There was a king, who was already old, and had but one son. Once
upon a time he called this son to him, and said to him, 'My dear
son! you know that old fruit falls to make room for other fruit. My
head is already ripening, and maybe the sun will soon no longer
shine upon it; but before you bury me, I should like to see your
wife, my future daughter. My son, marry!' The prince said, 'I would
gladly, father, do as you wish; but I have no bride, and don't know
any.' The old king put his hand into his pocket, took out a golden
key and showed it to his son, with the words, 'Go up into the tower,
to the top story, look round there, and then tell me which you
fancy.' The prince went without delay. Nobody within the memory of
man had been up there, or had ever heard what was up there.
When he got up to the last story, he saw in the ceiling a little
iron door like a trap-door. It was closed. He opened it with the
golden key, lifted it, and went up above it. There there was a large
circular room. The ceiling was blue like the sky on a clear night,
and silver stars glittered on it; the floor was a carpet of green
silk, and around in the wall were twelve high windows in golden
frames, and in each window on crystal glass was a damsel painted
with the colours of the rainbow, with a royal crown on her head, in
each window a different one in a different dress, each handsomer
than the other, and it was a wonder that the prince did not let his
eyes dwell upon them. When he had gazed at them with astonishment,
the damsels began to move as if they were alive, looked down upon
him, smiled, and did everything but speak.
Now the prince observed that one of the twelve windows was covered
with a white curtain; he drew the curtain to see what was behind it.
There there was a damsel in a white dress, girt with a silver
girdle, with a crown of pearls on her head; she was the most
beautiful of all, but was sad and pale, as if she had risen from the
grave. The prince stood long before the picture, as if he had made a
discovery, and as he thus gazed, his heart pained him, and he cried,
'This one will I have, and no other.' As he said the words the
damsel bowed her head, blushed like a rose, and that instant all the
pictures disappeared.
When he went down and related to his father what he had seen and
which damsel he had selected, the old king became sad, bethought
himself, and said, 'You have done ill, my son, in uncovering what
was curtained over, and have placed yourself in great danger on
account of those words. That damsel is in the power of a wicked
wizard, and kept captive in an iron castle; of all who have
attempted to set her free, not one has hitherto returned. But what's
done cannot be undone; the plighted word is a law. Go! try your
luck, and return home safe and sound!'
The prince took leave of his father, mounted his horse, and rode
away in search of his bride. It came to pass that he rode through a
vast forest, and through the forest he rode on and on till he lost
the road. And as he was wandering with his horse in thickets and
amongst rocks and morasses, not knowing which way to turn, he heard
somebody shout behind him, 'Hi! stop!' The prince looked round, and
saw a tall man hastening after him. 'Stop and take me with you, and
take me into your service, and you won't regret it!' 'Who are you,'
said the prince, 'and what can you do?' 'My name is Long, and I can
extend myself. Do you see a bird's nest in that pine yonder? I will
bring you the nest down without having to climb up.'
Long then began to extend himself; his body grew rapidly till it was
as tall as the pine; he then reached the nest, and in a moment
contracted himself again and gave it to the prince. 'You know your
business well, but what's the use of birds' nests to me, if you
can't conduct me out of this forest?' 'Ahem! that's an easy matter,'
said Long, and began to extend himself till he was thrice as high as
the highest fir in the forest, looked round, and said: 'Here on this
side we have the nearest way out of the forest.' He then contracted
himself, took the horse by the bridle, and before the prince had any
idea of it, they were beyond the forest. Before them was a long and
wide plain, and beyond the plain tall gray rocks, like the walls of
a large town, and mountains overgrown with forest trees.
'Yonder, sir, goes my comrade!' said Long, and pointed suddenly to
the plain; 'you should take him also into your service; I believe he
would serve you well.' 'Shout to him, and call him hither, that I
may see what he is good for.' 'It is a little too far, sir,' said
Long; 'he would hardly hear me, and it would take a long time before
he came, because he has a great deal to carry. I'll jump after him
instead.' Then Long again extended himself to such a height that his
head plunged into the clouds, made two or three steps, took his
comrade by the arm, and placed him before the prince. He was a
short, thick-set fellow, with a paunch like a sixty-four gallon
cask. 'Who are you?' demanded the prince, 'and what can you do?' 'My
name, sir, is Broad; I can widen myself.' 'Give me a specimen.'
'Ride quick, sir, quick, back into the forest!' cried Broad, as he
began to blow himself out.
