Kabanata Kabanata 2 · THE SIX SWANS

. THE SIX SWANS

A king was once hunting in a great wood, and he hunted the game so

eagerly that none of his courtiers could follow him. When evening came

on he stood still and looked round him, and he saw that he had quite

lost himself. He sought a way out, but could find none. Then he saw an

old woman with a shaking head coming towards him; but she was a witch.

‘Good woman,’ he said to her, ‘can you not show me the way out of the

wood?’

‘Oh, certainly, Sir King,’ she replied, ‘I can quite well do that, but

on one condition, which if you do not fulfil you will never get out of

the wood, and will die of hunger.’

‘What is the condition?’ asked the King.

‘I have a daughter,’ said the old woman, ‘who is so beautiful that she

has not her equal in the world, and is well fitted to be your wife; if

you will make her lady-queen I will show you the way out of the wood.’

The King in his anguish of mind consented, and the old woman led him

to her little house where her daughter was sitting by the fire. She

received the King as if she were expecting him, and he saw that she was

certainly very beautiful; but she did not please him, and he could not

look at her without a secret feeling of horror. As soon as he had lifted

the maiden on to his horse the old woman showed him the way, and the

King reached his palace, where the wedding was celebrated.

The King had already been married once, and had by his first wife seven

children, six boys and one girl, whom he loved more than anything in the

world. And now, because he was afraid that their stepmother might not

treat them well and might do them harm, he put them in a lonely castle

that stood in the middle of a wood. It lay so hidden, and the way to it

was so hard to find, that he himself could not have found it out had

not a wise-woman given him a reel of thread which possessed a marvellous

property: when he threw it before him it unwound itself and showed him

the way. But the King went so often to his dear children that the Queen

was offended at his absence. She grew curious, and wanted to know what

he had to do quite alone in the wood. She gave his servants a great deal

of money, and they betrayed the secret to her, and also told her of the

reel which alone could point out the way. She had no rest now till she

had found out where the King guarded the reel, and then she made some

little white shirts, and, as she had learnt from her witch-mother, sewed

an enchantment in each of them.

And when the King had ridden off she took the little shirts and went

into the wood, and the reel showed her the way. The children, who saw

someone coming in the distance, thought it was their dear father coming

to them, and sprang to meet him very joyfully. Then she threw over each

one a little shirt, which when it had touched their bodies changed them

into swans, and they flew away over the forest. The Queen went home

quite satisfied, and thought she had got rid of her step-children; but

the girl had not run to meet her with her brothers, and she knew nothing

of her.

The next day the King came to visit his children, but he found no one

but the girl.

‘Where are your brothers?’ asked the King.

‘Alas! dear father,’ she answered, ‘they have gone away and left me all

alone.’ And she told him that looking out of her little window she had

seen her brothers flying over the wood in the shape of swans, and she

showed him the feathers which they had let fall in the yard, and which

she had collected. The King mourned, but he did not think that the Queen

had done the wicked deed, and as he was afraid the maiden would also be

taken from him, he wanted to take her with him. But she was afraid of

the stepmother, and begged the King to let her stay just one night

more in the castle in the wood. The poor maiden thought, ‘My home is no

longer here; I will go and seek my brothers.’ And when night came she

fled away into the forest. She ran all through the night and the next

day, till she could go no farther for weariness. Then she saw a little

hut, went in, and found a room with six little beds. She was afraid to

lie down on one, so she crept under one of them, lay on the hard floor,

and was going to spend the night there. But when the sun had set she

heard a noise, and saw six swans flying in at the window. They stood on

the floor and blew at one another, and blew all their feathers off, and

their swan-skin came off like a shirt. Then the maiden recognised her

brothers, and overjoyed she crept out from under the bed. Her brothers

were not less delighted than she to see their little sister again, but

their joy did not last long.

‘You cannot stay here,’ they said to her. ‘This is a den of robbers; if

they were to come here and find you they would kill you.’

‘Could you not protect me?’ asked the little sister.

‘No,’ they answered, ‘for we can only lay aside our swan skins for a

quarter of an hour every evening. For this time we regain our human

forms, but then we are changed into swans again.’

Then the little sister cried and said, ‘Can you not be freed?’

‘Oh, no,’ they said, ‘the conditions are too hard. You must not speak or

laugh for six years, and must make in that time six shirts for us out of

star-flowers. If a single word comes out of your mouth, all your labour

is vain.’ And when the brothers had said this the quarter of an hour

came to an end, and they flew away out of the window as swans.

But the maiden had determined to free her brothers even if it should

cost her her life. She left the hut, went into the forest, climbed

a tree, and spent the night there. The next morning she went out,

collected star-flowers, and began to sew. She could speak to no one, and

she had no wish to laugh, so she sat there, looking only at her work.

When she had lived there some time, it happened that the King of the

country was hunting in the forest, and his hunters came to the tree on

which the maiden sat. They called to her and said ‘Who are you?’

But she gave no answer.

‘Come down to us,’ they said, ‘we will do you no harm.’

But she shook her head silently. As they pressed her further with

questions, she threw them the golden chain from her neck. But they did

not leave off, and she threw them her girdle, and when this was no use,

her garters, and then her dress. The huntsmen would not leave her alone,

but climbed the tree, lifted the maiden down, and led her to the King.

The King asked, ‘Who are you? What are you doing up that tree?’

But she answered nothing.

He asked her in all the languages he knew, but she remained as dumb as

a fish. Because she was so beautiful, however, the King’s heart was

touched, and he was seized with a great love for her. He wrapped her up

in his cloak, placed her before him on his horse, and brought her to his

castle. There he had her dressed in rich clothes, and her beauty shone

out as bright as day, but not a word could be drawn from her. He set her

at table by his side, and her modest ways and behaviour pleased him

so much that he said, ‘I will marry this maiden and none other in the

world,’ and after some days he married her. But the King had a wicked

mother who was displeased with the marriage, and said wicked things of

the young Queen. ‘Who knows who this girl is?’ she said; ‘she cannot

speak, and is not worthy of a king.’

After a year, when the Queen had her first child, the old mother took

it away from her. Then she went to the King and said that the Queen had

killed it. The King would not believe it, and would not allow any harm

to be done her. But she sat quietly sewing at the shirts and troubling

herself about nothing. The next time she had a child the wicked mother

did the same thing, but the King could not make up his mind to believe

her. He said, ‘She is too sweet and good to do such a thing as that.

If she were not dumb and could defend herself, her innocence would be

proved.’ But when the third child was taken away, and the Queen was

again accused, and could not utter a word in her own defence, the King

was obliged to give her over to the law, which decreed that she must

be burnt to death. When the day came on which the sentence was to be

executed, it was the last day of the six years in which she must not

speak or laugh, and now she had freed her dear brothers from the power

of the enchantment. The six shirts were done; there was only the left

sleeve wanting to the last.

