[Illustration: THE YOUNG MAN GIVES THE DONKEYS TO THE MILLER]
Then the Hunter said that to the old donkey which was the witch, three
beatings and one meal; to the younger one, which was the servant, one
beating and three meals; and to the youngest one, which was the maiden,
no beating and three meals; for he could not find it in his heart to let
the maiden be beaten.
Then he went back into the castle, and he found there all that he
wanted. After a couple of days the miller came and said that he must
tell him that the old donkey which was to have three beatings and only
one meal had died. 'The two others,' he added, 'are certainly not dead,
and get their three meals every day, but they are so sad that they
cannot last much longer.'
Then the Hunter took pity on them, laid aside his anger, and told the
miller to drive them back again. And when they came he gave them some
of the good cabbage to eat, so that they became human again. Then the
beautiful maiden fell on her knees before him saying, 'Oh, my dearest,
forgive me the ill I have done you! My mother compelled me to do it; it
was against my will, for I love you dearly. Your wishing-cloak is
hanging in a cupboard, and as for the bird-heart I will make a drink and
give it back to you.'
But he changed his mind, and said, 'Keep it; it makes no difference, for
I will take you to be my own dear true wife.'
And the wedding was celebrated, and they lived happy together till
death.
*LUCKY LUCK*
Once upon a time there was a King who had an only son. When the lad was
about eighteen years old his father had to go to fight in a war against
a neighbouring country, and the king led his troops in person. He bade
his son act as Regent in his absence, but ordered him on no account to
marry till his return.
Time went by. The Prince ruled the country and never even thought of
marrying. But when he reached his twenty-fifth birthday he began to
think that it might be rather nice to have a wife, and he thought so
much that at last he got quite eager about it. He remembered, however,
what his father had said, and waited some time longer, till at last it
was ten years since the King went out to war. Then the Prince called
his courtiers about him and set off with a great retinue to seek a
bride. He hardly knew which way to go, so he wandered about for twenty
days, when, suddenly, he found himself in his father's camp.
The King was delighted to see his son, and had a great many questions to
ask and answer; but when he heard that instead of quietly waiting for
him at home the Prince was starting off to seek a wife he was very
angry, and said: 'You may go where you please, but I will not leave any
of my people with you.'
Only one faithful servant stayed with the Prince and refused to part
from him. They journeyed over hill and dale till they came to a place
called Goldtown. The King of Goldtown had a lovely daughter, and the
Prince, who soon heard about her beauty, could not rest till he saw her.
[Illustration: THE FAITHFUL SERVANT & THE THREE EAGLES]
He was very kindly received, for he was extremely good-looking and had
charming manners, so he lost no time in asking for her hand and her
parents gave her to him with joy. The wedding took place at once, and
the feasting and rejoicings went on for a whole month. At the end of
the month they set off for home, but as the journey was a long one they
spent the first evening at an inn. Everyone in the house slept, and
only the faithful servant kept watch. About midnight he heard three
crows, who had flown to the roof, talking together.
'That's a handsome couple which arrived here to-night. It seems quite a
pity they should lose their lives so soon.'
'Truly,' said the second crow; 'for to-morrow, when midday strikes, the
bridge over the Gold Stream will break just as they are driving over it.
But, listen! whoever overhears and tells what we have said will be
turned to stone up to his knees.'
The crows had hardly done speaking when away they flew. And close upon
them followed three pigeons.
'Even if the Prince and Princess get safe over the bridge they will
perish,' said they; 'for the King is going to send a carriage to meet
them which looks as new as paint. But when they are seated in it a
raging wind will rise and whirl the carriage away into the clouds. Then
it will fall suddenly to earth, and they will be killed. But anyone who
hears and betrays what we have said will be turned to stone up to his
waist.'
With that the pigeons flew off and three eagles took their places, and
this is what they said:
'If the young couple does manage to escape the dangers of the bridge and
the carriage, the King means to send them each a splendid
gold-embroidered robe. When they put these on they will be burnt up at
once. But whoever hears and repeats this will turn to stone from head
to foot.'
Early next morning the travellers got up and breakfasted. They began to
tell each other their dreams. At last the servant said:
'Gracious Prince, I dreamt that if your Royal Highness would grant all I
asked we should get home safe and sound; but if you did not we should
certainly be lost. My dreams never deceive me, so I entreat you to
follow my advice during the rest of the journey.'
