happened just as the wizard had foretold. A fierce tempest arose, and
lasted three days, and when it was over the whole crew were fatigued,
and lay down to sleep in their hammocks. The youngest prince, however,
then rowed to the shore, and there he found the castle, guarded by
wolves, bears, and lions, who all crawled at his feet, so that he
entered without opposition. In one of the apartments sat the king,
asleep, and the twelve princesses sat each on her chair, employed as
the wizard had said. The prince made signs to them that they should
retire; they however pointed to the wizard, and signed to him in
return that he had better quickly withdraw. But he tried to make them
understand, by looks and gestures, that he was come to deliver them,
and when, at length, they understood his design, they stole softly
away one after the other. Then the prince rushed on the wizard king,
and cut off his heads, so that the blood flowed like a great river,
and when he had convinced himself that the wizard was dead, he rowed
back to the vessel, and again concealed the sword. He thought he had
now done enough unaided, and as he could not carry the giant's corpse
out of the castle without assistance, he resolved that the others
should help him. He therefore awakened them, and told them it was a
shame that they should lie sleeping there, whilst he had found the
princesses, and delivered them out of the wizard's power. They all
laughed at him, and said he must have been asleep too, and had only
dreamt that he had become such a hero; for it was far more likely that
one of themselves should deliver the princesses than such a youth as
he.
Then the prince told them all that had happened, so they consented to
row to the land, and when they beheld the river of blood, and the
wizard's castle, and his twelve heads lying there, and saw also the
twelve princesses, they were convinced that he had spoken the truth,
and so assisted him in throwing the heads and the corpse of the wizard
into the sea. They were now all right merry and pleased, but none were
better pleased than the princesses to be delivered from the task of
sitting all day beside the giant, combing his twelve heads.
The princes and princesses, after they had collected as much of the
gold and silver, and as many of the costly articles in the castle as
they could carry, returned to the vessel, and again set sail. They had
not gone far, however, when the princesses recollected that, in their
joy, they had omitted to bring away with them their golden crowns,
which were in a great chest, and these they very much desired to have
with them. As no one else seemed inclined to go back for them, the
youngest of the king's sons said: "Since I have already dared to do so
much, I may as well also fetch the golden crowns, if you will take in
the sails and wait my return."
Yes, they were willing to do that; they would lower the sails and wait
till he returned. But the prince was no sooner out of sight of the
vessel than Commander Rod, who wished to play the principal part, and
to marry the youngest princess, said: "It was no use for us to stay
here waiting for the prince, who, we may be sure, will not come back;
besides," added he, "you know full well that the king has given to me
full power to sail when and where I think proper;" then he insisted
further that they should all say that it was he who had set the
princesses free: and if any one of them should dare to say otherwise
it should cost him his life. The princes were afraid to contradict
him, so they sailed away. Meanwhile the younger prince had rowed to
the shore, and soon found in the castle the chest containing the
golden crowns, and after a great deal of trouble and fatigue, for it
was very heavy, he succeeded in heaving it into the boat. But when he
got out into the open sea, the ship was no longer in sight. He looked
north, south, east, and west, but no trace could he discover of it,
and he quickly guessed what had occurred. He knew that to row after it
would be quite useless, so he had only to turn back and row again to
the shore. It is true that he was rather alarmed at the idea of
passing the night all alone in the castle, but there was no avoiding
it; so he screwed up his courage as well as he could, locked all the
gates and doors, and lay down to sleep in a bed which he found ready
prepared in one of the apartments. But he felt very uneasy, and became
much more terrified, on presently hearing in the roof over his head,
and along the walls, a creaking and cracking, as if the castle were
about to split asunder; and then came a great rustling close to his
bed, like a whole haystack falling down. However, he was in some
degree comforted when he immediately after the noise heard a voice
bidding him not to be alarmed.
"Fear not, fear not, thy friend I am;
I am the wondrous bird called Dam.
When thou'rt in trouble call on me:
I shall be near to succour thee,"
said the voice, and then added: "As soon as you wake to-morrow
morning, you must go directly to the Stabur[4], and fetch me four
bushels of rye for my breakfast; I must have a good meal, otherwise I
can do nothing for you."