When she was led to the stake, she laid the shirts on her arm, and as

she stood on the pile and the fire was about to be lighted, she looked

around her and saw six swans flying through the air. Then she knew

that her release was at hand and her heart danced for joy. The swans

fluttered round her, and hovered low so that she could throw the shirts

over them. When they had touched them the swan-skins fell off, and her

brothers stood before her living, well and beautiful. Only the youngest

had a swan’s wing instead of his left arm. They embraced and kissed

each other, and the Queen went to the King, who was standing by in great

astonishment, and began to speak to him, saying, ‘Dearest husband, now

I can speak and tell you openly that I am innocent and have been falsely

accused.’

She told him of the old woman’s deceit, and how she had taken the three

children away and hidden them. Then they were fetched, to the great joy

of the King, and the wicked mother came to no good end.

But the King and the Queen with their six brothers lived many years in

happiness and peace.

THE DRAGON OF THE NORTH(2)

(2) ‘Der Norlands Drache,’ from Esthnische Mahrchen. Kreutzwald.

Very long ago, as old people have told me, there lived a terrible

monster, who came out of the North, and laid waste whole tracts

of country, devouring both men and beasts; and this monster was so

destructive that it was feared that unless help came no living creature

would be left on the face of the earth. It had a body like an ox, and

legs like a frog, two short fore-legs, and two long ones behind, and

besides that it had a tail like a serpent, ten fathoms in length. When

it moved it jumped like a frog, and with every spring it covered half a

mile of ground. Fortunately its habit, was to remain for several years

in the same place, and not to move on till the whole neighbourhood was

eaten up. Nothing could hunt it, because its whole body was covered with

scales, which were harder than stone or metal; its two great eyes shone

by night, and even by day, like the brightest lamps, and anyone who had

the ill luck to look into those eyes became as it were bewitched, and

was obliged to rush of his own accord into the monster’s jaws. In this

way the Dragon was able to feed upon both men and beasts without the

least trouble to itself, as it needed not to move from the spot where it

was lying. All the neighbouring kings had offered rich rewards to

anyone who should be able to destroy the monster, either by force

or enchantment, and many had tried their luck, but all had miserably

failed. Once a great forest in which the Dragon lay had been set on

fire; the forest was burnt down, but the fire did not do the monster the

least harm. However, there was a tradition amongst the wise men of the

country that the Dragon might be overcome by one who possessed King

Solomon’s signet-ring, upon which a secret writing was engraved. This

inscription would enable anyone who was wise enough to interpret it to

find out how the Dragon could be destroyed. Only no one knew where the

ring was hidden, nor was there any sorcerer or learned man to be found

who would be able to explain the inscription.

At last a young man, with a good heart and plenty of courage, set out to

search for the ring. He took his way towards the sunrising, because he

knew that all the wisdom of old time comes from the East. After some

years he met with a famous Eastern magician, and asked for his advice in

the matter. The magician answered:

‘Mortal men have but little wisdom, and can give you no help, but the

birds of the air would be better guides to you if you could learn their

language. I can help you to understand it if you will stay with me a few

days.’

The youth thankfully accepted the magician’s offer, and said, ‘I cannot

now offer you any reward for your kindness, but should my undertaking

succeed your trouble shall be richly repaid.’

Then the magician brewed a powerful potion out of nine sorts of herbs

which he had gathered himself all alone by moonlight, and he gave the

youth nine spoonfuls of it daily for three days, which made him able to

understand the language of birds.

At parting the magician said to him. ‘If you ever find Solomon’s ring

and get possession of it, then come back to me, that I may explain the

inscription on the ring to you, for there is no one else in the world

who can do this.’

From that time the youth never felt lonely as he walked along; he always

had company, because he understood the language of birds; and in this

way he learned many things which mere human knowledge could never have

taught him. But time went on, and he heard nothing about the ring. It

happened one evening, when he was hot and tired with walking, and had

sat down under a tree in a forest to eat his supper, that he saw two

gaily-plumaged birds, that were strange to him, sitting at the top of

the tree talking to one another about him. The first bird said:

‘I know that wandering fool under the tree there, who has come so far

without finding what he seeks. He is trying to find King Solomon’s lost

ring.’

The other bird answered, ‘He will have to seek help from the

Witch-maiden,(3) who will doubtless be able to put him on the right

track. If she has not got the ring herself, she knows well enough who

has it.’

(3) Hollenmadchen.

‘But where is he to find the Witch-maiden?’ said the first bird. ‘She

has no settled dwelling, but is here to-day and gone to-morrow. He might

as well try to catch the wind.’

The other replied, ‘I do not know, certainly, where she is at present,

but in three nights from now she will come to the spring to wash her

face, as she does every month when the moon is full, in order that

she may never grow old nor wrinkled, but may always keep the bloom of

youth.’

‘Well,’ said the first bird, ‘the spring is not far from here. Shall we

go and see how it is she does it?’

‘Willingly, if you like,’ said the other.

The youth immediately resolved to follow the birds to the spring, only

two things made him uneasy: first, lest he might be asleep when the

birds went, and secondly, lest he might lose sight of them, since he had

not wings to carry him along so swiftly. He was too tired to keep awake

all night, yet his anxiety prevented him from sleeping soundly, and when

with the earliest dawn he looked up to the tree-top, he was glad to

see his feathered companions still asleep with their heads under their

wings. He ate his breakfast, and waited until the birds should start,

but they did not leave the place all day. They hopped about from one

tree to another looking for food, all day long until the evening, when

they went back to their old perch to sleep. The next day the same thing

happened, but on the third morning one bird said to the other, ‘To-day

we must go to the spring to see the Witch-maiden wash her face.’ They

remained on the tree till noon; then they flew away and went towards the

south. The young man’s heart beat with anxiety lest he should lose sight

of his guides, but he managed to keep the birds in view until they again

perched upon a tree. The young man ran after them until he was quite

exhausted and out of breath, and after three short rests the birds at

length reached a small open space in the forest, on the edge of which

they placed themselves on the top of a high tree. When the youth had

overtaken them, he saw that there was a clear spring in the middle of

the space. He sat down at the foot of the tree upon which the birds

were perched, and listened attentively to what they were saying to each

other.

‘The sun is not down yet,’ said the first bird; ‘we must wait yet awhile

till the moon rises and the maiden comes to the spring. Do you think she

will see that young man sitting under the tree?’

‘Nothing is likely to escape her eyes, certainly not a young man, said

the other bird. ‘Will the youth have the sense not to let himself be

caught in her toils?’

‘We will wait,’ said the first bird, ‘and see how they get on together.’

The evening light had quite faded, and the full moon was already shining

down upon the forest, when the young man heard a slight rustling sound.