'Don't make such a fuss about a dream,' said the Prince; 'dreams are but
clouds. Still, to prevent your being anxious I will promise to do as
you wish.'
With that they set out on their journey.
At midday they reached the Gold Stream. When they got to the bridge the
servant said: 'Let us leave the carriage here, my Prince, and walk a
little way. The town is not far off and we can easily get another
carriage there, for the wheels of this one are bad and will not hold out
much longer.'
The Prince looked well at the carriage. He did not think it looked so
unsafe as his servant said; but he had given his word and he held to it.
They got down and loaded the horses with the luggage. The Prince and
his bride walked over the bridge, but the servant said he would ride the
horses through the stream so as to water and bathe them.
They reached the other side without harm, and bought a new carriage in
the town, which was quite near, and set off once more on their travels;
but they had not gone far when they met a messenger from the King, who
said to the Prince: 'His Majesty has sent your Royal Highness this
beautiful carriage, so that you may make a fitting entry into your own
country and amongst your own people.'
The Prince was so delighted that he could not speak. But the servant
said: 'My lord, let me examine this carriage first and then you can get
in if I find it is all right; otherwise we had better stay in our own.'
The Prince made no objections, and after looking the carriage well over
the servant said: 'It is as bad as it is smart'; and with that he
knocked it all to pieces, and they went on in the one that they had
bought.
At last they reached the frontier; there another messenger was waiting
for them, who said that the King had sent two splendid robes for the
Prince and his bride, and begged that they would wear them for their
state entry. But the servant implored the Prince to have nothing to do
with them, and never gave him any peace till he had obtained leave to
destroy the robes.
[Illustration: THE FAITHFUL SERVANT TURNS INTO STONE]
The old King was furious when he found that all his arts had failed;
that his son still lived and that he would have to give up the crown to
him now he was married, for that was the law of the land. He longed to
know how the Prince had escaped, and said: 'My dear son, I do indeed
rejoice to have you safely back, but I cannot imagine why the beautiful
carriage and the splendid robes I sent did not please you; why you had
them destroyed.'
'Indeed, sire,' said the Prince, 'I was myself much annoyed at their
destruction; but my servant had begged to direct everything on the
journey and I had promised him that he should do so. He declared that
we could not possibly get home safely unless I did as he told me.'
The old King fell into a tremendous rage. He called his Council
together and condemned the servant to death.
The gallows was put up in the square in front of the palace. The
servant was led out and his sentence read to him.
The rope was being placed round his neck, when he begged to be allowed a
few last words. 'On our journey home,' he said, 'we spent the first
night at an inn. I did not sleep, but kept watch all night.' And then
he went on to tell what the crows had said, and as he spoke he turned to
stone up to his knees. The Prince called to him to say no more as he
had proved his innocence. But the servant paid no heed to him, and by
the time his story was done he had turned to stone from head to foot.
Oh! how grieved the Prince was to lose his faithful servant! And what
pained him most was the thought that he was lost through his very
faithfulness, and he determined to travel all over the world and never
rest till he found some means of restoring him to life.
Now there lived at Court an old woman who had been the Prince's nurse.
To her he confided all his plans, and left his wife, the Princess, in
her care. 'You have a long way before you, my son,' said the old woman;
'you must never return till you have met with Lucky Luck. If he cannot
help you no one on earth can.'
So the Prince set off to try to find Lucky Luck. He walked and walked
till he got beyond his own country, and he wandered through a wood for
three days, but did not meet a living being in it. At the end of the
third day he came to a river near which stood a large mill. Here he
spent the night. When he was leaving next morning the miller asked him:
'My gracious lord, where are you going all alone?'
And the Prince told him.
'Then I beg your Highness to ask Lucky Luck this question: Why is it
that though I have an excellent mill, with all its machinery complete,
and get plenty of grain to grind, I am so poor that I hardly know how to
live from one day to another?'
The Prince promised to inquire, and went on his way. He wandered about
for three days more, and at the end of the third day saw a little town.
It was quite late when he reached it, but he could discover no light
anywhere, and walked almost right through it without finding a house
where he could turn in. But far away at the end of the town he saw a
light in a window. He went straight to it and in the house were three
girls playing a game together. The Prince asked for a night's lodging
and they took him in, gave him some supper and got a room ready for him,
where he slept.
