor, as if it would gore him with its horn without more ado. ‘Softly, softly; it can’t be done as quickly as that,’ said he, and stood still and waited until the animal was quite close, and then sprang nimbly behind the tree. The unicorn ran against the tree with all its strength, and stuck its horn so fast in the trunk that it had not the strength enough to draw it out again, and thus it was caught. ‘Now, I have got the bird,’ said the tailor, and came out from behind the tree and put the rope round its neck, and then with his axe he hewed the horn out of the tree, and when all was ready he led the beast away and took it to the king.
The king still would not give him the promised reward, and made a third demand. Before the wedding the tailor was to catch him a wild boar that made great havoc in the forest, and the huntsmen should give him their help.
‘Willingly,’ said the tailor, ‘that is child’s play!’ He did not


take the huntsmen with him into the forest, and they were well pleased that he did not, for the wild boar had several times received them in such a manner that they had no inclination to lie in wait for him. When the boar perceived the tailor, it ran on him with foaming mouth and whetted tusks, and was about to throw him to the ground, but the hero fled and sprang into a chapel which was near and up to the window at once, and in one bound out again. The boar ran after him, but the tailor ran round outside and shut the door behind it, and then the raging beast, which was much too heavy and awkward to leap out of the window, was caught. The little tailor called the huntsmen thither that they might see the prisoner with their own eyes. The hero, however, went to the king, who was now, whether he liked it or not, obliged to keep his promise, and gave his daughter and the half of his kingdom. Had he known that it was no warlike hero, but a little tailor who was standing before him, it would have gone to his heart still more than it did. The wedding was held with great magnificence and small joy, and out of a tailor a king was made.
After some time the young queen heard her husband say in his dreams at night: ‘Boy, make me the doublet, and patch the pantaloons, or else I will rap the yard-measure


over your ears.’ Then she discovered in what state of life the young lord had been born, and next morning complained of her wrongs to her father, and begged him to help her to get rid of her husband, who was nothing else but a tailor. The king comforted her and said: ‘Leave your bedroom door open this night, and my servants shall stand outside, and when he has fallen asleep shall go in, bind him, and take him on board a ship which shall carry him into the wide world.’ The woman was satisfied with this; but the king’s armour-bearer, who had heard all, was friendly with the young lord, and informed him of the whole plot. ‘I’ll put a screw into that business,’ said the little tailor. At night he went to bed with his wife at the usual time, and when she thought that he had fallen asleep, she got up, opened the door, and then lay down again. The little tailor, who was only pretending to be asleep, began to cry out in a clear voice: ‘Boy, make me the doublet and patch me the pantaloons, or I will rap the yard-measure over your ears. I smote seven at one blow. I killed two giants, I brought away one unicorn, and caught a wild boar, and am I to fear those who are standing outside the room.’ When these men heard the tailor speaking thus, they were overcome by a great dread, and ran as if the wild huntsman were behind them, and none


of them would venture anything further against him. So the little tailor was and remained a king to the end of his life.

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RAPUNZEL

There were once a man and a woman who had long in vain wished for a child. At length the woman hoped that God was about to grant her desire. These people had a little window at the back of their house from which a splendid garden could be seen, which was full of the most beautiful flowers and herbs. It was, however, surrounded by a high wall, and no one dared to go into it because it belonged to an enchantress, who had great power and was dreaded by all the world. One day the woman was standing by this window and looking down into the garden, when she saw a bed which was planted with the most beautiful rampion (rapunzel), and it looked so fresh and green that she longed for it, she quite pined away, and began to look pale and miserable. Then her husband was alarmed, and asked: ‘What ails you, dear wife?’ ‘Ah,’ she replied, ‘if I can’t eat some of the rampion, which is in the garden behind our house, I shall die.’ The man, who loved her, thought: ‘Sooner than let your wife die, bring her some of the rampion yourself, let it cost what it will.’ At twilight, he clambered down over the wall into the garden of the enchantress, hastily clutched a handful of


rampion, and took it to his wife. She at once made herself a salad of it, and ate it greedily. It tasted so good to her— so very good, that the next day she longed for it three times as much as before. If he was to have any rest, her husband must once more descend into the garden. In the gloom of evening therefore, he let himself down again; but when he had clambered down the wall he was terribly afraid, for he saw the enchantress standing before him.
‘How can you dare,’ said she with angry look, ‘descend into my garden and steal my rampion like a thief? You shall suffer for it!’ ‘Ah,’ answered he, ‘let mercy take the place of justice, I only made up my mind to do it out of necessity. My wife saw your rampion from the window, and felt such a longing for it that she would have died if she had not got some to eat.’ Then the enchantress allowed her anger to be softened, and said to him: ‘If the case be as you say, I will allow you to take away with you as much rampion as you will, only I make one condition, you must give me the child which your wife will bring into the world; it shall be well treated, and I will care for it like a mother.’ The man in his terror consented to everything, and when the woman was brought to bed, the enchantress appeared at once, gave the child the name of Rapunzel, and took it away with her.


Rapunzel grew into the most beautiful child under the sun. When she was twelve years old, the enchantress shut her into a tower, which lay in a forest, and had neither stairs nor door, but quite at the top was a little window. When the enchantress wanted to go in, she placed herself beneath it and cried:
’Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down your hair to me.’

Rapunzel had magnificent long hair, fine as spun gold, and when she heard the voice of the enchantress she unfastened her braided tresses, wound them round one of the hooks of the window above, and then the hair fell twenty ells down, and the enchantress climbed up by it.
After a year or two, it came to pass that the king’s son rode through the forest and passed by the tower. Then he heard a song, which was so charming that he stood still and listened. This was Rapunzel, who in her solitude passed her time in letting her sweet voice resound. The king’s son wanted to climb up to her, and looked for the door of the tower, but none was to be found. He rode home, but the singing had so deeply touched his heart, that every day he went out into the forest and listened to it. Once when he was thus standing behind a tree, he saw


that an enchantress came there, and he heard how she cried:
’Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down your hair to me.’

