Jack Frost by Andrew Lang
There was once upon a time a peasant woman who had a daughter and a step-daughter.
The daughter had her own way in everything,
And whatever she did was right in her mother's
eyes.
But the poor step-daughter had a hard time,
Let her do what she would.
She was always blamed,
And got small thanks for all the trouble she took.
Nothing was right,
Everything wrong,
And yet,
If the truth were known,
The girl was
worth her weight in gold.
She was unselfish and good-hearted.
Her step-mother did not like her,
And the poor girl's days were spent in weeping.
For it was impossible to live peacefully with the woman.
A wicked shrew was determined to get rid of the girl by fair means of all,
And kept
saying to her father,
Send her away,
Good man,
Send her away,
Anywhere,
Send her out
into the fields and let the cutting frost do her.
In vain did the poor old father weep and implore her pity.
She was firm,
And he dared not to gainsay her.
So he placed his daughter in a sledge,
Not even daring to give her a horse-cloth to keep
herself warm with,
And drove her out on to the bare open fields,
Where he kissed her
and left her,
Driving home as fast as he could,
That he might not witness her miserable death.
Deserted by her father,
The poor girl sat down under a fir-tree at the edge of the forest
and began to weep silently.
Suddenly she heard a faint sound,
It was king-frost spring from tree to tree,
And crackling his
fingers as he went.
At length he reached the fir-tree beneath,
Which he was sitting,
And with a crisp crackling
sound he alighted beside her and looked at her lovely face.
Well,
Maiden,
He snapped out,
Do you know who I am?
I am king-frost,
The king of the red noses.
All hail to you,
Great king,
Answered the girl.
Have you come to take me?
Are you warm,
Maiden,
He replied.
Quite warm,
King-frost,
She answered.
Though she shivered as he spoke,
Then king-frost stooped down and bent over the girl,
And the
crackling sound grew louder,
And the air seemed to be full of knives and darts,
And again
he asked,
Maiden,
Are you warm?
Are you warm,
You beautiful girl?
And though her breath was almost frozen on her lips,
She whispered gently,
Quite warm,
King-frost.
Then king-frost gnashed his teeth and cracked his fingers,
And his eyes sparkled,
And the
crackling,
Crisp sound was louder than ever,
And for the last time he asked her,
Maiden,
Are you still warm?
Are you still warm,
Little love?
The poor girl was so stiff and numb that she could just gasp,
Still warm,
Oh king.
Now her gentle,
Courteous words and her uncomplaining ways touched king-frost,
And he had pity on
her,
And he wrapped her up in furs and covered her with blankets,
And he fetched a great
box in which were beautiful jewels,
A rich robe embroidered in gold and silver,
And she
put it on and looked more lovely than ever,
And king-frost stepped with her into his ledge
with six white horses.
In the meantime the wicked stepmother was waiting at home for news of the girl's death
and preparing pancakes for the funeral feast,
And she said to her husband,
Old man,
You
had better go out into the fields and find your daughter's body and bury her.
Just as the old man was leaving the house,
The little dog under the table began to bark,
Saying,
Your daughter shall live to be your delight,
Her daughter shall die this very
night.
Hold your tongue,
You foolish beast,
Scolded the woman,
There is a pancake for you,
But
you must say,
Her daughter shall have much silver and gold,
His daughter is frozen,
Quite
stiff and cold.
But the doggy ate up the pancake and barked,
Saying,
His daughter shall wear a crown on
her head,
Her daughter shall die,
And wood,
And wed.
Then the old woman tried to coax the doggy with more pancakes and to terrify it with
blows,
But he barked on,
Always repeating the same words,
And suddenly the door creaked,
And flew open,
And a great heavy chest was pushed in,
And behind it came the stepdaughter,
Radiant and beautiful,
In a dress all glittering with silver and gold.
For a moment the stepmother's eyes were dazzled.
Then she called to her husband,
Old man,
Yoke the horses at once into the sledge and
take my daughter to the same field,
And leave her on the same spot exactly.
And so the old man took the girl and left her beneath the same tree,
Where he had barred
from his daughter.
In a few minutes King Frost came past,
And looking at the girl he said,
Are you warm,
What a blind old fool you must be,
She answered angrily,
Can't you see that my hands and feet
are nearly frozen?
Then King Frost sprang to,
And frol in front of her,
Questioning her,
And getting only
rude,
Rough words in reply,
Till at last he got very angry,
And cracked his fingers,
Gnashed
his teeth,
And froze her to death.
But in the hut her mother was waiting for her return,
And as she grew impatient she
said to her husband,
Get out of the horses,
Old man,
To go and fetch her home,
But see
that you are careful not to upset the sledge and lose the chest.
But the doggie beneath the table began to bark,
Saying,
Your daughter is frozen,
Quite
stiff and cold,
And shall never have a chest full of gold.
Don't tell such wicked lies,
Scolded the woman,
There's a cake for you,
Now say,
Her daughter
shall marry a mighty king.
At that moment the door flew open,
And she rushed out to meet her daughter,
And as she
took her frozen body in her arms she too was chilled to death.
Thank you for listening.
