Most of these they did not themselves write; they simply collected and rewrote.  They would hear of some old woman who was famous for telling stories remembered from childhood, and they would present themselves at her cottage to bribe or wheedle her into telling them her tales.  Perhaps the promise that her words should appear in print would be enough to induce her to talk; perhaps hours would be wasted in trying to make her grow talkative, without success.  At any rate, the Grimm brothers finally collected enough of these stories to make a big, fat book.

THE POPPYLAND EXPRESS

St. Louis Star Sayings

The first train leaves at 6 p. m. 
  For the land where the poppy blows. 
The mother is the engineer,
  And the passenger laughs and crows.

The palace car is the mother’s arms;
  The whistle a low, sweet strain. 
The passenger winks and nods and blinks
  And goes to sleep on the train.

At 8 p. m. the next train starts
  For the poppyland afar. 
The summons clear falls on the ear,
  “All aboard for the sleeping car!”

But “What is the fare to poppyland? 
  I hope it is not too dear.” 
The fare is this—­a hug and a kiss,
  And it’s paid to the engineer.

So I ask of Him who children took
  On His knee in kindness great: 
“Take charge, I pray, of the trains each day
  That leave at six and eight.

“Keep watch of the passengers,” thus I pray,
  “For to me they are very dear;
And special ward, O gracious Lord,
  O’er the gentle engineer.”

BLUEBEARD

Once upon a time there lived a great lord who had many beautiful homes and who was fairly rolling in wealth.  He had town houses and castles in the country, all filled with rich furniture and costly vessels of gold and silver.  In spite of all his riches, however, nobody liked the man, because of his ugly and frightful appearance.  Perhaps people could have endured his face if it had not been for a great blue beard that frightened the women and children until they fled at his very approach.

Now, it so happened that there was living near one of his castles a fine lady of good breeding who had two beautiful daughters.  Bluebeard, for such was the name by which he was known through all the country, saw the two daughters and determined to have one of them for his wife.  So he proposed to the mother for one, but left it to her to decide which of the daughters she would give him.

Neither of the daughters was willing to marry him, for neither could make up her mind to live all her life with such a hideous blue beard, however rich the owner might be.  Moreover, they had heard, and the report was true, that the man had been married several times before, and no one knew what had become of his wives.

In order to become better acquainted with the women, Bluebeard invited them and their mother to visit him at one of his castles in the country.  They accepted the invitation, and for nine delightful days they hunted and fished over his vast estates, and for nine wonderful evenings they feasted and danced in his magnificent rooms.