Kabanata Kabanata 21 · The Riddle

. The Riddle

There was once a King’s son who was seized with a desire to travel

about the world, and took no one with him but a faithful servant. One

day he came to a great forest, and when darkness overtook him he could

find no shelter, and knew not where to pass the night. Then he saw a

girl who was going towards a small house, and when he came nearer, he

saw that the maiden was young and beautiful. He spoke to her, and said,

“Dear child, can I and my servant find shelter for the night in the

little house?” “Oh, yes,” said the girl in a sad voice, “that you

certainly can, but I do not advise you to venture it. Do not go in.”

“Why not?” asked the King’s son. The maiden sighed and said, “My

step-mother practises wicked arts; she is ill-disposed toward

strangers.” Then he saw very well that he had come to the house of a

witch, but as it was dark, and he could not go farther, and also was

not afraid, he entered. The old woman was sitting in an armchair by the

fire, and looked at the stranger with her red eyes. “Good evening,”

growled she, and pretended to be quite friendly. “Take a seat and rest

yourselves.” She blew up the fire on which she was cooking something in

a small pot. The daughter warned the two to be prudent, to eat nothing,

and drink nothing, for the old woman brewed evil drinks. They slept

quietly until early morning. When they were making ready for their

departure, and the King’s son was already seated on his horse, the old

woman said, “Stop a moment, I will first hand you a parting draught.”

Whilst she fetched it, the King’s son rode away, and the servant who

had to buckle his saddle tight, was the only one present when the

wicked witch came with the drink. “Take that to your master,” said she.

But at that instant the glass broke and the poison spirted on the

horse, and it was so strong that the animal immediately fell down dead.

The servant ran after his master and told him what had happened, but

would not leave his saddle behind him, and ran back to fetch it. When,

however, he came to the dead horse a raven was already sitting on it

devouring it. “Who knows whether we shall find anything better to-day?”

said the servant; so he killed the raven, and took it with him. And now

they journeyed onwards into the forest the whole day, but could not get

out of it. By nightfall they found an inn and entered it. The servant

gave the raven to the innkeeper to make ready for supper. They had,

however, stumbled on a den of murderers, and during the darkness twelve

of these came, intending to kill the strangers and rob them. Before

they set about this work, they sat down to supper, and the innkeeper

and the witch sat down with them, and together they ate a dish of soup

in which was cut up the flesh of the raven. Hardly, however, had they

swallowed a couple of mouthfuls, before they all fell down dead, for

the raven had communicated to them the poison from the horse-flesh.

There was no no one else left in the house but the innkeeper’s

daughter, who was honest, and had taken no part in their godless deeds.

She opened all doors to the stranger and showed him the heaped-up

treasures. But the King’s son said she might keep everything, he would

have none of it, and rode onwards with his servant.

After they had traveled about for a long time, they came to a town in

which was a beautiful but proud princess, who had caused it to be

proclaimed that whosoever should set her a riddle which she could not

guess, that man should be her husband; but if she guessed it, his head

must be cut off. She had three days to guess it in, but was so clever

that she always found the answer to the riddle given her, before the

appointed time. Nine suitors had already perished in this manner, when

the King’s son arrived, and blinded by her great beauty, was willing to

stake his life for it. Then he went to her and laid his riddle before

her. “What is this?” said he, “One slew none, and yet slew twelve.” She

did not know what that was, she thought and thought, but she could not

find out, she opened her riddle-books, but it was not in them—in short,

her wisdom was at an end. As she did not know how to help herself, she

ordered her maid to creep into the lord’s sleeping-chamber, and listen

to his dreams, and thought that he would perhaps speak in his sleep and

discover the riddle. But the clever servant had placed himself in the

bed instead of his master, and when the maid came there, he tore off

from her the mantle in which she had wrapped herself, and chased her

out with rods. The second night the King’s daughter sent her

maid-in-waiting, who was to see if she could succeed better in

listening, but the servant took her mantle also away from her, and

hunted her out with rods. Now the master believed himself safe for the

third night, and lay down in his own bed. Then came the princess

herself, and she had put on a misty-grey mantle, and she seated herself

near him. And when she thought that he was asleep and dreaming, she

spoke to him, and hoped that he would answer in his sleep, as many do,

but he was awake, and understood and heard everything quite well. Then

she asked, “One slew none, what is that?” He replied, “A raven, which

ate of a dead and poisoned horse, and died of it.” She inquired

further, “And yet slew twelve, what is that?” He answered, “That means

twelve murderers, who ate the raven and died of it.”

When she knew the answer to the riddle she wanted to steal away, but he

held her mantle so fast that she was forced to leave it behind her.

Next morning, the King’s daughter announced that she had guessed the

riddle, and sent for the twelve judges and expounded it before them.

But the youth begged for a hearing, and said, “She stole into my room

in the night and questioned me, otherwise she could not have discovered

it.” The judges said, “Bring us a proof of this.” Then were the three

mantles brought thither by the servant, and when the judges saw the

misty-grey one which the King’s daughter usually wore, they said, “Let

the mantle be embroidered with gold and silver, and then it will be

your wedding-mantle.