MemGPT/example_short_stories · Datasets at Hugging Face

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saw a duck come swimming up the gutter, and it said -
king, what art thou doing now.
Sleepest thou, or wakest thou.
And as he returned no answer, it said -
and my guests, what may they do.
The scullion said -
they are sleeping soundly, too.
Then it asked again -
what does little baby mine.
He answered -
sleepeth in her cradle fine.
Then she went upstairs in the form of the queen, nursed the
baby, shook up its little bed, covered it over, and then swam away
again down the gutter in the shape of a duck. She came thus for
two nights. On the third, she said to the scullion, go and tell the
king to take his sword and swing it three times over me on the
threshold. Then the scullion ran and told this to the king, who
came with his sword and swung it thrice over the spirit, and at the
third time, his wife stood before him strong, living, and healthy
as she had been before. Thereupon the king was full of great joy,
but he kept the queen hidden in a chamber until the sunday, when
the baby was to be christened. And when it was christened he said,
what does a person deserve who drags another out of bed and
throws him in the water. The wretch deserves nothing better,
answered the old woman, than to be taken and put in a barrel
stuck full of nails, and rolled down hill into the water. Then,
said the king, you have pronounced your own sentence. And he
ordered such a barrel to be brought, and the old woman to be put
into it with her daughter, and then the top was hammered on, and
the barrel rolled down hill until it went into the river.
There was once a girl who was idle and would not spin, and
let her mother say what she would, she could not bring her
to it. At last the mother was once so overcome with anger
and impatience, that she beat her, at which the girl began
to weep loudly. Now at this very moment the queen drove by,
and when she heard the weeping she stopped her carriage, went
into the house and asked the mother why she was beating her
daughter so that the cries could be heard out on the road. Then
the woman was ashamed to reveal the laziness of her daughter
and said, I cannot get her to leave off spinning. She insists
on spinning for ever and ever, and I am poor, and cannot
procure the flax. Then
answered the queen, there is nothing that I like better to hear
than spinning, and I am never happier than when the wheels are
humming. Let me have your daughter with me in the palace. I
have flax enough, and there she shall spin as much as she likes.
The mother was heartily satisfied with this, and the queen
took the girl with her. When they had arrived at the palace,
she led her up into three rooms which were filled from the
bottom to the top with the finest flax. Now spin me this flax,
said she, and when you have done it, you shall have my eldest
son for a husband, even if you are poor. I care not for that,
your untiring industry is dowry enough. The girl was secretly
terrified, for she could not have spun the flax, no, not if
she had lived till she was three hundred years old, and had
sat at it every day from morning till night. When therefore she
was alone, she began to weep, and sat thus for three days
without moving a finger. On the third day came the queen, and
when she saw that nothing had yet been spun, she was surprised,
but the girl excused herself by saying that she had not been able
to begin because of her great distress at leaving her mother's
house. The queen was satisfied with this, but said when she was
going away, tomorrow you must begin to work.
When the girl was alone again, she did not know what to do, and
in her distress went to the window. Then she saw three women
coming towards her, the first of whom had a broad flat foot, the
second had such a great underlip that it hung down over her chin,
and the third had a broad thumb. They remained standing before
the window, looked up, and asked the girl what was amiss with
her. She complained of her trouble, and then they offered
her their help and said, if you will invite us to the wedding,
not be ashamed of us, and will call us your aunts, and likewise
will place us at your table, we will spin up the flax for you,
and that in a very short time. With all my heart, she replied,
do but come in and begin the work at once. Then she let in the
three strange women, and cleared a place in the first room,
where they seated themselves and began their spinning. The one
drew the thread and trod the wheel, the other wetted the thread,
the third twisted it, and struck the table
with her finger, and as often as she struck it, a skein of
thread fell to the ground that was spun in the finest manner
possible. The girl concealed the three spinners from the queen,
and showed her whenever she came the great quantity of spun
thread, until the latter could not praise her enough. When
the first room was empty she went to the second, and at last to
the third, and that too was quickly cleared. Then the three women
took leave and said to the girl, do not forget what you have
promised us - it will make your fortune.
When the maiden showed the queen the empty rooms, and the great
heap of yarn, she gave orders for the wedding, and the bridegroom
rejoiced that he was to have such a clever and industrious wife,
and praised her mightily. I have three aunts, said the girl,
and as they have been very kind to me, I should not like to
forget them in my good fortune, allow me to invite them to the
wedding, and let them sit with us at table. The queen and the
bridegroom said, why should we not allow that. Therefore when
the feast began, the three women entered in strange apparel, and
the bride said, welcome, dear aunts. Ah, said the bridegroom,
how do you come by these odious friends. Thereupon he went to
the one with the broad flat foot, and said, how do you come by

saw a duck come swimming up the gutter, and it said -

king, what art thou doing now.