Then Rapunzel let down the braids of her hair, and the enchantress climbed up to her. ‘If that is the ladder by which one mounts, I too will try my fortune,’ said he, and the next day when it began to grow dark, he went to the tower and cried:
’Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down your hair to me.’

Immediately the hair fell down and the king’s son climbed up.
At first Rapunzel was terribly frightened when a man, such as her eyes had never yet beheld, came to her; but the king’s son began to talk to her quite like a friend, and told her that his heart had been so stirred that it had let him have no rest, and he had been forced to see her. Then Rapunzel lost her fear, and when he asked her if she would take him for her husband, and she saw that he was young and handsome, she thought: ‘He will love me more than old Dame Gothel does’; and she said yes, and laid her hand in his. She said: ‘I will willingly go away with you, but I do not know how to get down. Bring with you a


skein of silk every time that you come, and I will weave a ladder with it, and when that is ready I will descend, and you will take me on your horse.’ They agreed that until that time he should come to her every evening, for the old woman came by day. The enchantress remarked nothing of this, until once Rapunzel said to her: ‘Tell me, Dame Gothel, how it happens that you are so much heavier for me to draw up than the young king’s son—he is with me in a moment.’ ‘Ah! you wicked child,’ cried the enchantress. ‘What do I hear you say! I thought I had separated you from all the world, and yet you have deceived me!’ In her anger she clutched Rapunzel’s beautiful tresses, wrapped them twice round her left hand, seized a pair of scissors with the right, and snip, snap, they were cut off, and the lovely braids lay on the ground. And she was so pitiless that she took poor Rapunzel into a desert where she had to live in great grief and misery.
On the same day that she cast out Rapunzel, however, the enchantress fastened the braids of hair, which she had cut off, to the hook of the window, and when the king’s son came and cried:
’Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down your hair to me.’


she let the hair down. The king’s son ascended, but instead of finding his dearest Rapunzel, he found the enchantress, who gazed at him with wicked and venomous looks. ‘Aha!’ she cried mockingly, ‘you would fetch your dearest, but the beautiful bird sits no longer singing in the nest; the cat has got it, and will scratch out your eyes as well. Rapunzel is lost to you; you will never see her again.’ The king’s son was beside himself with pain, and in his despair he leapt down from the tower. He escaped with his life, but the thorns into which he fell pierced his eyes. Then he wandered quite blind about the forest, ate nothing but roots and berries, and did naught but lament and weep over the loss of his dearest wife. Thus he roamed about in misery for some years, and at length came to the desert where Rapunzel, with the twins to which she had given birth, a boy and a girl, lived in wretchedness. He heard a voice, and it seemed so familiar to him that he went towards it, and when he approached, Rapunzel knew him and fell on his neck and wept. Two of her tears wetted his eyes and they grew clear again, and he could see with them as before. He led her to his kingdom where he was joyfully received, and they lived for a long time afterwards, happy and contented.

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THE GOOSE-GIRL

The king of a great land died, and left his queen to take care of their only child. This child was a daughter, who was very beautiful; and her mother loved her dearly, and was very kind to her. And there was a good fairy too, who was fond of the princess, and helped her mother to watch over her. When she grew up, she was betrothed to a prince who lived a great way off; and as the time drew near for her to be married, she got ready to set off on her journey to his country. Then the queen her mother, packed up a great many costly things; jewels, and gold, and silver; trinkets, fine dresses, and in short everything that became a royal bride. And she gave her a waiting- maid to ride with her, and give her into the bridegroom’s hands; and each had a horse for the journey. Now the princess’s horse was the fairy’s gift, and it was called Falada, and could speak.
When the time came for them to set out, the fairy went into her bed- chamber, and took a little knife, and cut off a lock of her hair, and gave it to the princess, and said, ‘Take care of it, dear child; for it is a charm that may be of use to you on the road.’ Then they all took a


sorrowful leave of the princess; and she put the lock of hair into her bosom, got upon her horse, and set off on her journey to her bridegroom’s kingdom.
One day, as they were riding along by a brook, the princess began to feel very thirsty: and she said to her maid, ‘Pray get down, and fetch me some water in my golden cup out of yonder brook, for I want to drink.’
‘Nay,’ said the maid, ‘if you are thirsty, get off yourself, and stoop down by the water and drink; I shall not be your waiting- maid any longer.’ Then she was so thirsty that she got down, and knelt over the little brook, and drank; for she was frightened, and dared not bring out her golden cup; and she wept and said, ‘Alas! what will become of me?’ And the lock answered her, and said:
’Alas! alas! if thy mother knew it, Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.’

But the princess was very gentle and meek, so she said nothing to her maid’s ill behaviour, but got upon her horse again.
Then all rode farther on their journey, till the day grew so warm, and the sun so scorching, that the bride began to feel very thirsty again; and at last, when they came to a river, she forgot her maid’s rude speech, and said, ‘Pray get down, and fetch me some water to drink in my golden


cup.’ But the maid answered her, and even spoke more haughtily than before: ‘Drink if you will, but I shall not be your waiting-maid.’ Then the princess was so thirsty that she got off her horse, and lay down, and held her head over the running stream, and cried and said, ‘What will become of me?’ And the lock of hair answered her again:
’Alas! alas! if thy mother knew it, Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.’