After a few moments there came out of the forest a maiden, gliding over

the grass so lightly that her feet seemed scarcely to touch the ground,

and stood beside the spring. The youth could not turn away his eyes

from the maiden, for he had never in his life seen a woman so beautiful.

Without seeming to notice anything, she went to the spring, looked up

to the full moon, then knelt down and bathed her face nine times, then

looked up to the moon again and walked nine times round the well, and as

she walked she sang this song:

‘Full-faced moon with light unshaded,

Let my beauty ne’er be faded.

Never let my cheek grow pale!

While the moon is waning nightly,

May the maiden bloom more brightly,

May her freshness never fail!’

Then she dried her face with her long hair, and was about to go away,

when her eye suddenly fell upon the spot where the young man was

sitting, and she turned towards the tree. The youth rose and stood

waiting. Then the maiden said, ‘You ought to have a heavy punishment

because you have presumed to watch my secret doings in the moonlight.

But I will forgive you this time, because you are a stranger and knew no

better. But you must tell me truly who you are and how you came to this

place, where no mortal has ever set foot before.’

The youth answered humbly: ‘Forgive me, beautiful maiden, if I have

unintentionally offended you. I chanced to come here after long

wandering, and found a good place to sleep under this tree. At your

coming I did not know what to do, but stayed where I was, because I

thought my silent watching could not offend you.’

The maiden answered kindly, ‘Come and spend this night with us. You will

sleep better on a pillow than on damp moss.’

The youth hesitated for a little, but presently he heard the birds

saying from the top of the tree, ‘Go where she calls you, but take care

to give no blood, or you will sell your soul.’ So the youth went with

her, and soon they reached a beautiful garden, where stood a splendid

house, which glittered in the moonlight as if it was all built out of

gold and silver. When the youth entered he found many splendid chambers,

each one finer than the last. Hundreds of tapers burnt upon golden

candlesticks, and shed a light like the brightest day. At length they

reached a chamber where a table was spread with the most costly dishes.

At the table were placed two chairs, one of silver, the other of gold.

The maiden seated herself upon the golden chair, and offered the silver

one to her companion. They were served by maidens dressed in white,

whose feet made no sound as they moved about, and not a word was spoken

during the meal. Afterwards the youth and the Witch-maiden conversed

pleasantly together, until a woman, dressed in red, came in to remind

them that it was bedtime. The youth was now shown into another room,

containing a silken bed with down cushions, where he slept delightfully,

yet he seemed to hear a voice near his bed which repeated to him,

‘Remember to give no blood!’

The next morning the maiden asked him whether he would not like to

stay with her always in this beautiful place, and as he did not answer

immediately, she continued: ‘You see how I always remain young and

beautiful, and I am under no one’s orders, but can do just what I like,

so that I have never thought of marrying before. But from the moment I

saw you I took a fancy to you, so if you agree, we might be married and

might live together like princes, because I have great riches.’

The youth could not but be tempted with the beautiful maiden’s offer,

but he remembered how the birds had called her the witch, and their

warning always sounded in his ears. Therefore he answered cautiously,

‘Do not be angry, dear maiden, if I do not decide immediately on this

important matter. Give me a few days to consider before we come to an

understanding.’

‘Why not?’ answered the maiden. ‘Take some weeks to consider if you

like, and take counsel with your own heart.’ And to make the time

pass pleasantly, she took the youth over every part of her beautiful

dwelling, and showed him all her splendid treasures. But these treasures

were all produced by enchantment, for the maiden could make anything she

wished appear by the help of King Solomon’s signet ring; only none of

these things remained fixed; they passed away like the wind without

leaving a trace behind. But the youth did not know this; he thought they

were all real.

One day the maiden took him into a secret chamber, where a little gold

box was standing on a silver table. Pointing to the box, she said, ‘Here

is my greatest treasure, whose like is not to be found in the whole

world. It is a precious gold ring. When you marry me, I will give you

this ring as a marriage gift, and it will make you the happiest of

mortal men. But in order that our love may last for ever, you must give

me for the ring three drops of blood from the little finger of your left

hand.’

When the youth heard these words a cold shudder ran over him, for he

remembered that his soul was at stake. He was cunning enough, however,

to conceal his feelings and to make no direct answer, but he only asked

the maiden, as if carelessly, what was remarkable about the ring?

She answered, ‘No mortal is able entirely to understand the power

of this ring, because no one thoroughly understands the secret signs

engraved upon it. But even with my half-knowledge I can work great

wonders. If I put the ring upon the little finger of my left hand, then

I can fly like a bird through the air wherever I wish to go. If I put

it on the third finger of my left hand I am invisible, and I can see

everything that passes around me, though no one can see me. If I put the

ring upon the middle finger of my left hand, then neither fire nor water

nor any sharp weapon can hurt me. If I put it on the forefinger of my

left hand, then I can with its help produce whatever I wish. I can in a

single moment build houses or anything I desire. Finally, as long as I

wear the ring on the thumb of my left hand, that hand is so strong that

it can break down rocks and walls. Besides these, the ring has other

secret signs which, as I said, no one can understand. No doubt it

contains secrets of great importance. The ring formerly belonged to King

Solomon, the wisest of kings, during whose reign the wisest men lived.

But it is not known whether this ring was ever made by mortal hands: it

is supposed that an angel gave it to the wise King.’

When the youth heard all this he determined to try and get possession of

the ring, though he did not quite believe in all its wonderful gifts.

He wished the maiden would let him have it in his hand, but he did not

quite like to ask her to do so, and after a while she put it back into

the box. A few days after they were again speaking of the magic ring,

and the youth said, ‘I do not think it possible that the ring can have

all the power you say it has.’

Then the maiden opened the box and took the ring out, and it glittered

as she held it like the clearest sunbeam. She put it on the middle

finger of her left hand, and told the youth to take a knife and try as

hard as he could to cut her with it, for he would not be able to hurt

her. He was unwilling at first, but the maiden insisted. Then he tried,

at first only in play, and then seriously, to strike her with the knife,

but an invisible wall of iron seemed to be between them, and the maiden

stood before him laughing and unhurt. Then she put the ring on her third

finger, and in an instant she had vanished from his eyes. Presently she

was beside him again laughing, and holding the ring between her fingers.

‘Do let me try,’ said the youth, ‘whether I can do these wonderful

things.’

The maiden, suspecting no treachery, gave him the magic ring.

The youth pretended to have forgotten what to do, and asked what finger

he must put the ring on so that no sharp weapon could hurt him?’

‘Oh, the middle finger of your left hand,’ the maiden answered,

laughing.

