A long while ago there lived a poor old couple, who had an only son.
The old man and his wife worked very hard to nourish their child well
and bring him up properly, hoping that he, in return, would take care
of them in their old age.
When, however, the boy had grown up, he said to his parents, 'I am a
man now, and I intend to marry, so I wish you to go at once to the
king and ask him to give me his daughter for wife.' The astonished
parents rebuked him, saying, 'What can you be thinking of? We have
only this poor hut to shelter us, and hardly bread enough to eat, and
we dare not presume to go into the king's presence, much less can we
venture to ask for his daughter to be your wife.'
The son, however, insisted that they should do as he said, threatening
that if they did not comply with his wishes he would leave them, and
go away into the world. Seeing that he was really in earnest in what
he said, the unhappy parents promised him they would go and ask for
the king's daughter. Then the old mother made a wedding cake in her
son's presence, and, when it was ready, she put it in a bag, took her
staff in her hand, and went straight to the palace where the king
lived. There the king's servants bade her come in, and led her into
the hall where his Majesty was accustomed to receive the poor people
who came to ask alms or to present petitions.
The poor old woman stood in the hall, confused and ashamed at her
worn-out, shabby clothes, and looking as if she were made of stone,
until the king said to her kindly, 'What do _you_ want from me, old
mother?'
She dared not, however, tell his Majesty why she had come, so she
stammered out in her confusion, 'Nothing, your Majesty.'
Then the king smiled a little and said, 'Perhaps you come to ask
alms?'
Then the old woman, much abashed, replied, 'Yes, your Majesty, if you
please!'
Thereupon the king called his servants and ordered them to give the
old woman ten crowns, which they did. Having received this money, she
thanked his Majesty, and returned home, saying to herself, 'I dare say
when my son sees all this money he will not think any more of going
away from us.'
In this thought, however, she was quite mistaken, for no sooner had
she entered the hut than the son came to her and asked impatiently,
'Well, mother, have you done as I asked you?'
At this she exclaimed, 'Do give up, once for all, this silly fancy, my
son. How could you expect me to ask the king for his daughter to be
your wife? That would be a bold thing for a rich nobleman to do, how
then can _we_ think of such a thing? Anyhow, _I_ dared not say one
word to the king about it. But only look what a lot of money I have
brought back. Now you can look for a wife suitable for you, and then
you will forget the king's daughter.'
When the young man heard his mother speak thus, he grew very angry, and
said to her, 'What do I want with the king's money? I don't want his
money, but I _do_ want his daughter! I see you are only playing with
me, so I shall leave you. I will go away somewhere--anywhere--wherever
my eyes lead me.'
Then the poor old parents prayed and begged him not to go away from
them, and leave them alone in their old age; but they could only quiet
him by promising faithfully that the mother should go again next day
to the king, and this time really ask him to give his daughter to her
son for a wife.
In the morning, therefore, the old woman went again to the palace, and
the servants showed her into the same hall she had been in before. The
king, seeing her stand there, inquired, 'What want you, my old woman,
now?'
She was, however, so ashamed that she could hardly stammer, 'Nothing,
please your Majesty.'
The king, supposing that she came again to beg, ordered his servants
to give her this time also ten crowns.
With this money the poor woman returned to her hut, where her son met
her, asking, 'Well, mother, _this_ time I hope you have done what I
asked you?' But she replied, 'Now, my dear son, do leave the king's
daughter in peace. How can you really think of such a thing? Even if
she would marry you, where is the house to bring her to? So be quiet,
and take this money which I have brought you.'
At these words the son was more angry than before, and said sharply,
'As I see you will not let me marry the king's daughter, I will leave
you this moment and never come back again;' and, rushing out of the
hut, he ran away. His parents hurried after him, and at length
prevailed on him to return, by swearing to him that his mother should
go again to the king next morning, and really and in truth ask his
Majesty this time for his daughter.
So the young man agreed to go back home and wait until the next day.
On the morrow the old woman, with a heavy heart, went to the palace,
and was shown as before into the king's presence. Seeing her there for
the third time, his Majesty asked her impatiently, 'What do you want
this time, old woman?' And she, trembling all over, said, 'Please your
Majesty--nothing.' Then the king exclaimed, 'But it cannot be nothing.