Next morning when he was leaving they asked where he was going and he
told them his story. 'Gracious Prince,' said the maidens, 'do ask Lucky
Luck how it happens that here we are over thirty years old and no lover
has come to woo us, though we are good, pretty, and very industrious.'
The Prince promised to inquire, and went on his way.
Then he came to a great forest and wandered about in it from morning to
night and from night to morning before he got near the other end. Here
he found a pretty stream which was different from other streams as,
instead of flowing, it stood still and began to talk: 'Sir Prince, tell
me what brings you into these wilds. I must have been flowing here a
hundred years and more and no one has ever yet come by.'
'I will tell you,' answered the Prince, 'if you will divide yourself so
that I may walk through.'
The stream parted at once, and the Prince walked through without wetting
his feet; and directly he got to the other side he told his story as he
had promised.
'Oh, do ask Lucky Luck,' cried the brook, 'why, though I am such a
clear, bright, rapid stream, I never have a fish or any other living
creature in my waters.'
The Prince said he would do so, and continued his journey.
When he got quite clear of the forest he walked on through a lovely
valley till he reached a little house thatched with rushes, and he went
in to rest, for he was very tired.
[Illustration: THE COMPLAINT OF THE THREE MAIDENS]
Everything in the house was beautifully clean and tidy, and a cheerful
honest-looking old woman was sitting by the fire.
'Good morning, mother,' said the Prince.
'May Luck be with you, my son. What brings you into these parts?'
'I am looking for Lucky Luck,' replied the Prince.
'Then you have come to the right place, my son, for I am his mother. He
is not at home just now, he is out digging in the vineyard. Do you go
too. Here are two spades. When you find him begin to dig, but don't
speak a word to him. It is now eleven o'clock. When he sits down to
eat his dinner sit beside him and eat with him. After dinner he will
question you, and then tell him all your troubles freely. He will
answer whatever you may ask.'
With that she showed him the way, and the Prince went and did just as
she had told him. After dinner they lay down to rest.
All of a sudden Lucky Luck began to speak and said: 'Tell me, what sort
of a man are you? for since you came here you have not spoken a word.'
'I am not dumb,' replied the young man, 'but I am that unhappy prince
whose faithful servant has been turned to stone, and I want to know how
to help him.'
'And you do well, for he deserves everything. Go back, and when you get
home your wife will just have had a little boy. Take three drops of
blood from the child's little finger, rub them on your servant's wrists
with a blade of grass and he will return to life.'
'I have another thing to ask,' said the Prince, when he had thanked him.
'In the forest near here is a fine stream, but not a fish or other
living creature in it. Why is this?'
'Because no one has ever been drowned in the stream. But take care, in
crossing, to get as near the other side as you can before you say so, or
you may be the first victim yourself.'
'Another question, please, before I go. On my way here I lodged one
night in the house of three maidens. All were well-mannered,
hard-working, and pretty, and yet none has had a wooer. Why was this?'
'Because they always throw out their sweepings in the face of the sun.'
'And why is it that a miller, who has a large mill with all the best
machinery and gets plenty of corn to grind is so poor that he can hardly
live from day to day?'
'Because the miller keeps everything for himself, and does not give to
those who need it.'
The Prince wrote down the answers to his questions, took a friendly
leave of Lucky Luck, and set off for home.
When he reached the stream it asked if he brought it any good news.
'When I get across I will tell you,' said he. So the stream parted; he
walked through and on to the highest part of the bank. He stopped and
shouted out:
'Listen, oh stream! Lucky Luck says you will never have any living
creature in your waters until someone is drowned in you.'
The words were hardly out of his mouth when the stream swelled and
overflowed till it reached the rock up which he had climbed, and dashed
so far up it that the spray flew over him. But he clung on tight, and
after failing to reach him three times the stream returned to its proper
course. Then the Prince climbed down, dried himself in the sun, and set
out on his march home.
He spent the night once more at the mill and gave the miller his answer,
and by-and-by he told the three sisters not to throw out all their
sweepings in the face of the sun.
The Prince had hardly arrived at home when some thieves tried to ford
the stream with a fine horse they had stolen. When they were half-way
across, the stream rose so suddenly that it swept them all away. From
that time it became the best fishing stream in the countryside.