She took the knife and tried to strike the youth, and he even tried to

cut himself with it, but found it impossible. Then he asked the maiden

to show him how to split stones and rocks with the help of the ring. So

she led him into a courtyard where stood a great boulder-stone. ‘Now,’

she said, ‘put the ring upon the thumb of your left hand, and you will

see how strong that hand has become. The youth did so, and found to his

astonishment that with a single blow of his fist the stone flew into a

thousand pieces. Then the youth bethought him that he who does not use

his luck when he has it is a fool, and that this was a chance which once

lost might never return. So while they stood laughing at the shattered

stone he placed the ring, as if in play, upon the third finger of his

left hand.

‘Now,’ said the maiden, ‘you are invisible to me until you take the ring

off again.’

But the youth had no mind to do that; on the contrary, he went farther

off, then put the ring on the little finger of his left hand, and soared

into the air like a bird.

When the maiden saw him flying away she thought at first that he was

still in play, and cried, ‘Come back, friend, for now you see I have

told you the truth.’ But the young man never came back.

Then the maiden saw she was deceived, and bitterly repented that she had

ever trusted him with the ring.

The young man never halted in his flight until he reached the dwelling

of the wise magician who had taught him the speech of birds. The

magician was delighted to find that his search had been successful,

and at once set to work to interpret the secret signs engraved upon the

ring, but it took him seven weeks to make them out clearly. Then he gave

the youth the following instructions how to overcome the Dragon of the

North: ‘You must have an iron horse cast, which must have little wheels

under each foot. You must also be armed with a spear two fathoms long,

which you will be able to wield by means of the magic ring upon your

left thumb. The spear must be as thick in the middle as a large tree,

and both its ends must be sharp. In the middle of the spear you must

have two strong chains ten fathoms in length. As soon as the Dragon has

made himself fast to the spear, which you must thrust through his jaws,

you must spring quickly from the iron horse and fasten the ends of the

chains firmly to the ground with iron stakes, so that he cannot get away

from them. After two or three days the monster’s strength will be so

far exhausted that you will be able to come near him. Then you can put

Solomon’s ring upon your left thumb and give him the finishing stroke,

but keep the ring on your third finger until you have come close to him,

so that the monster cannot see you, else he might strike you dead with

his long tail. But when all is done, take care you do not lose the ring,

and that no one takes it from you by cunning.’

The young man thanked the magician for his directions, and promised,

should they succeed, to reward him. But the magician answered, ‘I have

profited so much by the wisdom the ring has taught me that I desire no

other reward.’ Then they parted, and the youth quickly flew home through

the air. After remaining in his own home for some weeks, he heard people

say that the terrible Dragon of the North was not far off, and might

shortly be expected in the country. The King announced publicly that

he would give his daughter in marriage, as well as a large part of his

kingdom, to whosoever should free the country from the monster. The

youth then went to the King and told him that he had good hopes of

subduing the Dragon, if the King would grant him all he desired for the

purpose. The King willingly agreed, and the iron horse, the great spear,

and the chains were all prepared as the youth requested. When all was

ready, it was found that the iron horse was so heavy that a hundred men

could not move it from the spot, so the youth found there was nothing

for it but to move it with his own strength by means of the magic ring.

The Dragon was now so near that in a couple of springs he would be over

the frontier. The youth now began to consider how he should act, for if

he had to push the iron horse from behind he could not ride upon it as

the sorcerer had said he must. But a raven unexpectedly gave him this

advice: ‘Ride upon the horse, and push the spear against the ground,

as if you were pushing off a boat from the land.’ The youth did so, and

found that in this way he could easily move forwards. The Dragon had his

monstrous jaws wide open, all ready for his expected prey. A few paces

nearer, and man and horse would have been swallowed up by them! The

youth trembled with horror, and his blood ran cold, yet he did not lose

his courage; but, holding the iron spear upright in his hand, he brought

it down with all his might right through the monster’s lower jaw. Then

quick as lightning he sprang from his horse before the Dragon had time

to shut his mouth. A fearful clap like thunder, which could be heard for

miles around, now warned him that the Dragon’s jaws had closed upon

the spear. When the youth turned round he saw the point of the spear

sticking up high above the Dragon’s upper jaw, and knew that the other

end must be fastened firmly to the ground; but the Dragon had got his

teeth fixed in the iron horse, which was now useless. The youth now

hastened to fasten down the chains to the ground by means of the

enormous iron pegs which he had provided. The death struggle of the

monster lasted three days and three nights; in his writhing he beat his

tail so violently against the ground, that at ten miles’ distance the

earth trembled as if with an earthquake. When he at length lost power to

move his tail, the youth with the help of the ring took up a stone which

twenty ordinary men could not have moved, and beat the Dragon so hard

about the head with it that very soon the monster lay lifeless before

him.

You can fancy how great was the rejoicing when the news was spread

abroad that the terrible monster was dead. His conqueror was received

into the city with as much pomp as if he had been the mightiest of

kings. The old King did not need to urge his daughter to marry the

slayer of the Dragon; he found her already willing to bestow her hand

upon this hero, who had done all alone what whole armies had tried in

vain to do. In a few days a magnificent wedding was celebrated, at which

the rejoicings lasted four whole weeks, for all the neighbouring kings

had met together to thank the man who had freed the world from their

common enemy. But everyone forgot amid the general joy that they ought

to have buried the Dragon’s monstrous body, for it began now to have

such a bad smell that no one could live in the neighbourhood, and

before long the whole air was poisoned, and a pestilence broke out

which destroyed many hundreds of people. In this distress, the King’s

son-in-law resolved to seek help once more from the Eastern magician, to

whom he at once travelled through the air like a bird by the help of

the ring. But there is a proverb which says that ill-gotten gains never

prosper, and the Prince found that the stolen ring brought him ill-luck

after all. The Witch-maiden had never rested night nor day until she had

found out where the ring was. As soon as she had discovered by means of

magical arts that the Prince in the form of a bird was on his way to the

Eastern magician, she changed herself into an eagle and watched in the

air until the bird she was waiting for came in sight, for she knew him

at once by the ring which was hung round his neck by a ribbon. Then the

eagle pounced upon the bird, and the moment she seized him in her talons

she tore the ring from his neck before the man in bird’s shape had time

to prevent her. Then the eagle flew down to the earth with her prey, and

the two stood face to face once more in human form.

‘Now, villain, you are in my power!’ cried the Witch-maiden. ‘I favoured

you with my love, and you repaid me with treachery and theft. You stole

my most precious jewel from me, and do you expect to live happily as the

King’s son-in-law? Now the tables are turned; you are in my power, and I

will be revenged on you for your crimes.’

‘Forgive me! forgive me!’ cried the Prince; ‘I know too well how deeply

I have wronged you, and most heartily do I repent it.’

The maiden answered, ‘Your prayers and your repentance come too late,

and if I were to spare you everyone would think me a fool. You have

doubly wronged me; first you scorned my love, and then you stole my

ring, and you must bear the punishment.’

