Once upon a time Luck met Intelligence on a garden-seat. 'Make room
for me!' said Luck. Intelligence was then as yet inexperienced, and
didn't know who ought to make room for whom. He said: 'Why should I
make room for you? you're no better than I am.' 'He's the better
man,' answered Luck, 'who performs most. See you there yon peasant's
son who's ploughing in the field? Enter into him, and if he gets on
better through you than through me, I'll always submissively make
way for you, whensoever and wheresoever we meet.' Intelligence
agreed, and entered at once into the ploughboy's head. As soon as
the ploughboy felt that he had intelligence in his head, he began to
think: 'Why must I follow the plough to the day of my death? I can
go somewhere else and make my fortune more easily.' He left off
ploughing, put up the plough, and drove home. 'Daddy,' says he, 'I
don't like this peasant's life; I'd rather learn to be a gardener.'
His father said: 'What ails you, Vanek? have you lost your wits?'
However, he bethought himself, and said: 'Well, if you will, learn,
and God be with you! Your brother will be heir to the cottage after
me.' Vanek lost the cottage, but he didn't care for that, but went
and put himself apprentice to the king's gardener. For every little
that the gardener showed him, Vanek comprehended ever so much more.
Ere long he didn't even obey the gardener's orders as to how he
ought to do anything, but did everything his own way. At first the
gardener was angry, but, seeing everything thus getting on better,
he was content. 'I see that you've more intelligence than I,' said
he, and henceforth let Vanek garden as he thought fit. In no long
space of time Vanek made the garden so beautiful, that the king took
great delight in it, and frequently walked in it with the queen and
with his only daughter.
The princess was a very beautiful damsel, but ever since she was
twelve years old she had ceased speaking, and no one ever heard a
single word from her. The king was much grieved, and caused
proclamation to be made, that whoever should bring it to pass that
she should speak again, should be her husband. Many young kings,
princes and other great lords announced themselves one after the
other, but all went away as they had come; no one succeeded in
causing her to speak. 'Why shouldn't I too try my luck?' thought
Vanek; 'who knows whether I mayn't succeed in bringing her to answer
when I ask her a question?' He at once caused himself to be
announced at the palace, and the king and his councillors conducted
him into the room where the princess was. The king's daughter had a
pretty little dog, and was very fond of him because he was so
clever, understanding everything that she wanted. When Vanek went
into the room with the king and his councillors, he made as if he
didn't even see the princess, but turned to the dog and said: 'I
have heard, doggie, that you are very clever, and I come to you for
advice. We are three companions in travel, a sculptor, a tailor and
myself. Once upon a time we were going through a forest and were
obliged to pass the night in it. To be safe from wolves, we made a
fire, and agreed to keep watch one after the other. The sculptor
kept watch first, and for amusement to kill time took a log and
carved a damsel out of it. When it was finished he woke the tailor
to keep watch in his turn. The tailor, seeing the wooden damsel,
asked what it meant. "As you see," said the sculptor, "I was weary,
and didn't know what to do with myself, so I carved a damsel out of
a log; if you find time hang heavy on your hands, you can dress
her." The tailor at once took out his scissors, needle and thread,
cut out the clothes, stitched away, and when they were ready,
dressed the damsel in them. He then called me to come and keep
watch. I, too, asked him what the meaning of all this was. "As you
see," said the tailor, "the sculptor found time hang heavy on his
hands and carved a damsel out of a log, and I for the same reason
clothed her; and if you find time hanging on your hands, you can
teach her to speak." And by morning dawn I had actually taught her
to speak. But in the morning when my companions woke up, each wanted
to possess the damsel. The sculptor said, "I made her;" the tailor,
"I clothed her." I, too, maintained my right. Tell me, therefore,
doggie, to which of us the damsel belongs?' The dog said nothing,
but instead of the dog the princess replied: 'To whom can she belong
but to yourself? What's the good of the sculptor's damsel without
life? What's the good of the tailor's dressing without speech? You
gave her the best gift, life and speech, and therefore she by right
belongs to you.' 'You have passed your own sentence,' said Vanek; 'I
have given you speech again and a new life, and you therefore by
right belong to me.' Then said one of the king's councillors: 'His
Royal Grace will give you a plenteous reward for succeeding in
unloosing his daughter's tongue; but you cannot have her to wife, as
you are of mean lineage.' The king said: 'You are of mean lineage; I
will give you a plenteous reward instead of our daughter.' But Vanek
wouldn't hear of any other reward, and said: 'The king promised
without any exception, that whoever caused his daughter to speak
again should be her husband. A king's word is a law; and if the king
wants others to observe his laws, he must first keep them himself.
Therefore the king _must_ give me his daughter.' 'Seize and bind
him!' shouted the councillor. 'Whoever says the king _must_ do
anything, offers an insult to his Majesty, and is worthy of death.
May it please your Majesty to order this malefactor to be executed
with the sword?' The king said: 'Let him be executed.' Vanek was
immediately bound and led to execution. When they came to the place
of execution Luck was there waiting for him, and said secretly to
Intelligence, 'See how this man has got on through you, till he has
to lose his head! Make way, and let me take your place!' As soon as
Luck entered Vanek, the executioner's sword broke against the
scaffold, just as if someone had snapped it; and before they brought
him another, up rode a trumpeter on horseback from the city,
galloping as swift as a bird, trumpeted merrily, and waved a white
flag, and after him came the royal carriage for Vanek. This is what
had happened: The princess had told her father at home that Vanek
had but spoken the truth, and the king's word ought not to be
broken. If Vanek were of mean lineage the king could easily make him
a prince. The king said: 'You're right; let him be a prince!' The
royal carriage was immediately sent for Vanek, and the councillor
who had irritated the king against him was executed in his stead.
Afterwards, when Vanek and the princess were going together in a
carriage from the wedding, Intelligence happened to be somewhere on
the road, and seeing that he couldn't help meeting Luck, bent his
head and slipped on one side, just as if cold water had been thrown
upon him. And from that time forth it is said that Intelligence has
always given a wide berth to Luck whenever he has had to meet him.