And as she leaned down to drink, the lock of hair fell from her bosom, and floated away with the water. Now she was so frightened that she did not see it; but her maid saw it, and was very glad, for she knew the charm; and she saw that the poor bride would be in her power, now that she had lost the hair. So when the bride had done drinking, and would have got upon Falada again, the maid said, ‘I shall ride upon Falada, and you may have my horse instead’; so she was forced to give up her horse, and soon afterwards to take off her royal clothes and put on her maid’s shabby ones.
At last, as they drew near the end of their journey, this treacherous servant threatened to kill her mistress if she ever told anyone what had happened. But Falada saw it all, and marked it well.


Then the waiting-maid got upon Falada, and the real bride rode upon the other horse, and they went on in this way till at last they came to the royal court. There was great joy at their coming, and the prince flew to meet them, and lifted the maid from her horse, thinking she was the one who was to be his wife; and she was led upstairs to the royal chamber; but the true princess was told to stay in the court below.
Now the old king happened just then to have nothing else to do; so he amused himself by sitting at his kitchen window, looking at what was going on; and he saw her in the courtyard. As she looked very pretty, and too delicate for a waiting-maid, he went up into the royal chamber to ask the bride who it was she had brought with her, that was thus left standing in the court below. ‘I brought her with me for the sake of her company on the road,’ said she; ‘pray give the girl some work to do, that she may not be idle.’ The old king could not for some time think of any work for her to do; but at last he said, ‘I have a lad who takes care of my geese; she may go and help him.’ Now the name of this lad, that the real bride was to help in watching the king’s geese, was Curdken.
But the false bride said to the prince, ‘Dear husband, pray do me one piece of kindness.’ ‘That I will,’ said the
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prince. ‘Then tell one of your slaughterers to cut off the head of the horse I rode upon, for it was very unruly, and plagued me sadly on the road’; but the truth was, she was very much afraid lest Falada should some day or other speak, and tell all she had done to the princess. She carried her point, and the faithful Falada was killed; but when the true princess heard of it, she wept, and begged the man to nail up Falada’s head against a large dark gate of the city, through which she had to pass every morning and evening, that there she might still see him sometimes. Then the slaughterer said he would do as she wished; and cut off the head, and nailed it up under the dark gate.
Early the next morning, as she and Curdken went out through the gate, she said sorrowfully:
’Falada, Falada, there thou hangest!’
and the head answered:
’Bride, bride, there thou gangest! Alas! alas! if thy mother knew it, Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.’

Then they went out of the city, and drove the geese on. And when she came to the meadow, she sat down upon a bank there, and let down her waving locks of hair, which were all of pure silver; and when Curdken saw it


glitter in the sun, he ran up, and would have pulled some of the locks out, but she cried:
’Blow, breezes, blow! Let Curdken’s hat go! Blow, breezes, blow! Let him after it go!
O’er hills, dales, and rocks, Away be it whirl’d
Till the silvery locks
Are all comb’d and curl’d!

Then there came a wind, so strong that it blew off Curdken’s hat; and away it flew over the hills: and he was forced to turn and run after it; till, by the time he came back, she had done combing and curling her hair, and had put it up again safe. Then he was very angry and sulky, and would not speak to her at all; but they watched the geese until it grew dark in the evening, and then drove them homewards.
The next morning, as they were going through the dark gate, the poor girl looked up at Falada’s head, and cried:
’Falada, Falada, there thou hangest!’
and the head answered:


’Bride, bride, there thou gangest! Alas! alas! if they mother knew it, Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.’

Then she drove on the geese, and sat down again in the meadow, and began to comb out her hair as before; and Curdken ran up to her, and wanted to take hold of it; but she cried out quickly:
’Blow, breezes, blow! Let Curdken’s hat go! Blow, breezes, blow! Let him after it go!
O’er hills, dales, and rocks,
Away be it whirl’d
Till the silvery locks
Are all comb’d and curl’d!

Then the wind came and blew away his hat; and off it flew a great way, over the hills and far away, so that he had to run after it; and when he came back she had bound up her hair again, and all was safe. So they watched the geese till it grew dark.
In the evening, after they came home, Curdken went to the old king, and said, ‘I cannot have that strange girl to help me to keep the geese any longer.’ ‘Why?’ said the king. ‘Because, instead of doing any good, she does nothing but tease me all day long.’ Then the king made


him tell him what had happened. And Curdken said,
‘When we go in the morning through the dark gate with our flock of geese, she cries and talks with the head of a horse that hangs upon the wall, and says:
’Falada, Falada, there thou hangest!’

and the head answers:
’Bride, bride, there thou gangest! Alas! alas! if they mother knew it, Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.’

And Curdken went on telling the king what had happened upon the meadow where the geese fed; how his hat was blown away; and how he was forced to run after it, and to leave his flock of geese to themselves. But the old king told the boy to go out again the next day: and when morning came, he placed himself behind the dark gate, and heard how she spoke to Falada, and how Falada answered. Then he went into the field, and hid himself in a bush by the meadow’s side; and he soon saw with his own eyes how they drove the flock of geese; and how, after a little time, she let down her hair that glittered in the sun. And then he heard her say:
’Blow, breezes, blow! Let Curdken’s hat go! Blow, breezes, blow!


Let him after it go!
O’er hills, dales, and rocks, Away be it whirl’d
Till the silvery locks
Are all comb’d and curl’d!