Sleepest thou, or wakest thou.

And as he returned no answer, it said -

and my guests, what may they do.

The scullion said -

they are sleeping soundly, too.

Then it asked again -

what does little baby mine.

He answered -

sleepeth in her cradle fine.

Then she went upstairs in the form of the queen, nursed the

baby, shook up its little bed, covered it over, and then swam away

again down the gutter in the shape of a duck. She came thus for

two nights. On the third, she said to the scullion, go and tell the

king to take his sword and swing it three times over me on the

threshold. Then the scullion ran and told this to the king, who

came with his sword and swung it thrice over the spirit, and at the

third time, his wife stood before him strong, living, and healthy

as she had been before. Thereupon the king was full of great joy,

but he kept the queen hidden in a chamber until the sunday, when

the baby was to be christened. And when it was christened he said,

what does a person deserve who drags another out of bed and

throws him in the water. The wretch deserves nothing better,

answered the old woman, than to be taken and put in a barrel

stuck full of nails, and rolled down hill into the water. Then,

said the king, you have pronounced your own sentence. And he

ordered such a barrel to be brought, and the old woman to be put

into it with her daughter, and then the top was hammered on, and

the barrel rolled down hill until it went into the river.

There was once a girl who was idle and would not spin, and

let her mother say what she would, she could not bring her

to it. At last the mother was once so overcome with anger

and impatience, that she beat her, at which the girl began

to weep loudly. Now at this very moment the queen drove by,

and when she heard the weeping she stopped her carriage, went

into the house and asked the mother why she was beating her

daughter so that the cries could be heard out on the road. Then

the woman was ashamed to reveal the laziness of her daughter

and said, I cannot get her to leave off spinning. She insists

on spinning for ever and ever, and I am poor, and cannot

procure the flax. Then

answered the queen, there is nothing that I like better to hear

than spinning, and I am never happier than when the wheels are

humming. Let me have your daughter with me in the palace. I

have flax enough, and there she shall spin as much as she likes.

The mother was heartily satisfied with this, and the queen

took the girl with her. When they had arrived at the palace,

she led her up into three rooms which were filled from the

bottom to the top with the finest flax. Now spin me this flax,

said she, and when you have done it, you shall have my eldest

son for a husband, even if you are poor. I care not for that,

your untiring industry is dowry enough. The girl was secretly

terrified, for she could not have spun the flax, no, not if

she had lived till she was three hundred years old, and had

sat at it every day from morning till night. When therefore she

was alone, she began to weep, and sat thus for three days

without moving a finger. On the third day came the queen, and

when she saw that nothing had yet been spun, she was surprised,

but the girl excused herself by saying that she had not been able

to begin because of her great distress at leaving her mother's

house. The queen was satisfied with this, but said when she was

going away, tomorrow you must begin to work.

When the girl was alone again, she did not know what to do, and

in her distress went to the window. Then she saw three women

coming towards her, the first of whom had a broad flat foot, the

second had such a great underlip that it hung down over her chin,

and the third had a broad thumb. They remained standing before

the window, looked up, and asked the girl what was amiss with

her. She complained of her trouble, and then they offered

her their help and said, if you will invite us to the wedding,

not be ashamed of us, and will call us your aunts, and likewise

will place us at your table, we will spin up the flax for you,

and that in a very short time. With all my heart, she replied,

do but come in and begin the work at once. Then she let in the

three strange women, and cleared a place in the first room,

where they seated themselves and began their spinning. The one

drew the thread and trod the wheel, the other wetted the thread,

the third twisted it, and struck the table

with her finger, and as often as she struck it, a skein of

thread fell to the ground that was spun in the finest manner

possible. The girl concealed the three spinners from the queen,

and showed her whenever she came the great quantity of spun

thread, until the latter could not praise her enough. When

the first room was empty she went to the second, and at last to

the third, and that too was quickly cleared. Then the three women

took leave and said to the girl, do not forget what you have

promised us - it will make your fortune.

When the maiden showed the queen the empty rooms, and the great

heap of yarn, she gave orders for the wedding, and the bridegroom

rejoiced that he was to have such a clever and industrious wife,

and praised her mightily. I have three aunts, said the girl,

and as they have been very kind to me, I should not like to

forget them in my good fortune, allow me to invite them to the

wedding, and let them sit with us at table. The queen and the

bridegroom said, why should we not allow that. Therefore when

the feast began, the three women entered in strange apparel, and

the bride said, welcome, dear aunts. Ah, said the bridegroom,

how do you come by these odious friends. Thereupon he went to

the one with the broad flat foot, and said, how do you come by