The prince didn't understand why he was to ride away; but seeing
that Long made all haste to get into the forest, he spurred his
horse, and rode full gallop after him. It was high time that he did
ride away, or else Broad would have squashed him, horse and all, as
his paunch rapidly grew in all directions; it filled everything
everywhere, just as if a mountain had rolled up. Broad then ceased
to blow himself out, and took himself in again, raising such a wind
that the trees in the forest bowed and bent, and became what he was
at first. 'You've played me a nice trick,' said the prince, 'but I
shan't find such a fellow every day; come with me.'
They proceeded further. When they approached the rocks, they met a
man who had his eyes bandaged with a handkerchief. 'Sir, this is our
third comrade,' said Long, 'you ought to take him also into your
service. I'm sure he won't eat his victuals for naught.' 'Who are
you?' the prince asked him, 'and why are your eyes bandaged? You
don't see your way!' 'No, sir, quite the contrary! It is just
because I see too well that I am obliged to bandage my eyes; I see
with bandaged eyes just as well as others with unbandaged eyes; and
if I unbandage them I look everything through and through, and when
I gaze sharply at anything, it catches fire and bursts into flame,
and what can't burn splits into pieces. For this reason my name is
Sharpsight.' He then turned to a rock opposite, removed the bandage,
and fixed his flaming eyes upon it; the rock began to crackle,
pieces flew on every side, and in a very short time nothing of it
remained but a heap of sand, on which something glittered like fire.
Sharpsight went to fetch it, and brought it to the prince. It was
pure gold.
'Heigho! you're a fellow that money can't purchase!' said the
prince. 'He is a fool who wouldn't make use of your services, and if
you have such good sight, look and tell me whether it is far to the
iron castle, and what is now going on there?' 'If you rode by
yourself, sir,' answered Sharpsight, 'maybe you wouldn't get there
within a year; but with us you'll arrive to-day--they're just
getting supper ready for us.' 'And what is my bride doing?'
'An iron lattice is before her,
In a tower that's high
She doth sit and sigh,
A wizard watch and ward keeps o'er her.'
The prince cried, 'Whoever is well disposed, help me to set her
free!' They all promised to help him. They guided him among the gray
rocks through the breach that Sharpsight had made in them with his
eyes, and further and further on through rocks, through high
mountains and deep forests, and wherever there was any obstacle in
the road, forthwith it was removed by the three comrades. And when
the sun was declining towards the west, the mountains began to
become lower, the forests less dense, and the rocks concealed
themselves amongst the heath; and when it was almost on the point of
setting, the prince saw not far before him an iron castle; and when
it was actually setting, he rode by an iron bridge to the gate, and
as soon as it had set, up rose the iron bridge of itself, the gate
closed with a single movement, and the prince and his companions
were captives in the iron castle.
When they had looked round in the court, the prince put his horse up
in the stable, where everything was ready for it, and then they went
into the castle. In the court, in the stable, in the castle hall,
and in the rooms, they saw in the twilight many richly-dressed
people, gentlemen and servants, but not one of them stirred--they
were all turned to stone. They went through several rooms, and came
into the supper-room. This was brilliantly lighted up, and in the
midst was a table, and on it plenty of good meats and drinks, and
covers were laid for four persons. They waited and waited, thinking
that someone would come; but when nobody came for a long time, they
sat down and ate and drank what the palate fancied.
When they had done eating, they looked about to find where to sleep.
Thereupon the door flew open unexpectedly all at once, and into the
room came the wizard; a bent old man in a long black garb, with a
bald head, a gray beard down to his knees, and three iron hoops
instead of a girdle. By the hand he led a beautiful, very beautiful
damsel, dressed in white; she had a silver girdle round her waist,
and a crown of pearls on her head, but was pale and sad, as if she
had risen from the grave. The prince recognised her at once, sprang
forward, and went to meet her; but before he could utter a word the
wizard addressed him: 'I know for what you have come; you want to
take the princess away. Well, be it so! Take her, if you can keep
her in sight for three nights, so that she doesn't vanish from you.
If she vanishes, you will be turned into stone as well as your three
servants; like all who have come before you.' He then motioned the
princess to a seat and departed.
The prince could not take his eyes off the princess, so beautiful
was she. He began to talk to her, and asked her all manner of
questions, but she neither answered nor smiled, nor looked at anyone
any more than if she had been of marble. He sat down by her, and
determined not to sleep all night long lest she should vanish from
him, and, to make surer, Long extended himself like a strap, and
wound himself round the whole room along the wall; Broad posted
himself in the doorway, swelled himself up, and stopped it up so
tight that not even a mouse could have slipped through; while
Sharpsight placed himself against a pillar in the midst of the room
on the look-out. But after a time they all began to nod, fell
asleep, and slept the whole night, just as if the wizard had thrown
them into the water.