The miller, too, began to give alms and became a very good man, and in
time grew so rich that he hardly knew how much he had.
And the three sisters, now that they no longer insulted the sun, had
each a wooer within a week.
When the Prince got home he found that his wife had just got a fine
little boy. He did not lose a moment in pricking the baby's finger till
the blood ran, and he brushed it on the wrists of the stone figure,
which shuddered all over and split with a loud noise in seven parts and
there was the faithful servant alive and well.
When the old King saw this he foamed with rage, stared wildly about,
flung himself on the ground and died.
The servant stayed on with his royal master and served him faithfully
all the rest of his life; and, if neither of them is dead, he is serving
him still.
*TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH!*
Long, long ago there lived a King who was such a mighty monarch that
whenever he sneezed everyone in the whole country had to say 'To your
good health!' Everyone said it except the shepherd with the staring
eyes, and he would not say it.
The King heard of this and was very angry, and sent for the shepherd to
appear before him.
The shepherd came and stood before the throne, where the King sat
looking very grand and powerful. But however grand or powerful he might
be the shepherd did not feel a bit afraid of him.
'Say at once: "To my good health!"' cried the King.
'To my good health!' replied the shepherd.
'To mine--to _mine_, you rascal, you vagabond!' stormed the King.
'To mine, to _mine_, your Majesty,' was the answer.
'But to mine--to my own,' roared the King, and beat on his breast in a
rage.
'Well, yes; to mine, of course, to my own,' cried the shepherd, and
gently tapped his breast.
The King was beside himself with fury and did not know what to do, when
the Lord Chamberlain interfered:
'Say at once--say this very moment: "To your health, your Majesty"; for
if you don't say it you'll lose your life,' whispered he.
'No, I won't say it till I get the Princess for my wife,' was the
shepherd's answer. Now the Princess was sitting on a little throne
beside the King, her father, and she looked as sweet and lovely as a
little golden dove. When she heard what the shepherd said she could not
help laughing, for there is no denying the fact that this young shepherd
with the staring eyes pleased her very much; indeed he pleased her
better than any king's son she had yet seen.
But the King was not as pleasant as his daughter, and he gave orders to
throw the shepherd into the white bear's pit.
The guards led him away and thrust him into the pit with the white bear,
who had had nothing to eat for two days and was very hungry. The door
of the pit was hardly closed when the bear rushed at the shepherd; but
when it saw his eyes it was so frightened that it was ready to eat
itself. It shrank away into a corner and gazed at him from there, and,
in spite of being so famished, did not dare to touch him, but sucked its
own paws from sheer hunger. The shepherd felt that if he once removed
his eyes off the beast he was a dead man, and in order to keep himself
awake he made songs and sang them, and so the night went by.
Next morning the Lord Chamberlain came to see the shepherd's bones, and
was amazed to find him alive and well. He led him to the King, who fell
into a furious passion, and said: 'Well, you have learned what it is to
be very near death, and _now_ will you say: "To my good health"?'
But the shepherd answered: 'I am not afraid of ten deaths! I will only
say it if I may have the Princess for my wife.'
[Illustration: STARING-EYES IN THE WHITE BEAR'S PIT]
'Then go to your death,' cried the King; and ordered him to be thrown
into the den with the wild boars. The wild boars had not been fed for a
week, and when the shepherd was thrust into their den they rushed at him
to tear him to pieces. But the shepherd took a little flute out of the
sleeve of his jacket and began to play a merry tune, on which the wild
boars first of all shrank shyly away, and then got up on their hind legs
and danced gaily. The shepherd would have given anything to be able to
laugh, they looked so funny; but he dared not stop playing, for he knew
well enough that the moment he stopped they would fall upon him and tear
him to pieces. His eyes were of no use to him here, for he could not
have stared ten wild boars in the face at once; so he kept on playing
and the wild boars danced very slowly, as if in a minuet, then by
degrees he played faster and faster till they could hardly twist and
turn quickly enough and ended by all falling over each other in a heap,
quite exhausted and out of breath.
Then the shepherd ventured to laugh at last; and he laughed so long and
so loud that when the Lord Chamberlain came early in the morning,
expecting to find only his bones, the tears were still running down his
cheeks from laughter.
