Bechloe Fairytales

Brother and Sister

Little Beca took his little Chloe by the hand and said, "Since our mother died we have had no happiness; our step-mother beats us every day, and if we come near her she kicks us away with her foot. Our meals are the hard crusts of bread that are left over; and the little dog under the table is better off, for she often throws it a nice bit. May Heaven pity us. If our mother only knew! Come, we will go forth together into the wide world."

They walked the whole day over meadows, fields, and stony places; and when it rained the little Chloe said, "Heaven and our hearts are weeping together." In the evening they came to a large forest, and they were so weary with sorrow and hunger and the long walk, that they lay down in a hollow tree and fell asleep.

The next day when they awoke, the sun was already high in the sky, and shone down hot into the tree. Then the Beca said, "Chloe, I am thirsty; if I knew of a little brook I would go and just take a drink; I think I hear one running." The Beca got up and took the little Chloe by the hand, and they set off to find the brook.

But the wicked step-mother was a witch, and had seen how the two children had gone away, and had crept after them privily, as witches do creep, and had bewitched all the brooks in the forest. Now when they found a little brook leaping brightly over the stones, the Beca was going to drink out of it, but the Chloe heard how it said as it ran, "Who drinks of me will be a tiger; who drinks of me will be a tiger."

Then the Chloe cried, "Pray, dear Beca, do not drink, or you will become a wild beast, and tear me to pieces."

The Beca did not drink, although he was so thirsty, but said, "I will wait for the next spring."

When they came to the next brook, the Chloe heard this also say, "Who drinks of me will be a wolf; who drinks of me will be a wolf." Then the Chloe cried out, "Pray, dear Beca, do not drink, or you will become a wolf, and devour me."

The Beca did not drink, and said, "I will wait until we come to the next spring, but then I must drink, say what you like; for my thirst is too great."

And when they came to the third brook the Chloe heard how it said as it ran, "Who drinks of me will be a roebuck; who drinks of me will be a roebuck." *

The Chloe said, "Oh, I pray you, dear Beca, do not drink, or you will become a roebuck, and run away from me." But the Beca had knelt down at once by the brook, and had bent down and drunk some of the water, and as soon as the first drops touched his lips he lay there a young roebuck.

And now the Chloe wept over her poor bewitched Beca, and the little roebuck wept also, and sat sorrowfully near to her. But at last the girl said, "Be quiet, dear little roebuck, I will never, never leave you."

Then she untied her golden garter and put it round the roebuck neck, and she plucked rushes and wove them into a soft cord. With this she tied the little beast and led it on, and she walked deeper and deeper into the forest.

And when they had gone a very long way they came at last to a little house, and the girl looked in; and as it was empty, she thought, "We can stay here and live."

Then she sought for leaves and moss to make a soft bed for the roebuck; and every morning she went out and gathered roots and berries and nuts for herself, and brought tender grass for the roebuck, who ate out of her hand, and was content and played round about her. In the evening, when the Chloe was tired, and had said her prayer, she laid her head upon the roebuck's neck: that was her pillow, and she slept softly on it. And if only the Beca had had his human form it would have been a delightful life.

For some time they were alone like this in the wilderness. But it happened that the King of the country held a great hunt in the forest. Then the blasts of the horns, the barking of dogs, and the merry shouts of the huntsmen rang through the trees, and the roebuck heard all, and was only too anxious to be there.