And soon came a gale of wind, and carried away Curdken’s hat, and away went Curdken after it, while the girl went on combing and curling her hair. All this the old king saw: so he went home without being seen; and when the little goose-girl came back in the evening he called her aside, and asked her why she did so: but she burst into tears, and said, ‘That I must not tell you or any man, or I shall lose my life.’
But the old king begged so hard, that she had no peace till she had told him all the tale, from beginning to end, word for word. And it was very lucky for her that she did so, for when she had done the king ordered royal clothes to be put upon her, and gazed on her with wonder, she was so beautiful. Then he called his son and told him that he had only a false bride; for that she was merely a waiting-maid, while the true bride stood by. And the young king rejoiced when he saw her beauty, and heard how meek and patient she had been; and without saying anything to the false bride, the king ordered a great feast


to be got ready for all his court. The bridegroom sat at the top, with the false princess on one side, and the true one on the other; but nobody knew her again, for her beauty was quite dazzling to their eyes; and she did not seem at all like the little goose-girl, now that she had her brilliant dress on.
When they had eaten and drank, and were very merry, the old king said he would tell them a tale. So he began, and told all the story of the princess, as if it was one that he had once heard; and he asked the true waiting-maid what she thought ought to be done to anyone who would behave thus. ‘Nothing better,’ said this false bride, ‘than that she should be thrown into a cask stuck round with sharp nails, and that two white horses should be put to it, and should drag it from street to street till she was dead.’
‘Thou art she!’ said the old king; ‘and as thou has judged thyself, so shall it be done to thee.’ And the young king was then married to his true wife, and they reigned over the kingdom in peace and happiness all their lives; and the good fairy came to see them, and restored the faithful Falada to life again.

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Lolos Dari Maut

Karena dianggap hampir membunuh Baginda maka Abu Nawas mendapat
celaka. Dengan kekuasaan yang absolut Baginda memerintahkan prajuritprajuritnya
langsung menangkap dan menyeret Abu Nawas untuk dijebloskan ke
penjara.
Waktu itu Abu Nawas sedang bekerja di ladang karena musim tanam kentang
akan tiba. Ketika para prajurit kerajaan tiba, ia sedang mencangkul. Dan tanpa
alasan yang jelas mereka langsung menyeret Abu Nawas sesuai dengan titah
Baginda. Abu Nawas tidak berkutik. Kini ia mendekam di dalam penjara.
Beberapa hari lagi kentang-kentang itu harus ditanam. Sedangkan istrinya tidak
cukup kuat untuk melakukan pencangkulan. Abu Nawas tahu bahwa tetanggatetangganya
tidak akan bersedia membantu istrinya sebab mereka juga sibuk
dengan pekerjaan mereka masing-masing. Tidak ada yang bisa dilakukan di
dalam 'penjara kecuali mencari jalan keluar.
Seperti biasa Abu Nawas tidak bisa tidur dan tidak enak makan. la hanya makan
sedikit. Sudah dua hari ia meringkuk di dalam penjara. Wajahnya murung.
Hari ketiga Abu Nawas memanggil seorang pengawal. "Bisakah aku minta tolong
kepadamu?" kata Abu Nawas membuka pembicaraan.
"Apa itu?" kata pengawal itu tanpa gairah.



"Aku ingin pinjam pensil dan selembar kertas. Aku ingin menulis surat untuk
istriku. Aku harus menyampaikan sebuah rahasia penting yang hanya boleh
diketahui oleh istriku saja."
Pengawal itu berpikir sejenak lalu pergi meninggalkan Abu Nawas.
Ternyata pengawal itu merighadap Baginda Raja untuk melapor.
Mendengar laporan dari pengawal, Baginda segera menyediakan apa yang
diminta Abu Nawas. Dalam hati, Baginda bergumam mungkin kali ini ia bisa
mengalahkan Abu Nawas:
Abu Nawas menulis surat yang berbunyi: "Wahai istriku, janganlah engkau
sekali-kali menggali ladang kita karena aku menyembunyikan harta karun dan
senjata di situ. Dan tolong jangan bercerita kepada siapa pun."
Tentu saja surat itu dibaca oleh Baginda karena beliau ingin tahu apa
sebenarnya rahasia Abu Nawas. Setelah membaca surat itu Baginda merasa
puas dan langsung memerintahkan beberapa pekerja istana untuk menggali
ladang Abu Nawas. Dengan peralatan yarig dibutuhkan mereka berangkat dan
langsung menggali ladang Abu Nawas. Istri Abu Nawas merasa heran.
Mungkinkah suaminya minta tolong pada mereka?


Pertanyaan itu tidak terjawab karena mereka kembali ke istana tanpa pamit.
Mereka hanya menyerahkan surat Abu Nawas kepadanya.
Lima hari kemudian Abu Nawas menerima surat dari istrinya. Surat itu
berbunyi: "Mungkin suratmu dibaca sebelum diserahkan kepadaku. Karena
beberapa pekerja istana datang ke sini dua hari yang lalu, mereka menggali
seluruh ladang kita. Lalu apa yang harus kukerjakan sekarang?"
Rupanya istrinya Abu Nawas belum mengerti muslihat suaminya. Tetapi dengan
bijaksana Abu Nawas membalas: "Sekarang engkau bisa menanam kentang di ladang
tanpa harus menggali, wahai istriku."
Kali ini Baginda tidak bersedia membaca surat Abu Nawas lagi. Bagi.nda makin
mengakui keluarbiasaan akal Abu Nawas. Bahkan di dalam penjara pun Abu
Nawas masih bisa melakukan pencangkulan.
********
Abu Nawas masih mengeram di penjara. Namun begitu Abu Nawas masih bisa
menyelesaikan pekerjaannya dengan memakai tangan orang lain.