[Footnote 4: A building used as a kind of store-room or larder, and
supported on short pillars or posts, so as not to allow it to touch
the ground.]
When the prince awoke in the morning, he saw by his bed-side a
terribly large bird, who had a feather at the back of his head as long
as a half-grown fir tree. The prince immediately went to the Stabur
and brought thence four bushels of rye, as the wondrous bird Dam had
commanded, who, as soon as he had taken his breakfast, desired the
prince to hang the chest containing the golden crowns on one side of
his neck, and as much gold and silver as would balance it on the
other, and then to get upon his back and hold fast by the long
feather. The prince obeyed and off they went, whizzing through the air
at such a rate, that in a very short time they found themselves
exactly above the ship. The prince then wished to go on board, that he
might get the sword which the wizard had given him.
[Illustration: THE TWELVE LOST PRINCESSES AND THE WIZARD KING. P.
259.]
But the wondrous bird Dam told him that he must not do so: "Commander
Rod," added he, "will not discover it; but if you go on board he will
try to kill you, for he very much wishes to marry the youngest
princess; but make yourself easy about her, for every night she places
a drawn sword on the bed by her side."
At last they reached the castle of the wizard prince, who gave the
young prince a hearty welcome. He seemed as if he could not make
enough of him, for having killed his sovereign, in whose stead he was
now king. He would willingly have given his daughter and half his
kingdom to the young prince, but that the latter was so much in love
with the youngest of the twelve princesses, that he could think of no
one but her, and he was all impatience to be off again.
The wizard, however, besought him to have a little patience, and told
him that the princesses were doomed to sail about still for twice
seven years before they could return home. As to the youngest
princess, the wizard said exactly the same as the wondrous bird Dam:
"You may be quite at ease concerning her," said he, "for she always
carries a drawn sword to bed with her. And if you do not believe me,
you may go on board when they next sail past this place, to convince
yourself; and, at the same time, bring me the sword I lent you, for I
must positively have it back."
Now after seven years' more wandering, the princes and princesses were
again sailing past the island; a terrible storm came on as before, and
after it was over the king's son went on board and found them all fast
asleep as on the former occasions; but by each of the princes a
princess also lay asleep. Only the youngest princess slept alone, with
a naked sword beside her; and on the floor, in front of the bed, lay
Commander Rod, also sound asleep. The king's son took the sword from
his hammock, and rowed to the island, without any one having perceived
that he had been on board.
The prince, however, grew more and more impatient, always wishing to
set out again.
At length, when the second seven years were completed all but three
weeks, the wizard said to him: "Now you may prepare for your voyage,
since you are determined not to remain with us. I will lend you an
iron boat that will go of itself on the water, by your merely saying
to it: 'Boat, go forwards.' In the boat you will find a boat-hook,
which you must lift up a little when you see the ship right before
you. Such a fresh breeze will then spring up, that the ship's crew
will forget to look after you. As soon as you get near the ship, raise
the boat-hook a little higher, and then a storm will arise that will
give them other work to do than spying after you. When you shall have
passed the ship, raise the boat-hook for the third time, but you must
be careful each time to lay it down again, else there will be such a
tempest, that you, as well as the others, will perish. On reaching the
shore, you need take no further trouble about the boat than to turn it
upside down, shove it into the sea, and say: 'Boat, go home again.'"
When the prince was departing, he received from the wizard so much
gold and silver, together with other treasures, and clothes and linen
which the princess had made for him during his long stay in the
island, that he was a great deal richer than any of his brothers.
He had no sooner seated himself in the boat and said, "Boat, go
forwards," than on it went, and when he came in sight of the ship, he
raised the boat-hook, and a breeze sprang up, so that the crew forgot
to look after him; and on nearing the vessel he did the same, when
such a storm and gale arose, that the ship was covered with the white
spray, and the waves broke over the deck, so that the crew had no
leisure to remark him. At last when he had passed the ship, he raised
the boat-hook the third time, and the crew found enough to do to make
them quite forget him. He reached the land long before the ship, and,
after taking his property out of the boat, he turned it over, shoved
it into the sea, saying, "Boat, go home," and away it went.
