第 三十 章 · Iron Hans

Iron Hans

There was once a King whose castle was surrounded by a forest full of

game. One day he sent a Huntsman out to shoot a deer, but he never

came back.

'Perhaps an accident has happened to him,' said the King.

Next day he sent out two more Huntsmen to look for him, but they did

not return either. On the third day he sent for all his Huntsmen, and

said to them, 'Search the whole forest without ceasing, until you have

found all three.'

But not a single man of all these, or one of the pack of hounds they

took with them, ever came back. From this time forth no one would

venture into the forest; so there it lay, wrapped in silence and

solitude, with only an occasional eagle or hawk circling over it.

This continued for several years, and then one day a strange Huntsman

sought an audience of the King, and offered to penetrate into the

dangerous wood. The King, however, would not give him permission, and

said, 'It's not safe, and I am afraid if you go in that you will never

come out again, any more than all the others.'

The Huntsman answered, 'Sire, I will take the risk upon myself. I do

not know fear.'

So the Huntsman went into the wood with his Dog. Before long the Dog

put up some game, and wanted to chase it; but hardly had he taken a

few steps when he came to a deep pool, and could go no further. A

naked arm appeared out of the water, seized him, and drew him down.

When the Huntsman saw this, he went back and fetched three men with

pails to empty the pool. When they got to the bottom they found a Wild

Man, whose body was as brown as rusty iron, and his hair hanging down

over his face to his knees. They bound him with cords, and carried

him away to the castle. There was great excitement over the Wild Man,

and the King had an iron cage made for him in the courtyard. He

forbade any one to open the door of the cage on pain of death, and the

Queen had to keep the key in her own charge.

After this, anybody could walk in the forest with safety.

The King had a little son eight years old, and one day he was playing

in the courtyard. In his play his golden ball fell into the cage. The

boy ran up, and said, 'Give me back my ball.'

'Not until you have opened the door,' said the Wild Man.

'No; I can't do that,' said the boy. 'My father has forbidden it,' and

then he ran away.

Next day he came again, and asked for his ball. The Man said, 'Open my

door'; but he would not.

On the third day the King went out hunting, and the boy came again,

and said, 'Even if I would, I could not open the door. I have not got

the key.'

Then the Wild Man said, 'It is lying under your mother's pillow. You

can easily get it.'

The boy, who was very anxious to have his ball back, threw his

scruples to the winds, and fetched the key. The door was very stiff,

and he pinched his fingers in opening it. As soon as it was open the

Wild Man came out, gave the boy his ball, and hurried away. The boy

was now very frightened, and cried out, 'O Wild Man, don't go away, or

I shall be beaten!'

The Wild Man turned back, picked up the boy, put him on his shoulder,

and walked hurriedly off into the wood.

When the King came home he saw at once the cage was empty, and asked

the Queen how it had come about. She knew nothing about it, and went

to look for the key, which was of course gone. They called the boy,

but there was no answer. The King sent people out into the fields to

look for him, but all in vain; he was gone. The King easily guessed

what had happened, and great grief fell on the royal household.

When the Wild Man got back into the depths of the dark forest he took

the boy down off his shoulder, and said, 'You will never see your

father and mother again; but I will keep you here with me, because you

had pity on me and set me free. If you do as you are told, you will be

well treated. I have treasures and gold enough and to spare, more than

anybody in the world.'

He made a bed of moss for the boy, on which he went to sleep. Next

morning the Man led him to a spring, and said, 'You see this golden

well is bright and clear as crystal? You must sit by it, and take care

that nothing falls into it, or it will be contaminated. I shall come

every evening to see if you have obeyed my orders.'

The boy sat down on the edge of the spring to watch it; sometimes he

would see a gold fish or a golden snake darting through it, and he

guarded it well, so that nothing should fall into it. One day as he

was sitting like this his finger pained him so much that involuntarily

he dipped it into the water. He drew it out very quickly, but saw that

it was gilded, and although he tried hard to clean it, it remained

golden. In the evening Iron Hans came back, looked at the boy, and

said, 'What has happened to the well to-day?'

'Nothing, nothing!' he answered, keeping his finger behind his back,

so that Iron Hans should not see it.

But he said, 'You have dipped your finger into the water. It does not

matter this time, but take care that nothing of the kind occurs

again.'

Early next morning the boy took his seat by the spring again to watch.

His finger still hurt very much, and he put his hand up above his

head; but, unfortunately, in so doing he brushed a hair into the well.

He quickly took it out, but it was already gilded. When Iron Hans came

in the evening, he knew very well what had happened.