As soon as the King was dressed the shepherd was again brought before
him; but he was more angry than ever to think the wild boars had not
torn the man to bits, and he said: 'Well, you have learned what it feels
to be near ten deaths, now say: "To my good health!"
But the shepherd broke in with, 'I do not fear a hundred deaths, and I
will only say it if I may have the Princess for my wife.'
'Then go to a hundred deaths!' roared the King, and ordered the shepherd
to be thrown down the deep vault of scythes.
The guards dragged him away to a dark dungeon, in the middle of which
was a deep well with sharp scythes all round it. At the bottom of the
well was a little light by which one could see if anyone was thrown in
whether he had fallen to the bottom.
When the shepherd was dragged to the dungeon he begged the guards to
leave him alone a little while that he might look down in the pit of
scythes; perhaps he might after all make up his mind to say 'To your
good health' to the King. So the guards left him alone and he stuck up
his long stick near the well, hung his cloak round the stick and put his
hat on the top. He also hung his knapsack up inside the cloak so that
it might seem to have somebody within it. When this was done he called
out to the guards and said that he had considered the matter, but after
all he could not make up his mind to say what the King wished. The
guards came in, threw the hat and cloak, knapsack and stick all down the
well together, watched to see how they put out the light at the bottom
and came away, thinking that now there really was an end of the
shepherd. But he had hidden in a dark corner and was laughing to
himself all the time.
Quite early next morning came the Lord Chamberlain, carrying a lamp, and
he nearly fell backwards with surprise when he saw the shepherd alive
and well. He brought him to the King, whose fury was greater than ever,
but who cried:
'Well, now you have been near a hundred deaths; will you say: "To your
good health"?'
But the shepherd only gave the same answer:
'I won't say it till the Princess is my wife.'
'Perhaps after all you may do it for less,' said the King, who saw that
there was no chance of making away with the shepherd; and he ordered the
state coach to be got ready, then he made the shepherd get in with him
and sit beside him, and ordered the coachman to drive to the silver
wood. When they reached it he said: 'Do you see this silver wood?
Well, if you will say, "To your good health," I will give it to you.'
The shepherd turned hot and cold by turns, but he still persisted:
'I will not say it till the Princess is my wife.'
The King was much vexed; he drove further on till they came to a
splendid castle, all of gold, and then he said:
'Do you see this golden castle? Well, I will give you that too, the
silver wood and the golden castle, if only you will say that one thing
to me: "To your good health."'
The shepherd gaped and wondered and was quite dazzled, but he still
said:
'No; I will _not_ say it till I have the Princess for my wife.'
This time the King was overwhelmed with grief, and gave orders to drive
on to the diamond pond, and there he tried once more.
'Do you see this diamond pond? I will give you that too, the silver
wood and the golden castle and the diamond pond. You shall have them
all--all--if you will but say: "To your good health!"'
The shepherd had to shut his staring eyes tight not to be dazzled with
the brilliant pond, but still he said:
'No, no; I will not say it till I have the Princess for my wife.'
Then the King saw that all his efforts were useless, and that he might
as well give in, so he said:
'Well, well, it's all the same to me--I will give you my daughter to
wife; but, then, you really and truly must say to me: "To your good
health."'
'Of course I'll say it; why should I not say it? It stands to reason
that I shall say it then.'
At this the King was more delighted than anyone could have believed. He
made it known all through the country that there were to be great
rejoicings, as the Princess was going to be married. And everyone
rejoiced to think that the Princess, who had refused so many royal
suitors, should have ended by falling in love with the staring-eyed
shepherd.
There was such a wedding as had never been seen. Everyone ate and drank
and danced. Even the sick were feasted, and quite tiny new-born children
had presents given them.
But the greatest merry-making was in the King's palace; there the best
bands played and the best food was cooked; a crowd of people sat down to
table, and all was fun and merrymaking.
And when the groomsman, according to custom, brought in the great boar's
head on a big dish and placed it before the King so that he might carve
it and give everyone a share, the savoury smell was so strong that the
King began to sneeze with all his might.
'To your very good health!' cried the shepherd before anyone else, and
the King was so delighted that he did not regret having given him his
daughter.
In time, when the old King died, the shepherd succeeded him. He made a
very good king and never expected his people to wish him well against
their wills; but, all the same, everyone did wish him well, for they all
loved him.