There was once upon a time a woman who had one son. This son
maintained himself and his mother; he fed their one cow, and brought
wood and carried it to the town for sale, and with the money bought
bread to support his mother and himself. On one occasion he carried
sticks to market, and bought bread and went homewards. As he went
homewards with the bread, he went through a wood, came up to some
shepherds, and saw that they were going to kill a puppy, and said to
them: 'Don't kill it; the poor animal has done you no wrong; give it
rather to me.' The shepherds said to him: 'What will you give us?
Give us that loaf.' He gave them the loaf, took the dog, and carried
it home. When he got home, his mother asked him: 'Have you brought
any bread?' 'No, but I have bought a puppy with the bread.' She then
said: 'Wherewith shall we support it, when we've nothing to eat
ourselves?' 'Well, I'll go gather sticks, sell them, and buy bread.'
He went a second time to gather sticks, took them and sold them,
then bought bread, went through the wood, and saw where the
shepherds were killing a kitten, and said to them: 'Don't kill the
animal; it has done you no harm; rather give it to me?' They said to
him: 'What will you give us?' He said: 'What should I give you, when
I've got nothing?' The shepherds said: 'That loaf of bread.' He gave
it them and carried the kitten home. The old woman was again
anxiously expecting bread. When he got home his mother said to him:
'Do you bring me any bread?' 'No, but I've bought a kitten with the
bread.' The old woman then said: 'You've nothing to eat yourself,
much less the cat.' He then said: 'It, too, will be serviceable.
I'll go gather sticks, sell them, and buy bread.' He went a third
time, gathered and sold sticks, bought bread, and went homewards.
Going through the wood, he saw the shepherds killing a snake, and
said: 'Don't kill the snake, it has done you no harm; why should you
kill it?' He begged for it, too, because he compassionated it; it
was beautifully marked, and he fancied it. Then said the shepherds:
'What will you give us not to kill it?' He said: 'This little loaf
of bread.' He gave it them, and they gave him the snake. He went
home with the snake, and the snake said to him: 'Now feed me; when I
grow up you shall carry me home.' When he got home his mother said
to him: 'Why haven't you brought some bread? Why have you brought
this?' He said: 'It, too, will be of service.' Then he went a fourth
time to gather sticks, took them to market, sold them, bought four
loaves of bread, and brought them home. Then they all ate their
fill--the dog, the cat, the snake, his mother, and himself. He
maintained the whole set of animals. The snake grew big; he now
carried it home. It said to him: 'Do you hear? my mother will offer
you gold and silver, but don't take any, but let her give you the
lock which hangs behind the door. Whenever you want anything
whatever, only knock on the lock; twelve young men will come, who
will ask you: "What are your commands?" Only say what you wish for,
and you will have it immediately.' When he carried it home, its
parents asked him what he wanted for bringing their daughter home.
He said according to his instructions: 'Nothing but that lock, which
hangs behind the door.' They said to him: 'We can't give you that;
and what good would you do yourself with the lock? Let us rather
give you a quantity of money, as much as you can carry.' He then
said: 'I don't wish for your money; only give me the lock.' When
they long refused to give it him, he was about to depart. But they
saw that he ought not to go away without payment, so gave him the
lock. Now, when he had obtained the lock, and had gone a little
distance from the house, he knocked on the lock, and immediately out
came twelve young men, who asked him: 'What are your commands?'
'Only that you place me at home at once.' He immediately stood in
front of his cottage, and when his mother saw him, she rejoiced:
'Oh, my son! you have come home; how miserable I have been because
you were not at home!' 'Well, mamma, don't talk! we shall now live
better than we have done hitherto; I have brought you such a thing,
that we shall live with ease.' Then he gently knocked on the lock,
and up darted the twelve young men: 'What are your commands?' 'Food
and drink for me, my mother, the dog and the cat.' And so it was.
This pleased the old woman, and she loved her son still more.
