There was once a king who had three sons, and he loved them all so
tenderly that each one was dearer to him than the others. He loved them
all so well that he could not make up his mind to which one to leave
his kingdom. He thought and thought, and then he called his wise old
councilor to him and asked his advice.
“Your Majesty,” said the Councilor, “you love all three of the princes
equally, and so my advice is to leave the kingdom to the one who loves
you best.”
“But I do not know which one loves me best,” said the King.
“Then set them three tasks. The one who performs the tasks the best,
and who takes the most trouble to please you,—he must be the one who
bears you the most love.”
This advice pleased the King, and he sent for his three sons, and told
them what he had decided to do. “I have,” said he, “a great wish for a
little dog to amuse me. I will give you a year in which to find me the
smallest and prettiest little dog in the world. Whichever of you will
bring me such a dog shall receive a third of my kingdom.”
As soon as the princes heard this they were eager to set out in search
of such a dog. The two older brothers were sure one of them would find
it, for they did not think much of their younger brother. Each one
rode away to a great city, and went to the best dog dealers there. The
eldest son bought a little white dog no larger than a small kitten,
and very pretty and playful. The second son bought a red dog so small
it could curl up in the palm of his hand. Each was content with his
choice, and rode home without searching further.
The King was delighted with the dogs they brought, and his sons wished
him to decide at once as to which of them deserved the kingdom, but
this the King would not do. “No, no,” said he, “we must wait until your
brother comes. He can hardly find another dog as pretty as these, but
still it is only right to wait until he returns, or until the year is
up.”
Meanwhile the youngest prince had ridden on and on, much farther
than either of his other brothers. Everywhere he asked for dogs, and
hundreds of them were brought to him, big and little, fat and thin,
black and white, and gray and red and yellow. But not one of them was
what the Prince wanted.
At last one day he came to a deep forest. A storm had risen; the Prince
was wet to the skin with rain, and covered with mud. He saw a light
before him shining through the trees, and he rode toward it. He hoped
he might find there some shelter for the night.
What was his surprise, as he drew near the light, to see it came from a
magnificent palace that had been built here in the deep forest far away
from any city. The Prince knocked at the door and at once it opened
before him. He went in and looked about him, but he saw no one, though
invisible hands closed the door behind him. An unseen hand took his and
he was led through several rooms to a handsome chamber that seemed to
have been made ready for him. His wet and muddy clothes were removed
and he was dressed in a suit of white and silver; but with all this he
still saw no one.
He was then led to a banquet hall where a fine feast was laid out.
Suddenly, while the Prince stood looking about him there was a sound
of trumpets; the doors opposite to him swung open, and a strange
procession marched into the room. First, walking upright came a small
and very pretty white cat. She was dressed all in black, and wore a
long black veil, and an ebony crown. She was followed by other cats.
Some of these were dressed as ladies-in-waiting, some as courtiers, and
some as trumpeters.
The White Cat came up to the Prince and bade him welcome. “I saw you as
you rode through the forest,” she said, “and this feast was made ready
for you. Come, Prince, let us take our places at the table and eat.”
The cat then seated herself at the head of the table and motioned the
Prince to sit beside her.
Unseen hands at once served them with the most rare and delicious
dishes. The cat ate daintily, and the Prince noticed that she touched
nothing but some oddly cooked birds, and some cream.
He himself was hungry and ate of everything, and while he ate the White
Cat talked to him with so much sense and wit that he was delighted with
her.
After supper the White Cat left him and he was led by invisible hands
to a magnificent chamber, where he spent the night.
The next morning when he awoke he found a hunting-suit of green laid
out for him, and high riding-boots and a plumed hat. Unseen hands
dressed him, and food was served to him in a breakfast-room hung about
with curtains of satin embroidered with gold.
After he had eaten, the Prince went in search of the White Cat. He
found her in the courtyard. She and her attendants and several cats
dressed as huntsmen were about to set out on a hunt. She invited the
Prince to go with them, and he gladly accepted.
