There was - once upon a time - a king who had a wife with golden hair. She was so beautiful that her equal was not to be found on earth. It came to pass that she lay ill. She felt that she must soon die. She called the king and said, "If you wish to marry again after my death, take some one who is no less beautiful than I, and she must have golden hair as like to mine as if it came from my own head. This you must promise me."

After the king had promised her this she closed her eyes and died.

For a long time the king could not be comforted, and had no thought of taking another wife. At length his councillors said, "This cannot go on. The king must marry again, that we may have a queen."

Messengers were sent about far and wide, to seek a bride who equalled the late queen in beauty. In the whole world, however, none was to be found, and even if one had been found, still there would have been no one who had such golden hair. So the messengers came home as they went.

Now the king had a daughter, who was just as beautiful as her dead mother, and had the same golden hair. When she was grown up the king looked at her one day, and saw that in every respect she was like his late wife, and suddenly felt a violent love for her.

He spoke to his councillors. "I will marry my daughter, for she is the counterpart of my late wife, otherwise I can find no bride who resembles her."

When the councillors heard that, they were shocked, and said, "The gods forbid a father to marry his daughter. No good can come from such a crime, and the kingdom will be involved in the ruin."

The daughter was still more shocked when she became aware of her father's resolution, but hoped to turn him from his design.

She said to her father, "Before I fulfil your wish, I must have three dresses, one as golden as the sun, one as silvery as the moon, and one as bright as the stars. As well as these three gowns, I wish for a mantle of a thousand different kinds of fur and pelts joined together, and one of every kind of animal in your kingdom must give a piece of his skin for it. It's got to have all kinds of fur.

"For," she thought, "to get all that will be quite impossible, and thus I shall divert my father from his wicked intentions."

The king, however, did not give it up. The cleverest maidens in his kingdom were set to weave the three dresses: one as golden as the sun; one as silvery as the moon; and one as bright as the stars. The king's huntsmen had to catch one of every kind of animal in the whole of his kingdom, and take from it a piece of its skin, and out of these was made a mantle of a thousand different kinds of fur - all kinds of fur.

At length, when all was ready, the king caused the mantle to be spread it out before her, and said, "The wedding shall be tomorrow."

When, therefore, the king's daughter saw that there was no longer any hope of turning her father's heart, she resolved to run away.

In the night, while all slept, she got up, and took three different things from her treasures: a golden ring, a golden spinning wheel, and a golden reel. The three dresses of the sun, moon, and stars she placed into a nutshell. She put on her mantle of all kinds of fur, and blackened her face and hands with soot.

Then, commending herself to the gods, she set out. She walked the whole night until she reached a great forest. As she was tired, she squirreled herself away in a hollow tree, and fell asleep.

The sun rose, and on she slept. When it grew to the full day, she was still sleeping.

It so happened that a king, to whom this forest belonged, was hunting. When his hounds came to the hollow tree, they sniffed, and ran barking round about it.

The king said to the huntsmen, "Seek out what kind of wild beast has hidden itself in there."

The huntsmen obeyed his order, and when they came back they said, "A wondrous beast is lying in the hollow tree. We have never before seen one like it. Its skin is the fur of a thousand different kinds, but it is fast asleep."

"Catch it alive," commanded the king, "and then fasten it to the carriage, and we will take it with us."

When the huntsmen laid hold of the strange beast, the princess awoke full of terror, and cried to them, "I am All-Kinds-of-Fur - a poor child, deserted by father and mother, have pity on me, and take me with you."

Then they said, "All-Kinds-of-Fur, you will be useful in the kitchen. Come with us, and you can sweep up the ashes."

So they put All-Kinds-of-Fur in the carriage, and took her home to the royal palace. There they pointed out to her a closet under the stairs, where no daylight entered, and said, "All-Kinds-of-Fur, there you can live and sleep."

She was sent into the kitchen, and there she carried wood and water, swept the hearth, plucked the fowls, picked the vegetables, raked the ashes, and did all the dirty work.

All-Kinds-of-Fur lived there for a long time in great wretchedness.

It happened, however, that one day a feast was held in the palace, and All-Kinds-of-Fur said to the cook, "May I go upstairs for a while, and look on? I will place myself outside the door and make sure no-one sees me."

The cook answered, "Yes, go, but you must be back here in half-an-hour to sweep the hearth."

Then All-Kinds-of-Fur took her oil-lamp, went into her den, put off her dress of fur, and washed the soot off her face and hands, so that her full beauty once more came to light. She opened the nut, and took out her dress which shone like the sun, and when she had done that she went up to the festival, and every one made way for her, for no one knew her, and thought that she must be a king's daughter.

The king himself, hearing of her beauty, came to meet her. When he saw her and her wonderful, shining hair, he gave his hand to her. As they danced with her, the king thought in his heart, "My eyes have never seen any one so beautiful!"

When the dance was over the king's daughter curtsied, and when the king looked round again she had vanished, and none knew where.

The guards who stood outside the palace were called and questioned, but no one had seen her.

All-Kinds-of-Fur ran into her little den, took off her dress, made her face and hands black again, put on the mantle of pelts, and again was All-Kinds-of-Fur.

When she went into the kitchen, and was about to get to her work and sweep up the ashes, the cook said, "Leave that alone till morning, and make me the soup for the king. I, too, will go upstairs awhile, and take a look, but let no hairs fall in, or in future you shall have nothing to eat."

