CHAPTER V
The Symbolism of the Fairy Tale
In Bechstein's collection of fairy tales, illustrated with Richter's attractive pictures, one of them that belongs to the tale of "Oda and the Serpent" strikes me. The tale runs as follows:
Once upon a time there was a man who had three daughters, of which the youngest was named Oda. Once the father was going to market and he asked his daughters what he should bring them. The oldest asked for a golden spinning-wheel, the second for a golden reel, but Oda said: "Bring me what runs under your wagon when you are on the way back." Then the father bought at the market what the two eldest daughters wished for and started home; and behold there ran a serpent under the wagon which he caught and brought to Oda. He threw it down into the wagon and afterwards before the door of the house where he let it lay. When Oda came out the serpent began to speak: "Oda, dear Oda, can I not come in on the porch?" "What," said Oda, "my father has brought you to our door and you wish to come up on the porch?" But she let it come up. Now as Oda went to her room the serpent cried again: "Oda, dear Oda, may I lay before your room door?" "Ah, see that," said Oda, "my father brought you to the house door, I have let you in on the porch, and now you wish to lay before my room door? Well, let it be as you wish!" Now as Oda was going into her bed-room and opened the door of her room the serpent cried again: "Oh Oda, dear Oda, may I not come in your room?" "How," cried Oda, "has not my father brought you to the door, have I not let you on the porch and before my room door, and now you wish to come with me in my room? However if you will be satisfied now come in but I tell you to lay still." With that Oda let the serpent in and commenced to undress. When she was about to get into bed the serpent cried out again: "Oh Oda, dearest Oda, may I not get into bed with you?" "Now that is too much," cried Oda angrily, "my father has brought you to the house, I let you in on the porch, afterwards before my room door, afterwards in my room,