Baginda berpikir. Sejenak kemudian beliau segera memerintahkan sipir penjara
untuk membebaskan Abu Nawas. Baginda Raja tidak ingin menanggung resiko
yang lebih buruk. Karena akal Abu Nawas tidak bisa ditebak. Bahkan di dalam
penjara pun Abu Nawas masih sanggup menyusahkan prang. Keputusan yang
dibuat Baginda Raja untuk melepaskan Abu Nawas memang sangat tepat.
Karena bila sampai Abu Nawas bertambah sakit hati maka tidak mustahil
kesusahan yang akan ditimbulkan akan semakin gawat.
Kini hidung Abu Nawas sudah bisa menghisap udara kebebasan di luar. Istri Abu
Nawas menyambut gembira kedatangan suami yang selama ini sangat
dirindukan. Abu Nawas juga riang. Apalagi melihat tanaman kentangnya akan
membuahkan hasil yang bisa dipetik dalam waktu dekat.
Abu Nawas memang girang bukan kepalang tetapi ia juga merasa gundah.
Bagaimana Abu Nawas tidak merasa gundah gulana sebab Baginda sudah tidak
lagi memakai perangkap untuk memenjarakan dirinya. Tetapi Baginda Raja
langsung memenjarakannya. Maka tidak mustahil bila suatu ketika nanti
Baginda langsung menjatuhkan hukuman pancung. Abu Nawas yakin bahwa saat
ini Baginda pasti sedang merencanakan sesuatu. Abu Nawas menyiapkan payung
untuk menyambut hujan yang akan diciptakan Baginda Raja. Pada hari itu Abu
Nawas mengumumkan dirinya sebagai ahli nujum atau tukang ramal nasib.
Sejak membuka praktek ramal-meramal nasib, Abu Nawas sering mendapat
panggilan dari orang-orang terkenal. Kini Abu Nawas tidak saja dikenal sebagai
orang yang hartdal daiam menciptakan gelak tawa tetapi juga sebagai ahli
ramal yang jitu.


Mendengar Abu Nawas mendadak menjadi ahli ramal maka Baginda Raja Harun
Al Rasyid merasa khawatir. Baginda curiga jangan-jangan Abu Nawas bisa membahayakan
kerajaan. Maka tanpa pikir panjang Abu Nawas ditangkap.
Abu Nawas sejak semula yakin Baginda Raja kali ini berniat akan menghabisi
riwayatnya. Tetapi Abu Nawas tidak begitu merasa gentar. Mungkin Abu Nawas
sudah mempersiapkan tameng.
Setelah beberapa hari meringkuk di dalam penjara, Abu Nawas digiring menuju
tempat kematian. Tukang penggal kepala sudah menunggu dengan pedang yang
baru diasah. Abu Nawas menghampiri tempat penjagalan dengan amat tenang.
Baginda merasa kagum terhadap ketegaran Abu Nawas. Tetapi Baginda juga
bertanya-tanya dalam hati mengapa Abu Nawas begitu tabah menghadapi
detik-detik terakhir hidupnya. Ketika algojo sudah siap mengayunkan pedang,
Abu Nawas tertawa-tawa sehingga Baginda menangguhkan pemancungan.
Beliau bertanya, "Hai Abu Nawas, apakah engkau tidak merasa ngeri
menghadapi pedang algojo?"
"Ngeri Tuanku yang mulia, tetapi hamba juga merasa gembira." jawab Abu
Nawas sambil tersenyum.
"Engkau merasa gembira?" tanya Baginda kaget.


"Betul Baginda yang mulia, karena tepat tiga hari setelah kematian hamba,
maka Baginda pun akan mangkat menyusul hamba ke Hang lahat, karena hamba
tidak bersalah sedikit pun." kata Abu Nawas tetap tenang.
Baginda gemetar mendengar ucapan Abu Nawas. dan tentu saja hukuman
pancung dibatalkan.
Abu Nawas digiring kembali ke penjara. Baginda memerintahkan agar Abu
Nawas diperlakukan istimewa. Malah Baginda memerintahkan supaya Abu
Nawas disuguhi hidangan yang enak-enak. Tetapi Abu Nawas tetap tidak kerasa
tinggal di penjara. Abu Nawas berpesan dan setengah mengancam kepada
penjaga penjara bahwa bila ia terus-menerus mendekam dalam penjara ia bisa
jatuh sakit atau meninggal Baginda Raja terpaksa membebaskan Abu Nawas
setelah mendengar penuturan penjaga penjara.
*****
Cita-cita atau obsesi menghukum Abu Nawas sebenarnya masih bergolak,
namun Baginda merasa kehabisan akal untuk menjebak Abu Nawas.
Seorang penasihat kerajaan kepercayaan Baginda Raja menyarankan agar
Baginda memanggil seorang ilmuwan-ulama yang berilmu tinggi untuk
menandingi Abu Nawas. Pasti masih ada peluang untuk mencari kelemahan Abu
Nawas. Menjebak pencuri harus dengan pencuri.Dan ulama dengan ulama.
Baginda menerima usul yang cemerlang itu dengan hati bulat.


Setelah ulama yang berilmu tinggi berhasil ditemukan, Baginda Raja
menanyakan cara terbaik menjerat Abu Nawas. Ulama itu memberi tahu caracara
yang paling jitu kepada Baginda Raja. Baginda Raja manggut-manggut
setuju. Wajah Baginda tidak lagi murung. Apalagi ulama itu menegaskan bahwa
ramalan Abu Nawas tentang takdir kematian Baginda Raja sama sekali tidak
mempunyai dasar yang kuat. Tiada seorang pun manusia yang tahu kapan dan
di bumi mana ia akan mati apalagi tentang ajal orang lain.
Ulama andalan Baginda Raja mulai mengadakan persiapan seperlunya untuk
memberikan pukulan fatal bagi Abu Nawas. Siasat pun dijalankan sesuai
rencana. Abu Nawas terjerembab ke lubang siasat sang ulama. Abu Nawas
melakukan kesalahan yang bisa menghantarnya ke tiang gantungan atau tempat
pemancungan.
Benarlah peribahasa yang berbunyi sepandai-pandai tupai melompat pasti suatu
saat akan terpeleset. Kini, Abu Nawas benar-benar mati kutu. Sebentar lagi ia
akan dihukum mati karena jebakan sang ilmuwan-ulama.
Benarkah Abu Nawas sudah keok?
Kita lihat saja nanti.