[Illustration: THE PRINCE GOES HUNTING WITH THE WHITE CAT]
A troop of monkeys all saddled and bridled were led up to the palace
steps. The Prince looked on in wonder while the White Cat sprang
upon the back of the largest and finest monkey. The other cats also
mounted, but as the Prince was too large to ride a monkey a large
wooden horse on wheels was brought for him to ride. This seemed so
absurd to the Prince that he was about to refuse, but the White Cat
motioned him to it so politely that he was ashamed to say no. He sprang
to the back of the wooden steed, and at once he felt it move and stir
under him as though it were alive. The cat-huntsmen sounded their
horns, and away the hunting-party went. The White Cat and the Prince
rode first, and the Prince found the wooden horse rolled along so
smoothly and swiftly that nothing could have been pleasanter.
The day was spent in hunting through the forest, and in the evening
there was another grand feast at the palace, this time with music and
dancing. The dancers were six large black cats dressed in spangled
clothes, and their leaps and bounds and twirlings were wonderful. The
Prince had never been so well amused in his life before.
Day after day slipped by, and still the Prince stayed at the White
Cat’s palace, and he was so happy there that he quite forgot his father
and the kingdom he had hoped to win. The year had passed, all but three
days, when suddenly the Prince remembered his errand. He was filled
with dismay, for now it was too late for him to seek for a little dog,
and he feared he had lost all chance of winning the kingdom.
But the White Cat saw his trouble. “Do not be dismayed, Prince,” she
said. “I know the errand that brought you here, and I am ready to help
you.” She then handed him an acorn. “Here,” she said, “take this and
you will find in it the thing you seek.”
The Prince thought the cat was mocking him, but she bade him put the
acorn to his ear and listen. When he did this he could hear from within
the acorn a sound of barking as thin and small as the squeaking of a
mouse.
“Do not open it until you reach home,” said the White Cat. “Then, when
your father sees what is inside of it he will know that you are the one
who deserves the kingdom.”
The Prince thanked the cat, and mounted his own horse, which had been
brought from the stables, and rode on home. Just before he reached his
father’s palace he bought an ugly dog from a beggar, and took it with
him.
When he entered the palace he went at once to the room where his
father sat upon his throne with his two elder sons by him.
When the two princes saw their younger brother enter the court with the
ugly dog at his heels they laughed aloud with scorn. They felt very
sure that now the kingdom would belong to them.
The King was very much offended. He spoke to the young Prince harshly.
“Why do you bring such an ugly cur to my court?” he asked. “Have you no
more respect for my wishes than to present me with such a dog as that?”
The Prince, however, answered gently, “Dear father, have patience for a
moment and I may offer you something that will please you better.”
He then drew out the acorn and opened it. Inside it was a tiny satin
cushion, and upon this cushion lay a dog so small and so exquisite that
the King was filled with wonder. He could scarcely believe his eyes.
“Truly you deserve to have the kingdom at once,” cried he, “but I have
promised that there shall be three trials before I give the kingdom to
any one of you.”
The King then told the princes that he wished them to bring him a
piece of muslin so fine and delicate that it could be drawn through the
eye of a needle. Whichever one succeeded best should receive at least a
part of the kingdom.
The three princes at once set out on this new errand. The elder
brothers sought out the dealers in great cities as before, but the
youngest Prince rode straight to the castle of the White Cat.
The cat received him kindly. “I know what is required of you,” she
said. “Do not trouble yourself in the matter. Stay here with me, and
when the proper time arrives you shall have what is needed.”
So the Prince stayed there in the White Cat’s palace for a year, all
but three days, and the time passed even more pleasantly than before.
At the end of that time the White Cat gave a walnut to the Prince.
“Take this,” she said, “and do not open it until you are at home again.
Within it you will find what you desire.”
The Prince took the walnut and rode away. When he reached the court
his brothers were already there. Each had brought with him a piece of
muslin so fine that it would pass through the eye of a darning-needle,
but they could not draw it through the eye of a cambric needle.
Then the third Prince took out the walnut and cracked it. Within
it he expected to see a piece of muslin, but instead he found
only a hazel-nut. He cracked the hazel-nut and inside of it was a
cherry-stone. He cracked the cherry-stone and inside of it was a grain
of wheat. The Prince began to fear the White Cat had deceived him, and
that he must lose the kingdom. As for his brothers, they laughed aloud
and mocked at him.