Now it came into his head that he should like to get married, and he
said to his mother: 'Mamma, go you to our king, and ask him to give
me his daughter to wife.' His mother jeered him: 'What is this
nonsense that you are talking?' 'Well, go you to the king and tell
him!' The old woman did not venture to go at once; but at last go
she did, and told the king that her son wished to marry his
daughter. The king said to her: 'Good! provided he performs for me
what I shall command him; if he breaks up these hills by to-morrow
morning, as far as my eyes can see, so that the best wheat shall
grow, and I shall eat a cake from it to-morrow, then it is good; if
that shall not be done, he will lose his head.' She went home
weeping: 'My son, you have done an evil thing; the king has said to
you, you must break up all these hills by to-morrow morning, as far
as the king's eyes can see, so that the best wheat shall grow there,
and the king shall eat a cake from it to-morrow; and if that be not
done, you will lose your head.' 'Well, mamma, if that's all he said,
then she will be mine.' 'Ah! my sonny! how can this be? You cannot
do it.' 'Don't talk, mamma, but let us go to sleep; you will see
whether all will be ready to-morrow or no.' They took their supper,
and his mother went off to sleep. Then he knocked on the lock, and
out sprang the twelve young men. 'What are your commands?' 'I ask
that these hills be broken up, as far as the king's eyes can see,
and the best wheat must grow there.' It was done. In the morning the
old woman went to the king with the cake. The king rose up and saw
that it was really accomplished, and the old woman was waiting with
the cake. The king came out, and she said to him: 'Good-morning; I
have brought it.' Then the king said: 'Good! he has done this; now
tell him that by to-morrow he must clear all the woods, as far as he
can see, and the best vineyards must be there, and he' (the king)
'must eat grapes and drink new wine to-morrow; and if he does not do
this, he will lose his head.' She went again weeping home, and told
her son all that the king had said to her. But he only smiled and
said: 'Well, well, only go to sleep, you will see whether all will
be ready to-morrow or no.' When they had supped, the old woman went
off to sleep, and he knocked on the lock, and the twelve young men
sprang out: 'What are your commands?' 'I command that these woods be
all cleared, and that they produce the best grapes.' This, too, was
done. In the morning the king rose up and saw that the change was
really effected. The old woman, too, was really waiting for him with
grapes and new wine. The king said to her: 'Well, good! tell your
son that he must accomplish one thing more, and then he will win my
daughter. If he shall have as much cattle, and such a castle as I
have, he will win my daughter; if not, he will lose his head.' The
old woman went home again, and told him what the king said. Then he
knocked on the lock, and immediately out sprang the twelve young
men: 'What are your commands?' He ordered that by the morrow a
better castle must be built than the king had ever seen, and that he
must have more cattle than the king, and there must be a covered way
from his castle to the king's, and that a better garden must be
formed, and in it all kinds of trees, and all sorts of birds to sing
in it. This, too, came to pass. On the morrow he caused his six best
horses to be harnessed, and went to fetch the king's daughter, to go
to the wedding. Then the king said that there should be wedding
festivities for five years. They were married, and the wedding
festivities took place. Entrance was free to everyone. The
festivities had already lasted three years, when the king's
resources were exhausted. Then said the young man: 'Now I will
entertain for three years.' The king of the sea came, too, to the
festivities, and fancied the king's daughter, whom the other had
married. Once upon a time he saw how he knocked upon the lock, and
that which he wanted immediately presented itself. When they went to
sleep, the king of the sea stole the lock, and knocked upon it; up
sprang the twelve young men: 'What are your commands?' 'That this
castle and this lady be placed on the black sea.' It was done. In
the morning the young man and his mother were terrified out of their
wits, because they were lying in a simple cottage. But he knew at
once that he had lost the lock. Then he went to the king and prayed
him to take charge of his mother, that he might go to look for his
castle. Well, he went to look for it, with his dog and cat. He
approached that sea, saw his castle, and said: 'Cat and dog, do you
see our castle? But how shall we get into it?' They went to the sea
and sat down. He was weary, and fell asleep as he sat. Then said the
dog and the cat: 'Let us go for the lock.' The dog said: 'You can't
swim; sit on my back; I will carry you.' They went and came up to
the wall. Then said the dog: 'I can't climb up a wall.' The cat said
to him: 'You hang on somehow behind me.' And thus they arrived at
the corridor. Now said the cat: 'You, dog, stay outside; I'll go in
by myself.' The king of the sea had just such a cat. The cat went to
the door and mewed: 'Miau.' Then said the king of the sea: 'Let the
cat in.' Then the cat went in and took the lock so neatly that the
king of the sea didn't see it; he then went to the door and mewed:
'Miau.' Then said the king of the sea: 'Let the cat out.' The cat
went out, and the dog asked it: 'Have you got it?' 'I have; only
go.' They went over the wall and into the sea; and when they were
already not far from their master, the dog wanted to have hold of
the lock, to carry it up to his master, and said to the cat: 'Give
me the lock; if you don't, I will throw you into the sea.' Then they
squabbled, and the lock fell into the sea, and a fish swallowed it;
but the cat seized the fish, and said: 'If you don't give up the
lock I will kill you.' The fish said: 'Don't kill me; I'll give you
the lock,' and immediately brought the lock up. They went to their
master, and carried up the lock. When their master awoke and rose
up, he said: 'In what condition have you come?' They said: 'Our
master, we have brought the lock.' 'Where is it?' 'Here.' Then he
took it and knocked upon it, and out sprang the twelve young men:
'What are your commands?' 'I command that my castle be placed where
it was, as well as that king and my wife.' It was done. Then he went
into the castle, and she immediately ran to him and they kissed each
other. But he caused the king of the sea to be impaled on a spit in
the midst of the sea. Thus he obtained his castle back again, and
lived happily with his wife, but the king of the sea was destroyed.