With these words she put the ring upon her left thumb, lifted the young

man with one hand, and walked away with him under her arm. This time

she did not take him to a splendid palace, but to a deep cave in a rock,

where there were chains hanging from the wall. The maiden now chained

the young man’s hands and feet so that he could not escape; then she

said in an angry voice, ‘Here you shall remain chained up until you die.

I will bring you every day enough food to prevent you dying of hunger,

but you need never hope for freedom any more.’ With these words she left

him.

The old King and his daughter waited anxiously for many weeks for the

Prince’s return, but no news of him arrived. The King’s daughter often

dreamed that her husband was going through some great suffering: she

therefore begged her father to summon all the enchanters and magicians,

that they might try to find out where the Prince was and how he could

be set free. But the magicians, with all their arts, could find out

nothing, except that he was still living and undergoing great suffering;

but none could tell where he was to be found. At last a celebrated

magician from Finland was brought before the King, who had found out

that the King’s son-in-law was imprisoned in the East, not by men, but

by some more powerful being. The King now sent messengers to the East to

look for his son-in-law, and they by good luck met with the old magician

who had interpreted the signs on King Solomon’s ring, and thus was

possessed of more wisdom than anyone else in the world. The magician

soon found out what he wished to know, and pointed out the place where

the Prince was imprisoned, but said: ‘He is kept there by enchantment,

and cannot be set free without my help. I will therefore go with you

myself.’

So they all set out, guided by birds, and after some days came to the

cave where the unfortunate Prince had been chained up for nearly seven

years. He recognised the magician immediately, but the old man did not

know him, he had grown so thin. However, he undid the chains by the

help of magic, and took care of the Prince until he recovered and became

strong enough to travel. When he reached home he found that the old King

had died that morning, so that he was now raised to the throne. And now

after his long suffering came prosperity, which lasted to the end of his

life; but he never got back the magic ring, nor has it ever again been

seen by mortal eyes.

Now, if YOU had been the Prince, would you not rather have stayed with

the pretty witch-maiden?

STORY OF THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES(4)

(4) Andersen.

Many years ago there lived an Emperor who was so fond of new clothes

that he spent all his money on them in order to be beautifully dressed.

He did not care about his soldiers, he did not care about the theatre;

he only liked to go out walking to show off his new clothes. He had a

coat for every hour of the day; and just as they say of a king, ‘He is

in the council-chamber,’ they always said here, ‘The Emperor is in the

wardrobe.’

In the great city in which he lived there was always something going on;

every day many strangers came there. One day two impostors arrived

who gave themselves out as weavers, and said that they knew how to

manufacture the most beautiful cloth imaginable. Not only were the

texture and pattern uncommonly beautiful, but the clothes which were

made of the stuff possessed this wonderful property that they were

invisible to anyone who was not fit for his office, or who was

unpardonably stupid.

‘Those must indeed be splendid clothes,’ thought the Emperor. ‘If I

had them on I could find out which men in my kingdom are unfit for the

offices they hold; I could distinguish the wise from the stupid! Yes,

this cloth must be woven for me at once.’ And he gave both the impostors

much money, so that they might begin their work.

They placed two weaving-looms, and began to do as if they were working,

but they had not the least thing on the looms. They also demanded the

finest silk and the best gold, which they put in their pockets, and

worked at the empty looms till late into the night.

‘I should like very much to know how far they have got on with the

cloth,’ thought the Emperor. But he remembered when he thought about it

that whoever was stupid or not fit for his office would not be able

to see it. Now he certainly believed that he had nothing to fear for

himself, but he wanted first to send somebody else in order to see how

he stood with regard to his office. Everybody in the whole town knew

what a wonderful power the cloth had, and they were all curious to see

how bad or how stupid their neighbour was.

‘I will send my old and honoured minister to the weavers,’ thought

the Emperor. ‘He can judge best what the cloth is like, for he has

intellect, and no one understands his office better than he.’

Now the good old minister went into the hall where the two impostors sat

working at the empty weaving-looms. ‘Dear me!’ thought the old minister,

opening his eyes wide, ‘I can see nothing!’ But he did not say so.

Both the impostors begged him to be so kind as to step closer, and asked

him if it were not a beautiful texture and lovely colours. They pointed

to the empty loom, and the poor old minister went forward rubbing his

eyes; but he could see nothing, for there was nothing there.

‘Dear, dear!’ thought he, ‘can I be stupid? I have never thought that,

and nobody must know it! Can I be not fit for my office? No, I must

certainly not say that I cannot see the cloth!’

‘Have you nothing to say about it?’ asked one of the men who was

weaving.

‘Oh, it is lovely, most lovely!’ answered the old minister, looking

through his spectacles. ‘What a texture! What colours! Yes, I will tell

the Emperor that it pleases me very much.’

‘Now we are delighted at that,’ said both the weavers, and thereupon

they named the colours and explained the make of the texture.

The old minister paid great attention, so that he could tell the same to

the Emperor when he came back to him, which he did.

The impostors now wanted more money, more silk, and more gold to use in

their weaving. They put it all in their own pockets, and there came no

threads on the loom, but they went on as they had done before, working

at the empty loom. The Emperor soon sent another worthy statesman to

see how the weaving was getting on, and whether the cloth would soon

be finished. It was the same with him as the first one; he looked and

looked, but because there was nothing on the empty loom he could see

nothing.

‘Is it not a beautiful piece of cloth?’ asked the two impostors, and

they pointed to and described the splendid material which was not there.

‘Stupid I am not!’ thought the man, ‘so it must be my good office for

which I am not fitted. It is strange, certainly, but no one must be

allowed to notice it.’ And so he praised the cloth which he did not

see, and expressed to them his delight at the beautiful colours and the

splendid texture. ‘Yes, it is quite beautiful,’ he said to the Emperor.

Everybody in the town was talking of the magnificent cloth.

Now the Emperor wanted to see it himself while it was still on the

loom. With a great crowd of select followers, amongst whom were both

the worthy statesmen who had already been there before, he went to

the cunning impostors, who were now weaving with all their might, but

without fibre or thread.

‘Is it not splendid!’ said both the old statesmen who had already been

there. ‘See, your Majesty, what a texture! What colours!’ And then they

pointed to the empty loom, for they believed that the others could see

the cloth quite well.

‘What!’ thought the Emperor, ‘I can see nothing! This is indeed

horrible! Am I stupid? Am I not fit to be Emperor? That were the most

dreadful thing that could happen to me. Oh, it is very beautiful,’ he

said. ‘It has my gracious approval.’ And then he nodded pleasantly, and

examined the empty loom, for he would not say that he could see nothing.