“What trick is this that you are playing on us?” they asked. “If you
have the muslin show it to us, and if not then confess to our father
that you have failed.”
Without answering, the Prince cracked the grain of wheat, and inside it
was a millet-seed. His heart sank. However, he cracked the millet seed,
and there was the piece of muslin the cat had promised to him. He shook
it out and there were ells and ells of it and all as fine as gossamer.
Never had such a piece of cloth been seen before. The King looked and
wondered and admired. The muslin was so fine it could be drawn not
only through the eye of a darning-needle, but through the eye of a
cambric needle as well.
“This is a wonderful piece of cloth,” said the King to the young
Prince. “You have indeed again deserved the kingdom, but there is one
more task to be performed before I can give it to anyone. I wish you to
bring to me the most beautiful princess in the world. Whichever of you
can do this shall receive at least a half of the kingdom.”
When the elder brothers heard this they were in haste to set out. The
youngest brother had already brought to their father the smallest and
prettiest dog in the world, and the finest piece of muslin, but with
good luck one of them might still bring to him the most beautiful
princess. They journeyed away to far kingdoms where there were
princesses who were famed for their beauty; but the youngest prince
rode no place at all but to the palace of the White Cat.
The cat welcomed him even more kindly than before. “I know what you
have come to seek,” said she. “This matter is not so easy as the others
were. But do not be downhearted. I will help you when the proper time
comes.”
Again the days passed pleasantly in the White Cat’s castle, and the
Prince was well content to stay there. He was so happy that a whole
year, all but a day, slipped by before he thought about it. Then one
morning he awoke, and remembered that the next day he must be back at
the King’s palace with the most beautiful princess in the world, if
he were to win the kingdom. “Alas, alas!” he cried. “The kingdom is
certainly lost to me. I have no time left to seek for a princess, and
moreover it is a three days’ journey back to the palace. Before I reach
there the kingdom will certainly have been divided between my brothers.”
“Have I not promised to help you?” asked the cat. “Why do you trouble
yourself? If you do exactly as I tell you the kingdom will be yours;
and not that kingdom only, but others beside.”
The cat then told the Prince to draw his sword and cut off her head,
but the Prince refused to do such an act. He was filled with horror at
the bare thought of it.
The White Cat began to weep bitterly. “What have I not done for you?”
she cried; “and you will not do even this one thing for me.”
She wept and lamented so bitterly that at last the Prince could refuse
no longer. He drew his sword to cut off the cat’s head, but at the same
time he closed his eyes that he might not see the cruel deed.
When he opened his eyes again what was his wonder to see no cat, but a
beautiful princess who stood before him smiling. Never had he seen such
beauty before.
“Prince,” said the Princess, “you have saved me from a cruel fate. I
was taken by the fairies when I was a baby and lived with them as a
daughter until I grew up. Then I made them angry because I would not
marry a very rich and ugly dwarf who was a friend of theirs. They then
changed me and all my companions into cats, and we were obliged to live
in these shapes until some young and kind-hearted prince would cut off
my head. This you have done, and now we are all restored to our proper
shapes again. This shows me that the fairies have forgiven me and will
give me back the two kingdoms that were mine by rights.”
The Princess, a cat no longer, then ordered the wooden horse to be
brought to the door. She and the Prince mounted upon it, and away
they went, so fast that the wind whistled past their ears. The three
day’s journey was made in less than a day, and when the Prince led the
Princess into court, everyone was obliged to own that now he had indeed
fairly won the kingdom. His two brothers had also brought home with
them beautiful princesses, but neither could compare in beauty with the
bride of the youngest Prince; for his bride she had promised to be.
As soon as a feast could be prepared, she and the young Prince were
married.
As the Princess had already two kingdoms of her own she begged the old
King to divide his kingdom between his two elder sons. This was done,
the older princes were married to the beauties they had brought home
with them, and they all lived in love and happiness forever after.
[Illustration]