This particular abridged iteration of the Reginald Spink translation I sourced from the audiobook by Caedmon, 1958 (look it up on YouTube by skipping on her Snow Queen at 20 min!); it is completely read aloud by British thespian Cathleen Nesbitt and directed by one Howard Sackler.
Also, it's an abridged version that is not subdivided into Stories (chapters), just like the Pink Fairy Book Victorian version by Alma Alleyne (the format sourced from some Germanic source text in turn?), but one can tell when each story ends and the next begins.
As usual, this subplot is once more here as an encouraging birthday treat from yours truly to herself!
In the kingdom where we are now, lives a princess who's tremendously clever! She was sitting on the throne the other day, and they say there isn't much fun in that... when she happened to hum a song; the song that goes: WHY shouldn't I get ma-a-a-arried? 'I say there's something in that,' she said. And so she decided she would get married. But she wanted a husband who knew how to answer when spoken to; one who wouldn't just stand looking genteel, because that's such a bore!
It's true, every word I say! I have a ... sweetheart who's free to walk about the palace, and she to-o-old me.
The newspapers at once said that any good-looking young man was at liberty to come to the palace and talk to the princess; and the one who talked as though he was at home there and talked best would be chosen by the princess for husband.
People flocked to the palace, you never saw such a crowd and a commotion!
When did he come? Was he among the crowd?
All hard, all hard, we're coming to him! It was on the third day that a little person without horse or carriage came cheerfully marching straight up to the palace. His eyes were shining ... and he had lovely long hair, but poor clothes!
He had a little satchel on his back, ...
... I do know from my ... sweetheart that when he entered the palace his boots creaked ever so loudly! But he didn't get frightened, not he!
Well, they certainly creaked. And as cheerful as anything, he made straight for the princess! He was bright and merry. He hadn't come to propose, only to hear the princess's wisdom. And he thought it good, while she, in turn, thought him good!
"... Will you take ... to the palace?"
"It's easy to talk... How do we do it? I'll speak to my ... sweetheart; I dare say she can advise us! I may as well tell ... that ... will never be properly admitted!"
"..., he'll come straight out ...!"
"Wait for me at that stile," ..., and ..., ... off.
It had grown dark by the time ... returned.
"... She sends ... all her love and here's a small loaf .... She took it in the kitchen; there's plenty of bread and .... There's no chance of ... getting into the palace .... .... My sweetheart knows a little back staircase which leads to the bedchamber, and she knows where to get the key!"
And so they went into the garden, along the big avenue where leaf fell after leaf, and when the palace lights went out one by one, ... took ... to a back door which stood ajar. (Oh, how ... heart throbbed with fear and longing!)
Now they were on the stairs. A little lamp was burning on a cupboard.
"I think there's someone following us!" ..., and something swished past. It was like shadows along the wall; horses with flowing manes and thin legs, huntsmen, ladies and gentlemen on horseback.
"That's only the dreams," .... "They come and fetch the noble people's thoughts out hunting."
They now came into the first hall, which was hung with rose-coloured satin. Here dreams were already sweeping past them, but so fast did they go that ... never caught sight of them.
Each room was more gorgeous than the one before... and now, at last, they were in the bedchamber. Hanging from a thick stem of gold in the middle of the floor were two beds, which looked like lilies. One of them was white, and in this lay the princess; the other was red, and this was where .... Bending aside one of the red leaves, ... saw a brown neck. ... The dreams came sweeping back on their horses; he woke, and turned his head...
Looking out from the lily-white bed, the princess asked what was the matter; ...
"Oh, you poor little thing!" said the prince and the princess.
And the prince got up from his bed and allowed ... to sleep in it. It was the most he could do. ... thought: "How good people are, ...!" (But it was only dreams, and so it had all gone again, the moment ... woke up.)
The next day ... was dressed from top to toe in silk and velvet. ... was invited to stay at the palace and have a good time, but all ... asked for was a small carriage with a horse to draw it and a pair of little boots, so that ... could drive off into the wide world and find ...!
When ... was ready to leave, a new coach of pure gold stood waiting at the door.
"Goodbye! Goodbye!" cried the prince and princess, .... And so they passed the first few miles. (Then ... said goodbye too, and this was the hardest parting of all.) ... flapped ... black ... for as long as ... could see the coach gleaming in the bright sunshine.
They drove through the dark forest, but the coach shone like a blaze of fire, and a band of robbers lying in wait there spied it.
"It's gold! It's gold!" they cried, and rushing forward they seized hold of the horses and pulled ... out of the coach. (redshirt servant massacre omitted.)
... robber woman, who had ... eyebrows hanging over her eyes. "...Mmm, she'll taste nice!" ... And she drew out a/'er polished knife, which glittered really dreadfully.
"Ooh!!" cried the ... woman all at once. She'd been bitten in the ear by her own little daughter, who clung to her back and who was as wild and mischievous as anything!
"... shall give me ... muff and ... pretty dress, and sleep in my bed with me!" And she had to be given her own way; she was so spoiled and self-willed. She and ... got inside, and away they drove over stubble and bramble, deeper into the forest.
The little girl's eyes were quite black, and looked almost sad. Putting her arms around ... waist, she said: "They shan't slaughter you as long as I don't get cross with you! I suppose you're a princess?"
... (told her all ... adventures ...)
The little robber girl looked quite seriously at ..., gave a little nod of her head and then said: "They shan't slaughter you. Even if I do get cross with you. I'll see that I do it myself!
All at once the coach came to a stop. They were in the courtyard of a robbers' castle. It was cracked from top to bottom, and crows and ravens were flying out of the gaps, .... (No mention of the supper, though the description of the "big bulldogs" is there, literally straight from Andersen.)
... And drawing a long knife out of a crack in the wall, the little girl stroked the reindeer's neck; ..., while the robber girl laughed and pulled ... into bed with her.
"Are you taking the knife to bed?" asked ... looking at it rather nervously.
"I always sleep with a knife!" said the little robber girl. "You never know what may happen!"
... couldn't get a wink of sleep, not knowing whether ... was going to live or die. The robbers sat round the fire, singing and drinking, and the ... robber woman turned somersaults. Really, it was a dreadful sight ....
...
"Lie still there," said the robber girl, "or you get the knife in your tummy!"
...
(No mention of the robber woman getting drunk during the flight next morning)
"... but I'm keeping the muff, it's far too nice. ..."
... Then the little robber girl opened the door, coaxed in all the big dogs, and cutting the rope with her knife ...
...
... as far as the country's border. And there, where the first green things peeped up from the ground, ... (No mention of the robber maiden having claimed a horse from the coach, or of the prince and the princess on their honeymoon through foreign countries! This is one of the versions where these loose ends are left untied and it all ends with Kai returning straight home)
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