His whole Court round him looked and looked, and saw no more than the

others; but they said like the Emperor, ‘Oh! it is beautiful!’ And they

advised him to wear these new and magnificent clothes for the first time

at the great procession which was soon to take place. ‘Splendid! Lovely!

Most beautiful!’ went from mouth to mouth; everyone seemed delighted

over them, and the Emperor gave to the impostors the title of Court

weavers to the Emperor.

Throughout the whole of the night before the morning on which the

procession was to take place, the impostors were up and were working by

the light of over sixteen candles. The people could see that they were

very busy making the Emperor’s new clothes ready. They pretended they

were taking the cloth from the loom, cut with huge scissors in the

air, sewed with needles without thread, and then said at last, ‘Now the

clothes are finished!’

The Emperor came himself with his most distinguished knights, and each

impostor held up his arm just as if he were holding something, and said,

‘See! here are the breeches! Here is the coat! Here the cloak!’ and so

on.

‘Spun clothes are so comfortable that one would imagine one had nothing

on at all; but that is the beauty of it!’

‘Yes,’ said all the knights, but they could see nothing, for there was

nothing there.

‘Will it please your Majesty graciously to take off your clothes,’ said

the impostors, ‘then we will put on the new clothes, here before the

mirror.’

The Emperor took off all his clothes, and the impostors placed

themselves before him as if they were putting on each part of his new

clothes which was ready, and the Emperor turned and bent himself in

front of the mirror.

‘How beautifully they fit! How well they sit!’ said everybody. ‘What

material! What colours! It is a gorgeous suit!’

‘They are waiting outside with the canopy which your Majesty is wont

to have borne over you in the procession,’ announced the Master of the

Ceremonies.

‘Look, I am ready,’ said the Emperor. ‘Doesn’t it sit well!’ And he

turned himself again to the mirror to see if his finery was on all

right.

The chamberlains who were used to carry the train put their hands near

the floor as if they were lifting up the train; then they did as if they

were holding something in the air. They would not have it noticed that

they could see nothing.

So the Emperor went along in the procession under the splendid canopy,

and all the people in the streets and at the windows said, ‘How

matchless are the Emperor’s new clothes! That train fastened to his

dress, how beautifully it hangs!’

No one wished it to be noticed that he could see nothing, for then he

would have been unfit for his office, or else very stupid. None of the

Emperor’s clothes had met with such approval as these had.

‘But he has nothing on!’ said a little child at last.

‘Just listen to the innocent child!’ said the father, and each one

whispered to his neighbour what the child had said.

‘But he has nothing on!’ the whole of the people called out at last.

This struck the Emperor, for it seemed to him as if they were right; but

he thought to himself, ‘I must go on with the procession now. And the

chamberlains walked along still more uprightly, holding up the train

which was not there at all.

THE GOLDEN CRAB(5)

(5) ‘Prinz Krebs,’ from Griechische Mahrchen. Schmidt.

Once upon a time there was a fisherman who had a wife and three

children. Every morning he used to go out fishing, and whatever fish he

caught he sold to the King. One day, among the other fishes, he caught

a golden crab. When he came home he put all the fishes together into

a great dish, but he kept the Crab separate because it shone so

beautifully, and placed it upon a high shelf in the cupboard. Now while

the old woman, his wife, was cleaning the fish, and had tucked up her

gown so that her feet were visible, she suddenly heard a voice, which

said:

‘Let down, let down thy petticoat

That lets thy feet be seen.’

She turned round in surprise, and then she saw the little creature, the

Golden Crab.

‘What! You can speak, can you, you ridiculous crab?’ she said, for she

was not quite pleased at the Crab’s remarks. Then she took him up and

placed him on a dish.

When her husband came home and they sat down to dinner, they presently

heard the Crab’s little voice saying, ‘Give me some too.’ They were all

very much surprised, but they gave him something to eat. When the old

man came to take away the plate which had contained the Crab’s dinner,

he found it full of gold, and as the same thing happened every day he

soon became very fond of the Crab.

One day the Crab said to the fisherman’s wife, ‘Go to the King and tell

him I wish to marry his younger daughter.’

The old woman went accordingly, and laid the matter before the King, who

laughed a little at the notion of his daughter marrying a crab, but did

not decline the proposal altogether, because he was a prudent monarch,

and knew that the Crab was likely to be a prince in disguise. He said,

therefore, to the fisherman’s wife, ‘Go, old woman, and tell the Crab I

will give him my daughter if by to-morrow morning he can build a wall in

front of my castle much higher than my tower, upon which all the flowers

of the world must grow and bloom.’

The fisherman’s wife went home and gave this message.

Then the Crab gave her a golden rod, and said, ‘Go and strike with this

rod three times upon the ground on the place which the King showed you,

and to-morrow morning the wall will be there.’

The old woman did so and went away again.

The next morning, when the King awoke, what do you think he saw? The

wall stood there before his eyes, exactly as he had bespoken it!

Then the old woman went back to the King and said to him, ‘Your

Majesty’s orders have been fulfilled.’

‘That is all very well,’ said the King, ‘but I cannot give away my

daughter until there stands in front of my palace a garden in which

there are three fountains, of which the first must play gold, the second

diamonds, and the third brilliants.’

So the old woman had to strike again three times upon the ground with

the rod, and the next morning the garden was there. The King now gave

his consent, and the wedding was fixed for the very next day.

Then the Crab said to the old fisherman, ‘Now take this rod; go and

knock with it on a certain mountain; then a black man(6) will come out

and ask you what you wish for. Answer him thus: ‘’Your master, the King,

has sent me to tell you that you must send him his golden garment that

is like the sun.’’ Make him give you, besides, the queenly robes of gold

and precious stones which are like the flowery meadows, and bring them

both to me. And bring me also the golden cushion.’

(6) Ein Mohr.

The old man went and did his errand. When he had brought the precious

robes, the Crab put on the golden garment and then crept upon the golden

cushion, and in this way the fisherman carried him to the castle, where

the Crab presented the other garment to his bride. Now the ceremony

took place, and when the married pair were alone together the Crab made

himself known to his young wife, and told her how he was the son of the

greatest king in the world, and how he was enchanted, so that he became

a crab by day and was a man only at night; and he could also change

himself into an eagle as often as he wished. No sooner had he said this

than he shook himself, and immediately became a handsome youth, but the

next morning he was forced to creep back again into his crab-shell. And

the same thing happened every day. But the Princess’s affection for the

Crab, and the polite attention with which she behaved to him, surprised

the royal family very much. They suspected some secret, but though they

spied and spied, they could not discover it. Thus a year passed away,

and the Princess had a son, whom she called Benjamin. But her mother

still thought the whole matter very strange. At last she said to the

King that he ought to ask his daughter whether she would not like to

have another husband instead of the Crab? But when the daughter was

questioned she only answered:

‘I am married to the Crab, and him only will I have.’