In the morning, when it began to dawn, the prince was the first to
wake, but--as if a knife had been thrust into his heart--the
princess was gone! He forthwith awoke his servants, and asked what
was to be done. 'Never mind, sir,' said Sharpsight, and looked
sharply out through the window, 'I see her already. A hundred miles
hence is a forest, in the midst of the forest an old oak, and on the
top of the oak an acorn, and she is that acorn.' Long immediately
took him on his shoulders, extended himself, and went ten miles at a
step, while Sharpsight showed him the way.
No more time elapsed than would have been wanted to move once round
a cottage before they were back again, and Long delivered the acorn
to the prince. 'Sir, let it fall on the ground.' The prince let it
fall, and that moment the princess stood beside him. And when the
sun began to show itself beyond the mountains, the folding doors
flew open with a crash, and the wizard entered the room and smiled
spitefully; but when he saw the princess he frowned, growled, and
bang! one of the iron hoops which he wore splintered and sprang off
him. He then took the damsel by the hand and led her away.
The whole day after the prince had nothing to do but walk up and
down the castle, and round about the castle, and look at the
wonderful things that were there. It was everywhere as if life had
been lost in a single moment. In one hall he saw a prince, who held
in both hands a brandished sword, as if he intended to cleave
somebody in twain; but the blow never fell: he had been turned into
stone. In one chamber was a knight turned into stone, just as if he
had been fleeing from some one in terror, and, stumbling on the
threshold, had taken a downward direction, but not fallen. Under the
chimney sat a servant, who held in one hand a piece of roast meat,
and with the other lifted a mouthful towards his mouth, which never
reached it; when it was just in front of his mouth, he had also been
turned to stone. Many others he saw there turned to stone, each in
the position in which he was when the wizard said, 'Be turned into
stone.' He likewise saw many fine horses turned to stone, and in the
castle and round the castle all was desolate and dead; there were
trees, but without leaves; there were meadows, but without grass;
there was a river, but it did not flow; nowhere was there even a
singing bird, or a flower, the offspring of the ground, or a white
fish in the water.
Morning, noon, and evening the prince and his companions found good
and abundant entertainment in the castle; the viands came of
themselves, the wine poured itself out. After supper the folding
doors opened again, and the wizard brought in the princess for the
prince to guard. And although they all determined to exert
themselves with all their might not to fall asleep, yet it was of no
use, fall asleep again they did. And when the prince awoke at dawn
and saw the princess had vanished, he jumped up and pulled
Sharpsight by the arm, 'Hey! get up, Sharpsight, do you know where
the princess is?' He rubbed his eyes, looked, and said, 'I see her.
There's a mountain 200 miles off, and in the mountain a rock, and in
the rock a precious stone, and she's that precious stone. If Long
carries me thither, we shall obtain her.'
Long took him at once on his shoulders, extended himself, and went
twenty miles at a step. Sharpsight fixed his flaming eyes on the
mountain, the mountain crumbled, and the rock in it split into a
thousand pieces, and amongst them glittered the precious stone. They
took it up and brought it to the prince, and when he let it fall on
the ground, the princess again stood there. When afterwards the
wizard came and saw her there, his eyes flashed with spite, and
bang! again an iron hoop cracked upon him and flew off. He growled
and led the princess out of the room.
That day all was again as it had been the day before. After supper
the wizard brought the princess in again, looked the prince keenly
in the face, and scornfully uttered the words, 'It will be seen
who's a match for whom; whether you are victorious or I,' and with
that he departed. This day they all exerted themselves still more to
avoid going to sleep. They wouldn't even sit down, they wanted to
walk about all night long, but all in vain; they were bewitched; one
fell asleep after the other as he walked, and the princess vanished
away from them.
In the morning the prince again awoke earliest, and when he didn't
see the princess, woke Sharpsight. 'Hey! get up, Sharpsight! look
where the princess is!' Sharpsight looked out for a long time. 'Oh
sir,' says he, 'she is a long way off, a long way off! Three hundred
miles off is a black sea, and in the midst of the sea a shell on
the bottom, and in the shell is a gold ring, and she's the ring. But
never mind! we shall obtain her, but to-day Long must take Broad
with him as well; we shall want him.' Long took Sharpsight on one
shoulder, and Broad on the other, and went thirty miles at a step.