So the cook went away, and All-Kinds-of-Fur made the soup for the king. She made mushroom soup - the best she could, and when it was ready she fetched her golden ring from her little den, and put it in the bowl in which the soup was served.

When the dancing was over, the king had his soup brought. He ate it, and liked it so much, he believed he had never tasted better. When he came to the bottom of the bowl, he saw a golden ring lying there.

Picking it up, he murmured softly, 'Now, how did that get there?'

He ordered the cook to appear before him. The cook was terrified when he heard the order, and said to All-Kinds-of-Fur, "You have certainly let a hair fall into the soup! If you have, you shall be beaten for it."

When the cook came before the king, his highness asked, "Who made the soup?"

The cook replied, "I made it."

"What kind of soup did you make?"

The cook hesitated. "Carrot soup."

The king said, "No. You didn't make the soup. It was mushroom soup, for your information. I've never tasted soup like it."

The cook answered, "I admit I didn't make it. It was made by All-Kinds-of-Fur."

The king said, "Go, and fetch All-Kinds-of-Fur here."

When All-Kinds-of-Fur came, the king said:

"Who are you?"

"I am a poor girl who no longer has any father or mother."

The king asked further, "Of what use are you in my palace?"

She answered, "I am good for nothing but to have boots thrown at my head."

He continued, "Where did you get the ring which was in the soup?"

She answered, "I know nothing about the ring."

The king saw he would get no further, and sent her away again.

After a while, there was another festival, and then, as before, All-Kinds-of-Fur begged the cook: "May I go upstairs for a while, and look on? I will place myself outside the door."

The cook answered, "Yes, go, but you must be back here in half-an-hour, and make the king the soup that he so much likes."

Then All-Kinds-of-Fur ran into her den, washed herself quickly, and took out of the nut the dress that was as silvery as the moon, and put it on. Then she went up and was like a princess.

The king stepped forward to meet her, and rejoiced to see her once more. As the dance was just beginning they danced it together. But when it ended, she again disappeared so quickly that the king could not observe where she went.

She, however, sprang into her den, and once more made herself into All-Kinds-of-Fur, and went into the kitchen to prepare the soup. This time All-Kinds-of-Fur decided to make barley soup.

When the cook had gone upstairs, All-Kinds-of-Fur fetched the little golden spinning wheel, and put it in the bowl so that the soup covered it. Then it was taken to the king, who ate it, and liked it as much as before.

Once more the cook was brought.

The king said, "We've been through this before. Who made this wonderful soup?"

"I did, said the cook.

"What kind of soup was it?"

"Mushroom soup."

"For your information, it was barley soup. I thought the mushroom soup was wonderful, but this barley soup is just indescribably delicious. Now, tell me who made it!"

"All-Kinds-of-Fur made the soup."

All-Kinds-of-Fur again came before the king, and was questioned.

"Of what use are you in my palace?"

All-Kinds-of-Fur answered, "I am good for nothing but to have boots thrown at my head."

He continued, "Where did you get the golden spinning wheel which was in the wonderful barley soup?"

She answered, "I know nothing about the spinning wheel."

So once more the king learnt nothing, and sent her away.

Some time later, the king held another festival.

Once again, as before, All-Kinds-of-Fur begged the cook: "May I go upstairs for a while, and look on? I will place myself outside the door."

The cook answered, "Yes, go, but you must be back here in half-an-hour, and make the king the soup that he so much likes."

All-Kinds-of-Fur was very pleased and turned to skip out of the kitchen but the cook called her back. "All-Kinds-of-Fur, you are a witch. You always put something in the soup which makes it so good that the king likes it better than any soup I can cook."

All-Kinds-of-Fur's lip trembled. "Does this mean I can't go this time?"

The cook pulled his chin and pondered, then said, "Go up."

All-Kinds-of-Fur went to her secret lair. She put on the dress that shone like the stars, and thus attired entered the hall.

This time, however, the king was expecting her. He had given orders to his orchestra that the dance should last a very long time.

"More than ten minutes?" inquired the conductor.

"More than half an hour!" thundered the king. "The most beautiful woman I have ever met, and all I ever get is five minutes' dancing!"

Again the king danced with the beautiful maiden, and thought that she never yet had been so beautiful.

While she was dancing, the king contrived, without her noticing it, to slip a golden ring on her finger.

When the extra-long dance was ended, he wanted to hold her fast by her hands, but she tore herself loose, and sprang away so quickly through the crowd that she vanished from his sight.

She ran as fast as she could into her den beneath the stairs, but as she had been too long, and had stayed more than half-an-hour she could not take off her pretty dress. With time running out, All-Kinds-of-Fur threw over it her mantle of fur. In her haste she did not make herself quite black, and one finger remained white.

Then All-Kinds-of-Fur ran into the kitchen, and cooked soup for the king, and as the cook was away, put her golden reel into it. This time she made the soup from honey.

When the king found the reel at the bottom of the soup, he caused All-Kinds-of-Fur to be summoned.

When All-Kinds-of-Fur arrived, he espied the white finger, and saw the ring that he had put on it during the dance. Then he grasped her by the hand, and held her fast, and when she wanted to release herself and run away, her mantle of fur opened a little, and the star-dress shone forth.

The king clutched the mantle and tore it off. Then her golden hair shone forth, and she stood there in full splendour, and could no longer hide herself.

When she washed the soot and ashes from her face, she was more beautiful than was anyone who had ever been seen on earth.

The king said, "You are my dear bride, and we will never part."

Thereupon the marriage was confirmed, and they lived happily ever after.

Based on Allerleirauh