Something you must want, so tell me the truth at once, if you value
your life!' Thereupon the old woman was forced to tell all the story
to the king; how her son had a great desire to marry the princess, and
so had forced her to come and ask the king to give her to him for
wife.
When the king had heard everything, he said, 'Well, after all, _I_
shall say nothing against it if my daughter will consent to it.' He
then told his servants to lead the princess into his presence. When
she came he told her all about the affair, and asked her, 'Are you
willing to marry the son of this old woman?'
The princess answered, 'Why not? If only he learns first the trade
that no one knows!' Thereupon the king bade his attendants give money
to the poor woman, who now went back to her hut with a light heart.
The moment she entered, her son asked her, 'Have you engaged her?' And
she returned, 'Do let me get my breath a little! Well, _now_ I have
really asked the king; but it is of no use, for the princess declares
she will not marry you until you have learnt the trade that no one
knows!'
'Oh, that matters nothing!' exclaimed the son. 'Now I only know the
condition, it's all right!' The next morning the young man set out on
his travels through the world in search of a man who could teach him
the trade that no one knows. He wandered about a long time without
being able to find out where he could learn such a trade. At length
one day, being quite tired out with walking and very sad, he sat down
on a fallen log by the wayside. After he had sat thus a little while,
an old woman came up to him, and asked, 'Why art thou so sad, my son?'
And he answered, 'What is the use of your asking, when you cannot help
me?' But she continued, 'Only tell me what is the matter, and perhaps
I can help you.' Then he said, 'Well, if you must know, the matter is
this: I have been travelling about the world a long time to find a
master who can teach me the trade which no one knows.' 'Oh, if it is
only that,' cried the old woman, 'just listen to me! Don't be afraid,
but go straight into the forest which lies before you, and there you
will find what you want.'
The young man was very glad to hear this, and got up at once and went
to the forest. When he had gone pretty far in the wood, he saw a large
castle, and, whilst he stood looking at it and wondering what it was,
four giants came out of it and ran up to him, shouting, 'Do you wish
to learn the trade that no one knows?' He said, 'Yes; that is just the
reason why I come here.' Whereupon they took him into the castle.
Next morning the giants prepared to go out hunting, and, before
leaving, they said to him, 'You must on no account go into the first
room by the dining-hall.' Hardly, however, were the giants well out of
sight before the young man began to reason thus with himself: 'I see
very well that I have come into a place from which I shall never go
out alive with my head, so I may as well see what is in the room, come
what may afterwards.' So he went and opened the door a little and
peeped in. There stood a golden ass, bound to a golden manger. He
looked at it a little, and was just going to shut the door when the
ass said, 'Come and take the halter from my head, and keep it hidden
about you. It will serve you well if you only understand how to use
it.' So he took the halter, and, after fastening the room door,
quickly concealed it under his clothes. He had not sat very long
before the giants came home. They asked him at once if he had been in
the first room, and he, much frightened, replied, 'No, I have not been
in.' 'But we know that you have been!' said the giants in great anger,
and seizing some large sticks, they beat him so severely that he could
hardly stand on his feet. It was very lucky for him that he had the
halter wound round his body under his clothes, or else he would
certainly have been killed.
The next day the giants again prepared to go out hunting, but before
leaving him they ordered him on no account to enter the second room.
Almost as soon as the giants had gone away he became so very curious
to see what might be in the second room, that he could not resist
going to the door. He stood there a little, thinking within himself,
'Well, I am already more dead than alive, much worse cannot happen to
me!' and so he opened the door and looked in. There he was surprised
to see a very beautiful girl, dressed all in gold and silver, who sat
combing her hair, and setting in every tress a large diamond. He stood
admiring her a little while, and was just going to shut the door
again, when she spoke, 'Wait a minute, young man. Come and take this
key, and mind you keep it safely. It will serve you some time, if you
only know how to use it.' So he went in and took the key from the
girl, and then, going out, fastened the door and went and sat down in
the same place he had sat before.
He had not remained there very long before the giants came home from
hunting. The moment they entered the house they took up their large
sticks to beat him, asking, at the same time, whether he had been in
the second room.