Kabanata Kabanata 109 · The Three Army-Surgeons

. The Three Army-Surgeons

Three army-surgeons who thought they knew their art perfectly, were

travelling about the world, and they came to an inn where they wanted

to pass the night. The host asked whence they came, and whither they

were going? “We are roaming about the world and practising our art.”

“Just show me for once in a way what you can do,” said the host. Then

the first said he would cut off his hand, and put it on again early

next morning; the second said he would tear out his heart, and replace

it next morning; the third said he would cut out his eyes and heal them

again next morning. “If you can do that,” said the innkeeper, “you have

learnt everything.” They, however, had a salve, with which they rubbed

themselves, which joined parts together, and they carried the little

bottle in which it was, constantly with them. Then they cut the hand,

heart and eyes from their bodies as they had said they would, and laid

them all together on a plate, and gave it to the innkeeper. The

innkeeper gave it to a servant who was to set it in the cupboard, and

take good care of it. The girl, however, had a lover in secret, who was

a soldier. When therefore the innkeeper, the three army-surgeons, and

everyone else in the house were asleep, the soldier came and wanted

something to eat. The girl opened the cupboard and brought him some

food, and in her love forgot to shut the cupboard-door again; She

seated herself at the table by her lover, and they chattered away

together. While she sat so contentedly there, thinking of no ill luck,

the cat came creeping in, found the cupboard open, took the hand and

heart and eyes of the three army-surgeons, and ran off with them. When

the soldier had done eating, and the girl was taking away the things

and going to shut the cupboard she saw that the plate which the

innkeeper had given her to take care of, was empty. Then she said in a

fright to her lover, “Ah, miserable girl, what shall I do? The hand is

gone, the heart and the eyes are gone too, what will become of me in

the morning?” “Be easy,” said he, “I will help thee out of thy trouble

there is a thief hanging outside on the gallows, I will cut off his

hand. Which hand was it?” “The right one.” Then the girl gave him a

sharp knife, and he went and cut the poor sinner’s right hand off, and

brought it to her. After this he caught the cat and cut its eyes out,

and now nothing but the heart was wanting. “Have you not been killing,

and are not the dead pigs in the cellar?” said he. “Yes,” said the

girl. “That’s well,” said the soldier, and he went down and fetched a

pig’s heart. The girl placed all together on the plate, and put it in

the cupboard, and when after this her lover took leave of her, she went

quietly to bed.

In the morning when the three army-surgeons got up, they told the girl

she was to bring them the plate on which the hand, heart, and eyes were

lying. Then she brought it out of the cupboard, and the first fixed the

thief’s hand on and smeared it with his salve, and it grew to his arm

directly. The second took the cat’s eyes and put them in his own head.

The third fixed the pig’s heart firm in the place where his own had

been, and the innkeeper stood by, admired their skill, and said he had

never yet seen such a thing as that done, and would sing their praises

and recommend them to everyone. Then they paid their bill, and

travelled farther.

As they were on their way, the one with the pig’s heart did not stay

with them at all, but wherever there was a corner he ran to it, and

rooted about in it with his nose as pigs do. The others wanted to hold

him back by the tail of his coat, but that did no good; he tore himself

loose, and ran wherever the dirt was thickest. The second also behaved

very strangely; he rubbed his eyes, and said to the others, “Comrades,

what is the matter? I don’t see at all. Will one of you lead me, so

that I do not fall.” Then with difficulty they travelled on till

evening, when they reached another inn. They went into the bar

together, and there at a table in the corner sat a rich man counting

money. The one with the thief’s hand walked round about him, made a

sudden movement twice with his arm, and at last when the stranger

turned away, he snatched at the pile of money, and took a handful from

it. One of them saw this, and said, “Comrade, what art thou about? Thou

must not steal shame on thee!” “Eh,” said he, “but how can I stop

myself? My hand twitches, and I am forced to snatch things whether I

will or not.”

After this, they lay down to sleep, and while they were lying there it

was so dark that no one could see his own hand. All at once the one

with the cat’s eyes awoke, aroused the others, and said. “Brothers,

just look up, do you see the white mice running about there?” The two

sat up, but could see nothing. Then said he, “Things are not right with

us, we have not got back again what is ours. We must return to the

innkeeper, he has deceived us.” They went back therefore, the next

morning, and told the host they had not got what was their own again;

that the first had a thief’s hand, the second cat’s eyes, and the third

a pig’s heart. The innkeeper said that the girl must be to blame for

that, and was going to call her, but when she had seen the three

coming, she had run out by the backdoor, and not come back. Then the

three said he must give them a great deal of money, or they would set

his house on fire. He gave them what he had, and whatever he could get

together, and the three went away with it. It was enough for the rest

of their lives, but they would rather have had their own proper organs.