Banyak orang yang merasa simpati atas nasib Abu Nawas, terutama orang-orang
miskin dan tertindas yang pernah ditolongnya. Namun derai air mata para
pecinta dan pengagum Abu Nawas tak akan mampu menghentikan hukuman
mati yang akan dijatuhkan.
Baginda Raja Harun Al Rasyid benar-benar menikmati kernenangannya. Belum
pernah Baginda terlihat seriang sekarang.
Keyakinan orang banyak bertambah mantap. Hanya sat orang yang tetap tidak
yakin bahwa hidup Abu Nawas aka berakhir setragis itu, yaitu istri Abu Nawas.
Bukankah Alia Azza Wa Jalla lebih dekat daripada urat leher. Tidak ada yang
tidak mungkin bagi Allah Yang Maha Gagah. Dan kematian adalah mutlak
urusan-Nya. Semakin dekat hukuman mati bagi Abu Nawas. Orang banyak
semakin resah. Tetapi bagi Abu Nawas malah sebaliknya. Semakin dekat
hukuman bagi dirinya, semakin tegar hatinya.
Baginda Raja tahu bahwa ketenangan yang ditampilkan Abu Nawas hanyalah
merupakan bagian dari tipu dayanya. Tetapi Baginda Raja telah bersumpah
pada diri sendiri bahwa beliau tidak akan terkecoh untuk kedua kalinya.
Sebaliknya Abu Nawas juga yakin, selama nyawa masih melekat maka harapan
akan terus menyertainya. Tuhan tidak mungkin menciptakan alam semesta ini
tanpa ditaburi harapan-harapan yang menjanjikan. Bahkan dalam keadaan yang
bagaimanapun gawatnya.
Keyakinan seperti inilah yang tidak dimiliki oleh Baginda Raja dan ulama itu.
Seketika suasana menjadi hening, sewaktu Bagin Raja memberi sambutan
singkattentang akan dilaksanakan hukuman mati atas diri terpidana mati Abu


Nawas. Kemudian tanpa memperpanjang waktu lagi Baginda Raja menanyakan
permintaan terakhir Abu Nawas. Dan pertanyaan inilah yang paling dinantinantikan
Abu Nawas.
"Adakah permintaan yang terakhir"
"Ada Paduka yang mulia." jawab Abu Nawas singkat.
"Sebutkan." kata Baginda.
"Sudilah kiranya hamba diperkenankan memilih hukuman mati yang hamba
anggap cocok wahai Baginda yang mulia." pinta Abu Nawas.
"Baiklah." kata Baginda menyetujui permintaan Abu Nawas..
"Paduka yang mulia, yang hamba pinta adalah bila pilihan hamba benar hamba
bersedia dihukum pancung, tetapi jika pilihan hamba dianggap salah maka
hamba dihukum gantung saja." kata Abu Nawas memohon.
"Engkau memang orang yang aneh. Dalam saat-saat yang amat genting pun
engkau masih sempat bersenda gurau. Tetapi ketahuilah bagiku segala tipu


muslihatmu hari ini tak akan bisa membawamu kemana-mana." kata Baginda
sambil tertawa.
"Hamba tidak bersenda gurau Paduka yang mulia." kata Abu Nawas bersungguhsungguh.
Baginda makin terpingkal-pingkal. Belum selesai Baginda Raja tertawa-tawa,
Abu Nawas berteriak dengan nyaring.
"Hamba minta dihukum pancung!"
Semua yang hadir kaget. Orang banyak belum mengerti mengapa Abu Nawas
membuat keputusan begitu. Tetapi kecerdasan otak Baginda Raja menangkap
sesuatu yang lain. Sehingga tawa Baginda yang semula berderai-derai
mendadak terhenti. Kening Baginda berkenyit mendengar ucapan Abu Nawas.
Baginda Raja tidak berani menarik kata-katanya karena disaksikan oleh ribuan
rakyatnya.
Beliau sudah terlanjur mengabulkan Abu Nawas menentukan hukuman mati
yang paling cocok untuk dirinya.


Kini kesempatan Abu Nawas membela diri.
"Baginda yang mulia, hamba tadi mengatakan bahwa hamba akan dihukum
pancung. Kalau pilihan hamba benar maka hamba dihukum gantung. Tetapi di
manakah letak kesalahan pilihan hamba sehingga hamba hams dihukum
gantung. Padahal hamba telah memilih hukuman pancung?"
Olah kata Abu Nawas memaksa Baginda Raja dan ulama itu tercengang. Benarbenar
luar biasa otak Abu Nawas ini. Rasanya tidak ada lagi manusia pintar
selain Abu Nawas di negeri Baghdad ini.
"Abu Nawas aku mengampunimu, tapi sekarang jawablah pertanyaanku ini.
Berapa banyakkah bintang di langit?"
"Oh, gampang sekali Tuanku."
"Iya, tapi berapa, seratus juta, seratus milyar?" tanya Baginda.
"Bukan Tuanku, cuma sebanyak pasir di pantai."