Then the King said to her, ‘I will appoint a tournament in your honour,

and I will invite all the princes in the world to it, and if any one of

them pleases you, you shall marry him.’

In the evening the Princess told this to the Crab, who said to her,

‘Take this rod, go to the garden gate and knock with it, then a black

man will come out and say to you, ‘’Why have you called me, and what do

you require of me?’’ Answer him thus: ‘Your master the King has sent me

hither to tell you to send him his golden armour and his steed and the

silver apple.’’ And bring them to me.’

The Princess did so, and brought him what he desired.

The following evening the Prince dressed himself for the tournament.

Before he went he said to his wife, ‘Now mind you do not say when you

see me that I am the Crab. For if you do this evil will come of it.

Place yourself at the window with your sisters; I will ride by and throw

you the silver apple. Take it in your hand, but if they ask you who I

am, say that you do not know.’ So saying, he kissed her, repeated his

warning once more, and went away.

The Princess went with her sisters to the window and looked on at the

tournament. Presently her husband rode by and threw the apple up to her.

She caught it in her hand and went with it to her room, and by-and-by

her husband came back to her. But her father was much surprised that she

did not seem to care about any of the Princes; he therefore appointed a

second tournament.

The Crab then gave his wife the same directions as before, only this

time the apple which she received from the black man was of gold. But

before the Prince went to the tournament he said to his wife, ‘Now I

know you will betray me to-day.’

But she swore to him that she would not tell who he was. He then

repeated his warning and went away.

In the evening, while the Princess, with her mother and sisters, was

standing at the window, the Prince suddenly galloped past on his steed

and threw her the golden apple.

Then her mother flew into a passion, gave her a box on the ear, and

cried out, ‘Does not even that prince please you, you fool?’

The Princess in her fright exclaimed, ‘That is the Crab himself!’

Her mother was still more angry because she had not been told sooner,

ran into her daughter’s room where the crab-shell was still lying, took

it up and threw it into the fire. Then the poor Princess cried bitterly,

but it was of no use; her husband did not come back.

Now we must leave the Princess and turn to the other persons in the

story. One day an old man went to a stream to dip in a crust of bread

which he was going to eat, when a dog came out of the water, snatched

the bread from his hand, and ran away. The old man ran after him,

but the dog reached a door, pushed it open, and ran in, the old man

following him. He did not overtake the dog, but found himself above a

staircase, which he descended. Then he saw before him a stately palace,

and, entering, he found in a large hall a table set for twelve persons.

He hid himself in the hall behind a great picture, that he might see

what would happen. At noon he heard a great noise, so that he trembled

with fear. When he took courage to look out from behind the picture,

he saw twelve eagles flying in. At this sight his fear became still

greater. The eagles flew to the basin of a fountain that was there and

bathed themselves, when suddenly they were changed into twelve handsome

youths. Now they seated themselves at the table, and one of them took

up a goblet filled with wine, and said, ‘A health to my father!’ And

another said, ‘A health to my mother!’ and so the healths went round.

Then one of them said:

‘A health to my dearest lady,

Long may she live and well!

But a curse on the cruel mother

That burnt my golden shell!’

And so saying he wept bitterly. Then the youths rose from the table,

went back to the great stone fountain, turned themselves into eagles

again, and flew away.

Then the old man went away too, returned to the light of day, and went

home. Soon after he heard that the Princess was ill, and that the only

thing that did her good was having stories told to her. He therefore

went to the royal castle, obtained an audience of the Princess, and told

her about the strange things he had seen in the underground palace. No

sooner had he finished than the Princess asked him whether he could find

the way to that palace.

‘Yes,’ he answered, ‘certainly.’

And now she desired him to guide her thither at once. The old man did

so, and when they came to the palace he hid her behind the great picture

and advised her to keep quite still, and he placed himself behind

the picture also. Presently the eagles came flying in, and changed

themselves into young men, and in a moment the Princess recognised her

husband amongst them all, and tried to come out of her hiding-place; but

the old man held her back. The youths seated themselves at the table;

and now the Prince said again, while he took up the cup of wine:

‘A health to my dearest lady,

Long may she live and well!

But a curse on the cruel mother

That burnt my golden shell!’

Then the Princess could restrain herself no longer, but ran forward and

threw her arms round her husband. And immediately he knew her again, and

said:

‘Do you remember how I told you that day that you would betray me?

Now you see that I spoke the truth. But all that bad time is past. Now

listen to me: I must still remain enchanted for three months. Will you

stay here with me till that time is over?’

So the Princess stayed with him, and said to the old man, ‘Go back to

the castle and tell my parents that I am staying here.’

Her parents were very much vexed when the old man came back and told

them this, but as soon as the three months of the Prince’s enchantment

were over, he ceased to be an eagle and became once more a man, and they

returned home together. And then they lived happily, and we who hear the

story are happier still.

THE IRON STOVE(7)

(7) Grimm.

Once upon a time when wishes came true there was a king’s son who was

enchanted by an old witch, so that he was obliged to sit in a large iron

stove in a wood. There he lived for many years, and no one could free

him. At last a king’s daughter came into the wood; she had lost her way,

and could not find her father’s kingdom again. She had been wandering

round and round for nine days, and she came at last to the iron case. A

voice came from within and asked her, ‘Where do you come from, and where

do you want to go?’ She answered, ‘I have lost my way to my father’s

kingdom, and I shall never get home again.’ Then the voice from the iron

stove said, ‘I will help you to find your home again, and that in a very

short time, if you will promise to do what I ask you. I am a greater

prince than you are a princess, and I will marry you.’ Then she grew

frightened, and thought, ‘What can a young lassie do with an iron

stove?’ But as she wanted very much to go home to her father, she

promised to do what he wished.

He said, ‘You must come again, and bring a knife with you to scrape a

hole in the iron.’

Then he gave her someone for a guide, who walked near her and said

nothing, but he brought her in two hours to her house. There was great

joy in the castle when the Princess came back, and the old King fell on

her neck and kissed her. But she was very much troubled, and said, ‘Dear

father, listen to what has befallen me! I should never have come home

again out of the great wild wood if I had not come to an iron stove,

to whom I have had to promise that I will go back to free him and marry

him!’ The old King was so frightened that he nearly fainted, for she was

his only daughter. So they consulted together, and determined that the

miller’s daughter, who was very beautiful, should take her place. They

took her there, gave her a knife, and said she must scrape at the iron

stove. She scraped for twenty-four hours, but did not make the least

impression. When the day broke, a voice called from the iron stove, ‘It

seems to me that it is day outside.’ Then she answered, ‘It seems so to

me; I think I hear my father’s mill rattling.’

‘So you are a miller’s daughter! Then go away at once, and tell the

King’s daughter to come.’

