The Great Fairy Book

Of Tall People and Small People

Of Tall People and Small People

Once upon a time, there were a king and a queen who longed to have child. They waited for years, but no child came. Eventually, the queen said to her husband, "Should I ask the small people to help us?"

"The small people?" asked the king.

The queen nodded. "The small people. You know, the little people who live in the highest tower of our castle."

"Oh," said the king, for he hadn't heard of them before. It wasn't very odd that he hadn't, really, because one did not bother the king with such small matters. He turned to ask the queen more about them, but she was already gone.

The queen climbed the long staircase, up to the highest tower of the castle-of the whole kingdom in fact. Very tired, she arrived in the highest room, which was very empty.

"Small people!" she called, "Small people, can I speak to you?"

The room remained just as empty as before.

"Small people, I should want a child so much. Please, can you help me?"

Suddenly, a very small man stood in the room. He was so small he could have easily fitted into the queen's hand. He wore a very small jacket and a very small hose, and an odd green hat on his very small head.

The small man arched his back and looked up at the queen, setting his very small hands on his very small hips. He frowned a very small frown and said, "We can help you, Your Tallness, but we have a condition."

"Anything," said the queen.

The small man folded his arms and continued rather grumpily, "That you tall people stop bothering us. It's always the same with you lot. 'Please cure my mother, please give me a child?' From now on, no tall person will be allowed to enter this tower."

The queen nodded quickly. "Of course. I shall see to it."

The small man tilted his head to one side and studied the queen, his very small frown still over his very small brow. Then he nodded and clapped his hands twice. A very small doll appeared in front of the small man. "Put this under your mattress tonight," he said, "and you will have your child."

The queen bent down to take the very small doll and thanked the small man. He merely frowned and then-suddenly-was gone. The queen looked around, but she couldn't see the small man, nor any other small person.

The first thing the queen did when coming down the staircase was rest, for the staircase was very long and it was tiring just to walk all the way down. Then she locked the door to the tower and threw the key in the castle moat.

The next day, the queen looked under her mattress and the very small doll was gone.

The small man hadn't lied. The queen gave birth to a beautiful little princess, though she was a little small. The king and the queen were very happy and held a large feast to celebrate. There were flags and clowns and everything else you'd expect at such a grand feast. And somewhere along the day, a very small man looked down into the crib, with a very small smile on his face. Then he was gone.

The little princess grew up into a beautiful little girl. She was still rather small, but no one wanted to tell the king and the queen, who were so happy with their daughter. After all, there were a lot of small children, and that was not so very odd.

The princess was kind and happy, and she could play all day, everywhere she wanted-everywhere, except for the highest tower of the castle.

"You can't go there, darling," said the queen every time.