"Kau ini.... bagaimana bisa orang menghitung pasir di pantai?"
"Bagaimana pula orang bisa menghitung bintang di langit?"
"Ha ha ha ha ha...! Kau memang penggeli hati.
Kau adalah pelipur laraku. Abu Nawas mulai sekarang jangan segan-segan,
sering-seringlah datang ke istanaku. Aku ingin selalu mendengar leluconleluconmu
yang baru!"
"Siap Baginda !"

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What is epiglottitis? How to prevent from epiglottitis?

Overview

Epiglottitis is a medical emergency that may result in death if not treated quickly. Epiglottitis is inflammation of the epiglottis - the flap that sits at the base of the tongue, which keeps food from going into the trachea (windpipe). Due to its place in the airway, swelling of this structure can interfere with breathing and constitutes a medical emergency. The infection can cause the epiglottis to either obstruct or completely close off the windpipe. When it gets infected and inflamed, it can obstruct, or close off, the windpipe, which may be fatal unless promptly treated.

Respiratory infection, environmental exposure, or trauma may result in inflammation and infection of other structures around the throat. This infection and inflammation may spread to involve the epiglottis as well as other upper airway structures. Epiglottitis usually begins as an inflammation and swelling between the base of the tongue and the epiglottis. This may cause the throat structures to push the epiglottis backward. With continued inflammation and swelling of the epiglottis, complete blockage of the airway may occur, leading to suffocation and death. Autopsies of people with epiglottitis have shown distortion of the epiglottis and its associated structures including the formation of abscesses (pockets of infection). For unknown reasons, adults with epiglottic involvement are more likely than children to develop epiglottic abscesses.

Epiglottitis Causes

Conditions that cause epiglottitis include infectious, chemical, and traumatic agents. Infectious is the most common. H influenzae type b was once the most common cause prior to vaccination. Currently, other organisms such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi are the causes, especially among adults.

• Various organisms. For examples: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus parainfluenzae, varicella-zoster, herpes simplex virus type 1, and Staphylococcus aureus, among others.
• Heat damage injured. Heat damage that results in epiglottitis is also known as thermal epiglottitis. Thermal epiglottitis occurs from drinking hot liquids, eating solid foods, or using illicit drugs such as inhalation of metal pieces from crack cocaine pipes or the tip of marijuana cigarettes. In these cases the epiglottitis from thermal injury is similar to the illness caused by infection.
• Unusual causes of epiglottitis include brown recluse spider bites to the ear, which may result in swelling or eating buffalo fish, which may cause an allergiclike reaction and swelling. Blunt trauma or something blocking the throat may also lead to epiglottitis.
  

Epiglottitis Symptoms

When epiglottitis strikes, it usually occurs quickly but may range from just a few hours to a few days. The most common symptoms include sore throat, muffling or changes in the voice, difficulty speaking, fever, difficulty swallowing, fast heart rate, and difficulties in breathing.

Fever is usually high but may be low at 37.8°C (100.1°F) in adults or even slightly lower at 37.2°C (99°F) in cases of thermal epiglottitis.

• Signs of respiratory distress, or trouble breathing, are seen with epiglottitis as drooling, leaning forward to breathe, taking rapid shallow breaths, "pulling in" of muscles in the neck or between the ribs with breathing (retractions), high-pitched whistling sound when breathing (stridor), and trouble speaking. Someone with acute epiglottitis usually looks very ill.
• Children may sit in a "sniffing position" with the body leaning forward and the head and nose tilted forward and upward as though they are sniffing a good smelling pie.
• People with epiglottitis may appear restless and breathing with their neck, chest wall, and upper belly muscles. While they may be taking in less air with each breath, they will still manifest the high-pitched whistling sound, called inspiratory stridor.
• Typically, a child who comes to the hospital with epiglottitis has a history of fever, difficulty talking, irritability, and problems swallowing for several hours. The child often sits forward and drools. In infants younger than 1 year, signs and symptoms such as fever, drooling, and upright posturing may all be absent. In this small population group, the infant may have a cough and a history of an upper respiratory infection. Thus it is very difficult to know if an infant has epiglottitis.
• In contrast, adolescents and adults have a more general appearance with sore throat as the main complaint along with fever (50-70%), difficulty breathing (25%), drooling (15%), and stridor (noise with breathing) (10%). Doctors have characterized adult epiglottitis into 3 categories:

1. Category 1: Severe respiratory distress with imminent or actual respiratory arrest. People typically report a brief history with a rapid illness that quickly becomes dangerous. Blood cultures, which are tests that check for bacteria in the blood, are often positive for Hib.
2. Category 2: Moderate-to-severe clinical symptoms and signs of considerable risk for potential airway blockage. Symptoms and signs usually are of sore throat, inability to swallow, difficulty in lying flat, muffled "hot potato" voice (speaking as if they have a mouthful of hot potato), stridor, and the use of accessory respiratory muscles with breathing.
3. Category 3: Mild-to-moderate illness without signs of potential airway blockage. These people often have a history of illness that has been occurring for days with complaints of sore throat and pain upon swallowing.

Medical Treatment

Currently, immediate hospitalization is required whenever the diagnosis of epiglottitis is suspected. The person is in danger of sudden and unpredictable closing of the airway. So doctors must establish a secure way for the person to breathe. Antibiotics may be given.

• Initial treatment of epiglottitis may consist of making the person as comfortable as possible including placing an ill child in a dimly lit room with the parent holding the child, humidified oxygen, and close monitoring. If there are no signs of respiratory distress, IV fluids may be helpful. It is important to prevent anxiety because it may lead to an acute airway obstruction especially in children.
• People with possible signs of airway obstruction require laryngoscopy in the operating room with proper staff and airway intervention equipment. In very severe cases, the doctor may need to perform a cricothyrotomy (cutting the neck to insert a breathing tube directly into the windpipe).
• IV antibiotics may effectively control inflammation and get rid of the infection from the body. Antibiotics are usually prescribed to treat the most common types of bacteria. Blood cultures are usually obtained with the premise that any organism found growing in the blood can be attributed as the cause of the epiglottitis. However, in many cases, if not the actual majority, blood cultures fail to yield this information.
• Corticosteroids and epinephrine have been used in the past. However, there is no good proof that these medications are helpful in cases of epiglottitis.
  

