The Best English Fairy Tales / Лучшие английские сказки

“I have not done anything,” she said, “please do not kill me; I will do whatever you wish. I will never see you or your son again till you desire it.” Then the Baron took off his gold ring and threw it into the sea, saying, “Never let me see your face till you can show me that ring”, and he let her go[21 - and he let her go – и он отпустил её].

When the guests saw such a young and beautiful cook, they were surprised. But the Baron was very angry. So the girl went up to him with her hand before her with the ring on it, and she put it down before him on the table.

Then at last, the Baron saw that no one could fight against Fate, and he handed her to a seat and announced to all the company that this was his son’s true wife. And he took her and his son home to his castle, and they all lived happy.

Tom Thumb [22 - Tom Thumb – Мальчик-с-пальчик]

Grimm Brothers

One night a poor woodman sat in his cottage, his wife sat by his side spinning.

“How lonely it is, wife,” said he, “for you and me to sit here by ourselves, without any children to play about. Other people seem so happy with their children!”

“Agree,” said the wife, “how happy would I be if I had one child! If it were no bigger than my thumb, I would love it!”

Not long afterwards her dream came true. She had a little boy, who was healthy and strong. But he was not much bigger than her thumb.

So she said, “Well, now we have got what we wished for, and, little as he is, we will love him!” And they called him Thomas Thumb.

The husband and his wife fed him well, but he never grew bigger. His eyes were smart and he was a clever little fellow.

One day, as the woodman was getting ready to go into the wood to cut fuel, he said,

“I wish I had someone to bring the cart after me.”

“Oh, father,” cried Tom, “I will take care of that; the cart will be in the wood by the time you want it.

”

The woodman laughed, and said,

“How can that be? You can’t reach up to the horse.”

“Never mind that, father,” said Tom, “I will get into his ear and tell him which way to go.”

“Well,” said the father, “we will try then.”

His mother put Tom into the horse’s ear. The little man told the horse how to go, crying out, “Go on!” and “Stop!”.