When they came to the black sea, Sharpsight showed him where he must
reach into the water for the shell. Long extended his hand as far as
he could, but could not reach the bottom.
'Wait, comrades! wait only a little and I'll help you,' said Broad,
and swelled himself out as far as his paunch would stretch; he then
lay down on the shore and drank. In a very short time the water fell
so low that Long easily reached the bottom and took the shell out of
the sea. Out of it he extracted the ring, took his comrades on his
shoulders, and hastened back. But on the way he found it a little
difficult to run with Broad, who had half a sea of water inside him,
so he cast him from his shoulder on to the ground in a wide valley.
Thump he went like a sack let fall from a tower, and in a moment the
whole valley was under water like a vast lake. Broad himself barely
crawled out of it.
Meanwhile the prince was in great trouble in the castle. The dawn
began to display itself over the mountains, and his servants had not
returned; the more brilliantly the rays ascended, the greater was
his anxiety; a deadly perspiration came out upon his forehead. Soon
the sun showed itself in the east like a thin strip of flame--and
then with a loud crash the door flew open, and on the threshold
stood the wizard. He looked round the room, and seeing the princess
was not there, laughed a hateful laugh and entered the room. But
just at that moment, pop! the window flew in pieces, the gold ring
fell on the floor, and in an instant there stood the princess again.
Sharpsight, seeing what was going on in the castle, and in what
danger his master was, told Long. Long made a step, and threw the
ring through the window into the room. The wizard roared with rage,
till the castle quaked, and then bang! went the third iron hoop that
was round his waist, and sprang off him; the wizard turned into a
raven, and flew out and away through the shattered window.
Then, and not till then, did the beautiful damsel speak and thank
the prince for setting her free, and blushed like a rose. In the
castle and round the castle everything became alive again at once.
He who was holding in the hall the outstretched sword, swung it into
the air, which whistled again, and then returned it to its sheath;
he who was stumbling on the threshold, fell on the ground, but
immediately got up again and felt his nose to see whether it was
still entire; he who was sitting under the chimney put the piece of
meat into his mouth and went on eating; and thus everybody completed
what he had begun doing, and at the point where he had left off. In
the stables the horses merrily stamped and snorted, the trees round
the castle became green like periwinkles, the meadows were full of
variegated flowers, high in the air warbled the skylark, and
abundance of small fishes appeared in the clear river. Everywhere
was life, everywhere enjoyment.
Meanwhile a number of gentlemen assembled in the room where the
prince was, and all thanked him for their liberation. But he said,
'You have nothing to thank me for; if it had not been for my trusty
servants Long, Broad, and Sharpsight, I too should have been what
you were.' He then immediately started on his way home to the old
king, his father, with his bride and servants. On the way they met
Broad and took him with them.
The old king wept for joy at the success of his son; he had thought
he would return no more. Soon afterwards there was a grand wedding,
the festivities of which lasted three weeks; all the gentlemen that
the prince had liberated were invited. After the wedding Long,
Broad, and Sharpsight announced to the young king that they were
going again into the world to look for work. The young king tried to
persuade them to stay with him. 'I will give you everything you
want, as long as you live,' said he; 'you needn't work at all.' But
they didn't like such an idle life, took leave of him, went away and
have been ever since knocking about somewhere or other in the world.
* * * * *
This story appears to me to be the perfection of 'Natural Science in
Allegory.' It is not a mere 'Natur-myth,' exhibiting the contests,
victories, and defeats of the forces of Nature. In interpreting it
we must distinguish between the mere machinery and the essential
actors. The king's son does nothing himself, and the whole work is
performed by the three men, whom he takes into his service. I
understand by the king's son Man, who wishes to cultivate the earth,
who is the princess imprisoned by the enchanter, the drought. She is
released by the agency of the three phenomena that usher in the
rainy season, the rainbow (Long), the cloud (Broad), and the
lightning (Sharpsight). Man, by the aid of these three phenomena, is
enabled to cultivate the earth. Such a story could only originate in
a country of periodic rains. The rapid recovery of vegetation and
almost instantaneous reappearance of fish in dried-up brooks in
India are well known. The common story of the Sleeping Beauty is
evidently a fragment from the myth which exhibits figuratively the
speedy wake up of all things when released from the bondage of the
drought.
It is possible also to consider the prince as the sun, who cannot
marry the drought-enslaved earth, until he has taken into his
service and obtained the aid of the same three phenomena. Those who
had previously attempted to set the princess free would then be the
suns immediately preceding the rainy season, which had not had the
aid of Long, Broad, and Sharpsight.