He now disguised himself as a sailor, and went to the wretched hovel
of an old woman, to whom he said he was a poor shipwrecked sailor, the
only one of the crew who had escaped drowning; and he begged shelter
in her hut for himself and the things he had saved from the wreck.
"Ah, heaven help me," replied the woman, "I can give no one shelter. I
have not even a bed for myself, let alone any one else."
Oh! that did not signify, said the sailor, so that he had but a roof
over his head, it was all one to him what he lay upon; therefore she
would not surely refuse him the shelter of her roof, since he was
content to take things as he found them.
In the evening, he brought his things to the cottage, and the old
woman, who did not at all dislike to have something new to talk about,
began inquiring who he was, where he had been, and whither he was
going; what were the things he had brought with him; on what business
he was travelling, and whether he had heard anything of the twelve
princesses who had disappeared so many years ago, with so many other
questions, that it would be tiresome to repeat them.
But the sailor replied that he felt so ill, and had such a terrible
headache from the fatigues he had undergone during the storm, that he
could not accurately recollect anything that had passed; but that
after he should have had a few days repose, and recovered from his
labours, she should hear all.
The next day, however, the old woman renewed her questions, but the
sailor pretended still to have such a terrible headache, that he could
not rightly remember anything; though he did let a word or two drop,
as by accident, which showed that he did know something about the
princesses.
Off ran the old woman to tell this news to all the gossips in the
neighbourhood, who hurried one after the other to the hut, to hear all
about the princesses; and to ask whether the sailor had seen them, if
they were soon coming, and a hundred other questions.
Still the sailor had such a terrible headache, that he could not
answer their questions. Thus much, however, he did say: that if the
princesses were not wrecked during that fierce storm, they would
certainly arrive in fourteen days, or even sooner. He had certainly
seen them alive, but they might have since perished.
One of the gossips went forthwith to the royal residence, and related
all that she had heard; and when the king heard it, he desired that
the sailor should be brought to him.
The sailor replied, "I have no clothes in which I can appear before
the king."
But he was told that he must go, for the king must and would see him,
whatever appearance he might make, for he was the first person who had
ever brought any news of the princesses. So he entered the king's
presence, when he was asked if he had really seen the princesses.
"Yes," said the sailor, "but I know not if they still live, for when
I saw them, it was during such a fierce storm, that we were wrecked.
But if they did not then go to the bottom, they may be here in about
fourteen days, or perhaps sooner."
When the king heard this, he was almost frantic with joy, and at the
appointed time for the arrival of the princesses, he went down to the
shore in state to meet them; and great was the rejoicing through the
land, when at last the ship sailed into port, with the princes, and
princesses, and Commander Rod. The eleven elder princesses were in
high spirits and good humour; but the youngest, whom Commander Rod was
anxious to marry, was very sad and wept incessantly, for which the
king chid her, and asked her why she was not happy and cheerful, like
her sisters. She had no cause, thought he, to be sad, now she was
delivered from the wizard, and had such a fine man as Commander Rod
for her lover. The Princess however durst not tell the truth, for
Commander Rod had told the king that it was himself who had liberated
the princesses, and had threatened to kill any one who should say
otherwise.
Now, one day while the princesses were making their wedding clothes, a
man in a coarse sailor's jacket, with a pedlar's pack on his back,
came and asked them if they would not like to buy some fine things for
their wedding, for he had some costly articles of gold and silver.
"Yes," said they, "very possibly they might," and they looked very
attentively at the ornaments, and still more so at him, for they could
not help fancying that they had seen both him and the goods before.
[Illustration]
At last the youngest princess said, that he who had such costly
articles, might perhaps have others still more suitable to them.
"Very possibly," returned the pedlar.
But her sisters bade her be quiet, and remember Commander Rod's
threat.
Shortly after, when the princesses were sitting at the window, the
king's son came again in his coarse sailor jacket, carrying the chest
with the golden crowns.