'You have let a hair fall into the well,' he said. 'I will overlook it

once more, but if it happens for the third time, the well will be

polluted, and you can no longer stay with me.'

On the third day the boy again sat by the well; but he took good care

not to move a finger, however much it might hurt. The time seemed very

long to him as he looked at his face reflected in the water. As he

bent over further and further to look into his eyes, his long hair

fell over his shoulder right into the water. He started up at once,

but not before his whole head of hair had become golden, and glittered

like the sun. You may imagine how frightened the poor boy was. He took

his pocket-handkerchief and tied it over his head, so that Iron Hans

should not see it. But he knew all about it before he came, and at

once said, 'Take that handkerchief off your head,' and then all the

golden hair tumbled out. All the poor boy's excuses were no good. 'You

have not stood the test, and you can no longer stay here. You must go

out into the world, and there you will learn the meaning of poverty.

But as your heart is not bad, and as I wish you well, I will grant you

one thing. When you are in great need, go to the forest and cry "Iron

Hans," and I will come and help you. My power is great, greater than

you think, and I have gold and silver in abundance.'

So the King's son left the forest, and wandered over trodden and

untrodden paths till he reached a great city. He tried to get work,

but he could not find any; besides, he knew no trade by which to make

a living. At last he went to the castle and asked if they would employ

him. The courtiers did not know what use they could make of him, but

they were taken with his appearance, and said he might stay. At last

the Cook took him into his service, and said he might carry wood and

water for him, and sweep up the ashes.

One day, as there was no one else at hand, the Cook ordered him to

carry the food up to the royal table. As he did not want his golden

hair to be seen, he kept his cap on. Nothing of the sort had ever

happened in the presence of the King before, and he said, 'When you

come into the royal presence, you must take your cap off.'

'Alas, Sire,' he said, 'I cannot take it off, I have a bad wound on my

head.'

Then the King ordered the Cook to be called, and asked how he could

take such a boy into his service, and ordered him to be sent away at

once. But the Cook was sorry for him, and exchanged him with the

Gardener's boy.

Now the boy had to dig and hoe, plant and water, in every kind of

weather. One day in the summer, when he was working alone in the

garden, it was very hot, and he took off his cap for the fresh air to

cool his head. When the sun shone on his hair it glittered so that the

beams penetrated right into the Princess's bedroom, and she sprang up

to see what it was. She discovered the youth, and called to him,

'Bring me a nosegay, young man.'

He hurriedly put on his cap, picked a lot of wild flowers, and tied

them up. On his way up to the Princess, the Gardener met him, and

said, 'How can you take such poor flowers to the Princess? Quickly cut

another bouquet, and mind they are the choicest and rarest flowers.'

'Oh no,' said the youth. 'The wild flowers have a sweeter scent, and

will please her better.'

[Illustration: She immediately clutched at his cap to pull it off;

but he held it on with both hands.]

As soon as he went into the room the Princess said, 'Take off your

cap; it is not proper for you to wear it before me.'

He answered again, 'I may not take it off, because I have a wound on

my head.'

But she took hold of the cap, and pulled it off, and all his golden

hair tumbled over his shoulders in a shower. It was quite a sight. He

tried to get away, but she took hold of his arm, and gave him a

handful of ducats. He took them, but he cared nothing for the gold,

and gave it to the Gardener for his children to play with.

Next day the Princess again called him to bring her a bunch of wild

flowers, and when he brought it she immediately clutched at his cap to

pull it off; but he held it on with both hands. Again she gave him a

handful of ducats, but he would not keep them, and gave them to the

Gardener's children. The third day the same thing happened, but she

could not take off his cap, and he would not keep the gold.

Not long after this the kingdom was invaded. The King assembled his

warriors. He did not know whether they would be able to conquer his

enemies or not, as they were very powerful, and had a mighty army.

Then the Gardener's assistant said, 'I have been brought up to fight;

give me a horse, and I will go too.'

[Illustration: He called three times, 'Iron Hans,' as loud as he

could.]

The others laughed and said, 'When we are gone, find one for yourself.

We will leave one behind in the stable for you.'

When they were gone, he went and got the horse out; it was lame in one

leg, and hobbled along, humpety-hump, humpety-hump. Nevertheless, he

mounted it and rode away to the dark forest. When he came to the edge

of it, he called three times, 'Iron Hans,' as loud as he could, till

the trees resounded with it.

The Wild Man appeared immediately, and said, 'What do you want?'

'I want a strong horse to go to the war.'

'You shall have it, and more besides.'