Then she went away, and told the old King that the thing inside the

iron stove would not have her, but wanted the Princess. The old King was

frightened, and his daughter wept. But they had a swineherd’s daughter

who was even more beautiful than the miller’s daughter, and they gave

her a piece of gold to go to the iron stove instead of the Princess.

Then she was taken out, and had to scrape for four-and-twenty hours, but

she could make no impression. As soon as the day broke the voice from

the stove called out, ‘It seems to be daylight outside.’ Then she

answered, ‘It seems so to me too; I think I hear my father blowing his

horn.’ ‘So you are a swineherd’s daughter! Go away at once, and let the

King’s daughter come. And say to her that what I foretell shall come to

pass, and if she does not come everything in the kingdom shall fall into

ruin, and not one stone shall be left upon another.’ When the Princess

heard this she began to cry, but it was no good; she had to keep her

word. She took leave of her father, put a knife in her belt, and went

to the iron stove in the wood. As soon as she reached it she began to

scrape, and the iron gave way and before two hours had passed she had

made a little hole. Then she peeped in and saw such a beautiful youth

all shining with gold and precious stones that she fell in love with him

on the spot. So she scraped away harder than ever, and made the hole

so large that he could get out. Then he said, ‘You are mine, and I am

thine; you are my bride and have set me free!’ He wanted to take her

with him to his kingdom, but she begged him just to let her go once more

to her father; and the Prince let her go, but told her not to say more

than three words to her father, then to come back again. So she went

home, but alas! she said MORE THAN THREE WORDS; and immediately the iron

stove vanished and went away over a mountain of glass and sharp swords.

But the Prince was free, and was no longer shut up in it. Then she said

good-bye to her father, and took a little money with her, and went again

into the great wood to look for the iron stove; but she could not find

it. She sought it for nine days, and then her hunger became so great

that she did not know how she could live any longer. And when it was

evening she climbed a little tree and wished that the night would not

come, because she was afraid of the wild beasts. When midnight came she

saw afar off a little light, and thought, ‘Ah! if only I could reach

that!’ Then she got down from the tree and went towards the light. She

came to a little old house with a great deal of grass growing round, and

stood in front of a little heap of wood. She thought, ‘Alas! what am I

coming to?’ and peeped through the window; but she saw nothing inside

except big and little toads, and a table beautifully spread with roast

meats and wine, and all the dishes and drinking-cups were of silver.

Then she took heart and knocked. Then a fat toad called out:

‘Little green toad with leg like crook,

Open wide the door, and look

Who it was the latch that shook.’

And a little toad came forward and let her in. When she entered they

all bid her welcome, and made her sit down. They asked her how she came

there and what she wanted. Then she told everything that had happened

to her, and how, because she had exceeded her permission only to speak

three words, the stove had disappeared with the Prince; and how she had

searched a very long time, and must wander over mountain and valley till

she found him.

Then the old toad said:

‘Little green toad whose leg doth twist,

Go to the corner of which you wist,

And bring to me the large old kist.’

And the little toad went and brought out a great chest. Then they gave

her food and drink, and led her to a beautifully made bed of silk and

samite, on which she lay down and slept soundly. When the day dawned she

arose, and the old toad gave her three things out of the huge chest to

take with her. She would have need of them, for she had to cross a high

glass mountain, three cutting swords, and a great lake. When she had

passed these she would find her lover again. So she was given three

large needles, a plough-wheel, and three nuts, which she was to take

great care of. She set out with these things, and when she came to the

glass mountain which was so slippery she stuck the three needles behind

her feet and then in front, and so got over it, and when she was on the

other side put them carefully away.

Then she reached the three cutting swords, and got on her plough-wheel

and rolled over them. At last she came to a great lake, and, when she

had crossed that, arrived at a beautiful castle. She went in and gave

herself out as a servant, a poor maid who would gladly be engaged. But

she knew that the Prince whom she had freed from the iron stove in the

great wood was in the castle. So she was taken on as a kitchen-maid for

very small wages. Now the Prince was about to marry another princess,

for he thought she was dead long ago.

In the evening, when she had washed up and was ready, she felt in her

pocket and found the three nuts which the old toad had given her. She

cracked one and was going to eat the kernel, when behold! there was a

beautiful royal dress inside it! When the bride heard of this, she came

and begged for the dress, and wanted to buy it, saying that it was not a

dress for a serving-maid. Then she said she would not sell it unless she

was granted one favour--namely, to sleep by the Prince’s door. The bride

granted her this, because the dress was so beautiful and she had so few

like it. When it was evening she said to her bridegroom, ‘That stupid

maid wants to sleep by your door.’

‘If you are contented, I am,’ he said. But she gave him a glass of wine

in which she had poured a sleeping-draught. Then they both went to his

room, but he slept so soundly that she could not wake him. The maid wept

all night long, and said, ‘I freed you in the wild wood out of the iron

stove; I have sought you, and have crossed a glassy mountain, three

sharp swords, and a great lake before I found you, and will you not hear

me now?’ The servants outside heard how she cried the whole night, and

they told their master in the morning.

When she had washed up the next evening she bit the second nut, and

there was a still more beautiful dress inside. When the bride saw it she

wanted to buy it also. But the maid did not want money, and asked that

she should sleep again by the Prince’s door. The bride, however, gave

him a sleeping-draught, and he slept so soundly that he heard nothing.

But the kitchen-maid wept the whole night long, and said, ‘I have freed

you in a wood and from an iron stove; I sought you and have crossed a

glassy mountain, three sharp swords, and a great lake to find you, and

now you will not hear me!’ The servants outside heard how she cried the

whole night, and in the morning they told their master.

And when she had washed up on the third night she bit the third nut,

and there was a still more beautiful dress inside that was made of pure

gold. When the bride saw it she wanted to have it, but the maid would

only give it her on condition that she should sleep for the third

time by the Prince’s door. But the Prince took care not to drink

the sleeping-draught. When she began to weep and to say, ‘Dearest

sweetheart, I freed you in the horrible wild wood, and from an iron

stove,’ he jumped up and said, ‘You are right. You are mine, and I am

thine.’ Though it was still night, he got into a carriage with her, and

they took the false bride’s clothes away, so that she could not follow

them. When they came to the great lake they rowed across, and when they

reached the three sharp swords they sat on the plough-wheel, and on the

glassy mountain they stuck the three needles in. So they arrived at last

at the little old house, but when they stepped inside it turned into

a large castle. The toads were all freed, and were beautiful King’s

children, running about for joy. There they were married, and they

remained in the castle, which was much larger than that of the

Princess’s father’s. But because the old man did not like being left

alone, they went and fetched him. So they had two kingdoms and lived in

great wealth.

A mouse has run,

My story’s done.