On entering the hall, he opened the chest, and now when the princesses
recognised each her own golden crown, the youngest princess said:--"To
me it seems only fair and just, that he who suffers for us, should
receive the reward to which he is entitled; our deliverer is not
Commander Rod, but he who has now brought us our golden crowns, is
also he who destroyed the wizard."
Then the king's son threw off his jacket, and stood there far more
splendidly attired than any of the rest.
The king now caused Commander Rod to be put to death for his perfidy,
and gave his daughter in marriage to the young prince.
The rejoicings in the royal residence were very great, and each prince
took his princess away to a different realm, so that the tale was told
and talked about in no less than twelve distinct kingdoms.
THE STUDY OF MAGIC UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
[Italian.]
In the island of Sicily, and in the fair and famous city of Messina,
dwelt a man, Lactantius by name, who was a great proficient in two
different arts. By day, and ostensibly to his fellow-citizens, he
carried on the trade of a tailor; but by night, and secretly, he
studied the art of necromancy. One evening, when he had locked himself
in his room, and was occupied with all kinds of magic works, as ill
luck would have it, a young man, one of his apprentices, came to the
door. Dionysius, such was his name, had returned to fetch from the
chamber of Lactantius something which he had forgotten. When he
perceived that the door was closed, but at the same time heard a noise
within, he crept gently up, peeped through the keyhole, and witnessed
his master's magic doings. Such delight did this give the young man,
that from that moment he thought of nothing but how he might secretly
learn his master's art. Needle, thimble, and shears thenceforth were
little troubled by him; he cared alone to learn that which no one
cared to teach him, and so from having been an industrious, attentive,
useful workman, he became careless, idle, and inattentive. Lactantius
perceiving this change in his apprentice, discharged him from his
service, and sent him back to his father, who was much grieved in
consequence.
The father having repeatedly lectured his son, with tears besought him
to attend to his duty, and taking him back to the tailor, earnestly
begged him to receive his son once again, desiring him, should he
again neglect his business, to punish him severely.
Lactantius, out of kindness to the poor man, was soon persuaded; he
again received his pupil, and instructed him carefully every day in
cutting out and sewing. As, however, Dionysius would absolutely learn
nothing, his master gave him many a sound caning, so that the poor
apprentice, who received more blows than bread, was always black and
blue, all of which he bore with the greatest patience, so insensible
had he become to everything through the engrossing desire to learn
that secret art which he night after night watched his master carry
on, as he stood peeping through the keyhole.
Lactantius, who took him for the stupid lout he appeared to be, at
last gave himself no further trouble to conceal his witchcraft from
him, thinking that as he could not even learn the business of
tailoring, which is so easy, he would far less comprehend witchcraft,
which is really a puzzling art. He therefore no longer made a secret
of his practices to Dionysius, who now thought himself the most
fortunate of men, and who although others considered him such a
blockhead, in a very short time became such a proficient in the magic
art, that he understood more of it than his master.
One day, as the father was passing by Lactantius' house, not seeing
his son in the shop, he entered, and found that, instead of working
with the other apprentices, he was cleaning the house, and in short,
performing all the offices of a housemaid.
This so disturbed the good man, that he took his son home with him,
and thus lectured him: "Thou knowest, Dionysius, how much I have
expended on thee, in the hope that thou wouldst learn a useful
business, whereby one day to support thyself and me; but, alas! I have
sown my seed on the waters, for thou refusest to learn anything. Truly
this will be my death, for I am so poor I know not how to support
myself, nor have I any means of providing for thee. Therefore, I
beseech thee, my son, learn to support thyself in any respectable way
thou canst."
Having said this, the old man began to weep, when Dionysius, moved by
his distress, replied: "Dear father, I thank you a thousand times, and
from my heart, for all the trouble and anxiety you have had on my
account: but I beg you will not think, because I did not learn
tailoring, as you wished me, that I have therefore passed the time in
idleness. On the contrary, by night-watching and unwearied efforts, I
have learned an art which I hope hereafter to exercise so
efficaciously that you and I shall live all our days in peace and joy.
