Two poor musicians were wandering through the world. One played a trumpet and the other beat a drum, until the glass rattled in the windows. One day their wanderings brought them to a woodland spring. Fairies were dancing around it. "Play for us," begged the fairy queen.
The trumpeter began to play a merry dance. But the drummer refused to play, saying he would not beat his drum for nought, and that he was so hungry he could scarcely raise his arms. So the fairies danced to the trumpeter's tune, and when they had danced enough, their queen said, "Now you shall both have your rewards."
She touched the trumpet with a golden primrose, and beat the drum with a dry thistle.
"You may keep such a reward as this," said the drummer, turning up his nose. But the trumpeter smiled warmly at the fairies and said, "You have rewarded me well. I am satisfied if your feet keep time to my music." And the two musicians went their way.
They came to a village where a festival was in progress. The trumpeter blew into his trumpet and the drummer twirled his drumsticks, and what do you suppose happened?: From out of the horn gold pieces began to fall, and they went on tinkling to the ground as long as the man played. But a swarm of wasps flew out of the drum, and drove the drummer up hill and down dale, away out of the village!
The worthy trumpeter stayed on in the village and married the mayor's daughter. Ne'er did he turn a poor man away from his door, and he gave gold pieces to all beggars who came along, to help them on their journey. But for the drummer things went from bad to worse. He threw away the accursed drum, and was left with no way of making a living.
One day the drummer happened to wander by the woodland spring again. Suddenly the fairies appeared, "Play for us as we dance," they begged him. "If you were to give me a magic trumpet such as you gave my companion, I should play for you from morning til night," he said. The fairy queen only smiled, plucked a reed from the waterside, and struck it with a dry thistle. The reed turned into a trumpet that was a delight to behold. The musician snatched it up and before the fairies could change their minds, ran off.
After a while, he could wait no longer, so he stopped by the wayside and blew a few notes. But what an unpleasant surprise! Strange things began to happen to him. His whole body was suddenly covered in hair; claws grew out from his fingers and toes, and his nose got longer and longer, until it was like a bird's beak. He looked at himself in a lake, and almost fainted with horror. He had turned into a horrible spectre.
E'er since then, on a moonlit night, a strange hooting can be heard from the woods. People say 'tis the tawny owl, but do not believe them! 'Tis the selfish musician, playing his trumpet as the fairies dance, waiting for them to take pity on him.
The trumpeter began to play a merry dance. But the drummer refused to play, saying he would not beat his drum for nought, and that he was so hungry he could scarcely raise his arms. So the fairies danced to the trumpeter's tune, and when they had danced enough, their queen said, "Now you shall both have your rewards."
She touched the trumpet with a golden primrose, and beat the drum with a dry thistle.
"You may keep such a reward as this," said the drummer, turning up his nose. But the trumpeter smiled warmly at the fairies and said, "You have rewarded me well. I am satisfied if your feet keep time to my music." And the two musicians went their way.
They came to a village where a festival was in progress. The trumpeter blew into his trumpet and the drummer twirled his drumsticks, and what do you suppose happened?: From out of the horn gold pieces began to fall, and they went on tinkling to the ground as long as the man played. But a swarm of wasps flew out of the drum, and drove the drummer up hill and down dale, away out of the village!
The worthy trumpeter stayed on in the village and married the mayor's daughter. Ne'er did he turn a poor man away from his door, and he gave gold pieces to all beggars who came along, to help them on their journey. But for the drummer things went from bad to worse. He threw away the accursed drum, and was left with no way of making a living.
One day the drummer happened to wander by the woodland spring again. Suddenly the fairies appeared, "Play for us as we dance," they begged him. "If you were to give me a magic trumpet such as you gave my companion, I should play for you from morning til night," he said. The fairy queen only smiled, plucked a reed from the waterside, and struck it with a dry thistle. The reed turned into a trumpet that was a delight to behold. The musician snatched it up and before the fairies could change their minds, ran off.
After a while, he could wait no longer, so he stopped by the wayside and blew a few notes. But what an unpleasant surprise! Strange things began to happen to him. His whole body was suddenly covered in hair; claws grew out from his fingers and toes, and his nose got longer and longer, until it was like a bird's beak. He looked at himself in a lake, and almost fainted with horror. He had turned into a horrible spectre.
E'er since then, on a moonlit night, a strange hooting can be heard from the woods. People say 'tis the tawny owl, but do not believe them! 'Tis the selfish musician, playing his trumpet as the fairies dance, waiting for them to take pity on him.