Follow-up

Continue taking all antibiotics until the full course is completed. Keep all follow-up appointments with your doctor. In the event that a breathing tube had to be placed through the neck, follow-up with the surgeon to have the tube removed and make sure the site is healing well. Most people improve significantly before leaving the hospital, so taking the antibiotics and returning to the hospital if there are any problems are the most important parts of follow-up.

Prevention

Prevention of epiglottitis can be achieved with proper vaccination schedules against H influenza type b (Hib). Therefore it is important that your doctor make the appropriate recommendations for vaccination against Hib for children (see the children's immunization schedule). Adult vaccination is not routinely recommended, except for people with immune problems such as sickle cell anemia, splenectomy, cancers, or other diseases affecting the immune system.

When there is a member of a family with an unvaccinated child under age 4 years who is exposed to a person with H influenza epiglottitis, preventive medication (rifampin, Rifadin) should be given to all household contacts to make sure that both the person with the illness and the rest of the household have the bacteria completely eradicated from their bodies. This prevents formation of a "carrier state" in which a person has the bacteria in the body but is not actively sick. Carriers can still spread the infection to other family members in this state.

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Take Care of Your Lovely Hair

Beautiful and strong hair is one thing that peoples dreamed. Some people take care their hair condition with anything’s. The simple ways in preserving hair health are shampoo and using the right kind of hairbrush. Using shampoo and conditioner properly can help improve your hair's health and condition also prevent you from hair losses. To maintain good hair growth you need good circulation to your scalp so use hairbrush for make a good circulation of your scalp. Don’t forget in keeping the hairbrush clean if you want to have beautiful hair.

Using shampoo and conditioner

Using shampoo and conditioner properly can help improve your hair's health and condition. For the first, consider what kind of shampoo and conditioner you want to use. There are lots of shampoo and conditioner, and each one claims to make your hair healthy and better. To pick the right shampoo and conditioner combination, you have to choose at least four to try first.

There are about four kinds of shampoos, but most of them are a combination of two or more types. For example, there are shampoos with sulfates that claim to be “natural” and are only for people with colored hair. There are shampoos that have no sulfates, claim to be “organic”, and are only for people with dry or damaged hair. Try to pick the four best products that sound good to you, and then judge them by how your hair feels after you tried that shampoos. Does your hair feel too dry or brittle? Is there a change in texture, good or bad? Is there excessive hair fall? How does your scalp feel (tingly, nothing etc.)?

Sometimes, using a shampoo and conditioner the right way can make your answers to these questions more on the positive side. Here's how you can shampoo and condition your hair effectively:

1. First, make sure that your scalp and hair are completely wet. This means drenched. Make sure that you are using cold water, so that your hair does not become dry or brittle.
2. Put only a quarter-size of shampoo onto your palm. Place the shampoo onto the back of your neck. Using the pads of your fingers, massage the shampoo and gradually move the suds up to the rest of your head.
3. Massage your hair for at least two minutes. This will ensure that you are getting rid of dead skin cells.
4. Using cold water, wash the shampoo out completely. Once you are sure that your hair is squeaky clean, use about three quarter-sized dollops of conditioner and place only on the tips of your hair. Leave the conditioner on for at least five minutes. Wash it for only thirty seconds.

By making sure that you do not put conditioner on your roots, you are helping to decrease your chances of developing dandruff.

Hopefully, these tips will teach you how to use your shampoo and conditioner more effectively, so that you can use them to help you attain healthy hair.

Brushing Your Hair

To maintain good hair growth you need good circulation to your scalp. You need also need a clean scalp with little oil and dirt accumulating in your hair follicles. The boar hairbrush helps you achieve this when you regularly brush your hair.

Brush your hair when it is dry. This prevents breaking of your hair. When you brush, the gentle pulling of your hair stimulates your scalp bringing in more blood to feed your hair. Also the slight pulling stimulates the release of oil from your follicles, which lubricates your hair.

Brush your hair with a boar bristle hairbrush twice a day for the best hair care in the morning and night. For short hair brush for three minutes and for long hair brush five minutes.

By bending your head to the floor, when brushing, you will increase the blood circulation to your scalp. Now, brush from your neck forward to the front of your scalp, then, from sides to your crown. Lastly, brush from the front of your scalp to the neck.

Cleaning Your Boar Hair Brush

If possible, you should clean your brush every day. If you have two or more hair brushes then it will be easier to do this. Your boar bristle hairbrush accumulates dirt and oils from hair when you brush. Without regular cleaning of your hairbrush, this dirt and oil will redeposit onto your hair. Over time this added dirt and oil will plug up your hair follicles and lead to hair thinning or permanent hair loss.

You can clean your brush every day when you shower. Clean it with shampoo and scrub the bristles with your hand back and forth. After cleaning, you can dry the brush with a towel and let it sit until the next day. By the next day, it is ready to use and your other brush is ready to be cleaned.

So, using a natural hairbrush like the boar bristle hair brush is the best way to care for your hair. Gentle daily brushing stimulates your scalp and keeps you hair healthy. But don' forget to keep your hair brush clean, since your don't want to put the dirt and oil on your brush back onto your scalp.

Source : http://www.hairlossinwomen.for--you.com and others

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