That you may not imagine that I say this merely to satisfy you for the
moment, I will at once give you a proof of what I affirm.
"To-morrow, by means of my secret art, I will transform myself into a
fine horse; saddle and bridle me, and lead me to the market, and sell
me. When you shall have made your bargain, go quietly home, your
pocket full of money, and you shall find me here again in the same
form which I now bear. Judge therefore whether or not I have learned
something useful, since in so short a time I can earn for you the
necessaries of life. Take especial heed, however, when you sell me,
not to part with my bridle; this, come what will, you must carefully
retain, else I shall not be able to return, and perhaps you may never
see me again."
The next morning Dionysius stripped himself in presence of his father,
and after anointing himself with a certain ointment, he murmured some
words, whereupon, to the inexpressible astonishment of the good old
man, in the place of his son, a fine powerful horse suddenly appeared,
which he immediately harnessed as his son had instructed him, and led
him to the market. As soon as the merchants and horse-dealers saw him,
they gathered round him, quite delighted with the beauty of the horse,
the action of whose limbs and whole body was so perfect, and who
showed such a fleetness and fire, that it was quite surprising. All
inquired if the horse were for sale, to which the old man replied in
the affirmative.
By accident, Lactantius was in the market, and as soon as he saw the
horse, and had narrowly examined him, he at once discovered that it
was a magic horse. He therefore withdrew unperceived from the crowd,
and hastened home, disguised himself as a merchant, and provided with
an ample sum of money, returned to the market, where he found the man
still with his horse. He approached the animal, and after attentively
observing him, recognised in him his apprentice, Dionysius. He then
asked the old man if he would sell him, and they soon concluded a
bargain. Lactantius paid him two hundred gold pieces; but as he took
him by the bridle to lead him away, the old man objected, saying that
he had sold the horse but not the bridle, which he must have back
again. Lactantius however contrived to talk him over, so that he
obtained the bridle as well as the horse, which he led home, and
fastening him to the stall, gave him for breakfast and supper so many
hundred blows, that the poor beast became nothing but skin and bones,
and excited the compassion of all who beheld him.
Lactantius had two daughters, who, when they saw their father's
barbarity, went daily into the stable to do what they could for the
poor horse. They caressed him, patted him, and treated him with all
possible kindness, and one day went so far as to lead him by the
halter to drink at the stream. The moment, however, the horse found
himself by the water, he threw himself into it, and transforming
himself into a little fish, he disappeared in the waves.
At this extraordinary occurrence the maidens stood speechless with
astonishment, and returning home, gave way to the deepest sorrow. Some
time after Lactantius returned, and went into the stable to administer
a little further chastisement to his horse, when to his great
astonishment he found him gone. Very indignant thereat, he went to his
daughters, and beheld them in tears. Without inquiring the cause, for
he knew full well the cause of their trouble, he said to them: "My
children, fear nothing, only tell me what has become of the horse, in
order that I may at once take measures concerning him."
The poor maidens composed themselves on hearing these words, and
related to him what had happened. When the father had heard the story,
he hastened to the river, transformed himself into a large fish,
dashed into the water, and as fast as his fins could carry him pursued
the little fish, intending to swallow him.
When the latter beheld the voracious fish, with its terrible teeth, he
was dreadfully alarmed at the thought of being swallowed by him, and
approaching the bank of the river, he left the water, and in the form
of a beautiful ruby, set in gold, he threw himself unseen into the
little basket which the king's daughter, who happened just then to be
amusing herself with picking up little pebbles on the sand, carried on
her arm.
As soon as the princess, who was called Violante, returned home, she
took her treasures out of the little basket, and perceived the ring
shining amongst the pebbles. Quite delighted, she placed it on her
finger, and could not desist from contemplating it.
At night, when the princess had retired to her sleeping apartment, the
ring suddenly changed into a handsome young man. He laid his hand on
the princess's mouth, who was about to scream aloud, then threw
himself at her feet and besought her forgiveness. He assured her he
was not there with any disrespectful purpose, but only to implore her
assistance, and then told her his misfortune, and the persecutions he
had to endure.