The Wild Man went back into the wood, and before long a Groom came

out, leading a fiery charger with snorting nostrils. Behind him

followed a great body of warriors, all in armour, and their swords

gleaming in the sun. The youth handed over his three-legged steed to

the Groom, mounted the other, and rode away at the head of the troop.

When he approached the battle-field a great many of the King's men had

already fallen, and before long the rest must have given in. Then the

youth, at the head of his iron troop, charged, and bore down the enemy

like a mighty wind, smiting everything which came in their way. They

tried to fly, but the youth fell upon them, and did not stop while one

remained alive.

Instead of joining the King, he led his troop straight back to the

wood and called Iron Hans again.

'What do you want?' asked the Wild Man.

'Take back your charger and your troop, and give me back my

three-legged steed.'

His request was granted, and he rode his three-legged steed home.

When the King returned to the castle his daughter met him and

congratulated him on his victory.

'It was not I who won it,' he said; 'but a strange Knight, who came to

my assistance with his troop.' His daughter asked who the strange

Knight was, but the King did not know, and said, 'He pursued the

enemy, and I have not seen him since.'

She asked the Gardener about his assistant, but he laughed, and said,

'He has just come home on his three-legged horse, and the others made

fun of him, and said, "Here comes our hobbler back again," and asked

which hedge he had been sleeping under. He answered, "I did my best,

and without me things would have gone badly." Then they laughed at him

more than ever.'

The King said to his daughter, 'I will give a great feast lasting

three days, and you shall throw a golden apple. Perhaps the unknown

Knight will come among the others to try and catch it.'

When notice was given of the feast, the youth went to the wood and

called Iron Hans.

'What do you want?' he asked.

'I want to secure the King's golden apple,' he said.

'It is as good as yours already,' answered Iron Hans. 'You shall have

a tawny suit, and ride a proud chestnut.'

When the day arrived the youth took his place among the other Knights,

but no one knew him. The Princess stepped forward and threw the apple

among the Knights, and he was the only one who could catch it. As soon

as he had it he rode away.

On the second day Iron Hans fitted him out as a White Knight, riding a

gallant grey. Again he caught the apple; but he did not stay a minute,

and, as before, hurried away.

The King now grew angry, and said, 'This must not be; he must come

before me and give me his name.'

He gave an order that if the Knight made off again he was to be

pursued and brought back.

On the third day the youth received from Iron Hans a black outfit, and

a fiery black charger.

Again he caught the apple; but as he was riding off with it the King's

people chased him, and one came so near that he wounded him in the

leg. Still he escaped, but his horse galloped so fast that his helmet

fell off, and they all saw that he had golden hair. So they rode back,

and told the King what they had seen.

Next day the Princess asked the Gardener about his assistant.

'He is working in the garden. The queer fellow went to the feast, and

he only came back last night. He has shown my children three golden

apples which he won.'

The King ordered him to be brought before him. When he appeared he

still wore his cap. But the Princess went up to him and took it off;

then all his golden hair fell over his shoulders, and it was so

beautiful that they were all amazed by it.

'Are you the Knight who came to the feast every day in a different

colour, and who caught the three golden apples?' asked the King.

'Yes,' he answered, 'and here are the apples,' bringing them out of

his pocket, and giving them to the King. 'If you want further proof,

here is the wound in my leg given me by your people when they pursued

me. But I am also the Knight who helped you to conquer the enemy.'

'If you can do such deeds you are no Gardener's boy. Tell me who is

your father?'

'My father is a powerful King, and I have plenty of gold--as much as

ever I want.'

'I see very well,' said the King, 'that we owe you many thanks. Can I

do anything to please you?'

'Yes,' he answered; 'indeed, you can. Give me your daughter to be my

wife!'

The maiden laughed, and said, 'He does not beat about the bush; but I

saw long ago that he was no Gardener's boy.'

Then she went up to him and kissed him.

His father and mother came to the wedding, and they were full of joy,

for they had long given up all hope of ever seeing their dear son

again. As they were all sitting at the wedding feast, the music

suddenly stopped, the doors flew open, and a proud King walked in at

the head of a great following. He went up to the Bridegroom, embraced

him, and said, 'I am Iron Hans, who was bewitched and changed into a

Wild Man; but you have broken the spell and set me free. All the

treasure that I have is now your own.'

Printed in Great Britain by

T. and A. Constable, Printers to His Majesty

at the University Press, Edinburgh

Transcriber's Note

Minor punctuation errors have been repaired. Capitalisation and hyphen

usage has been made consistent within individual stories.