"Lord king, we know well that you do not like evil or vice in your
servants. Thence we think it is only right to tell you that the young
foreigner, who is in your service, every morning and evening bows the
knee to an idol."
When the king heard that he set it down to envy and ill-will, and did
not think there was any truth in it, but the courtiers said that he
could easily discover for himself whether what they said was true or
not. They led the king to the young man's rooms, and told him to look
through the key-hole. When the king looked in he saw the young man on
his knees before a fine picture, and so he could not help believing that
what the courtiers had told him was true.
The king was much enraged, and ordered the young man to come before
him, when he condemned him to die for his great wickedness.
"My lord king," said he, "do not imagine that I worship any idol. That
is my sister's picture, whom I commend to the care of God every morning
and evening, asking Him to protect her, for she remains in a wicked
step-mother's power."
The king then wished to see the picture, and he never tired of looking
on its beauty.
"If it is true," said he, "what you tell me, that that is your sister's
picture, she shall be my queen, and you yourself shall go and fetch her;
but if you lie, this shall be your punishment,--you shall be cast into
the lions' den."
The king then commanded that a ship should be fitted out in grand style,
having wine and treasure in it. Then he sent away the young man in great
state to fetch his beautiful sister to the court.
The young man sailed away over the ocean, and came at length to his
land. Here he delivered his master's message, as became him, and made
preparations to return. Then the step-mother and step-sister begged that
they might go with him and his sister. The young man had no liking for
them, so he said no, and refused their request, but Swanwhite begged for
them, and got them what they wanted.
When they had put to sea and were on the wide ocean, a great storm arose
so that the sailors expected the vessel and all on her to go to the
bottom. The young man was, however, in good spirits, and went up the
mast in order to see if he could discover land anywhere. When he had
looked out from the mast, he called to Swanwhite, who stood on the
deck--
"Dear sister, I see land now."
It was, however, blowing so hard that the maiden could not hear a word.
She asked her step-mother if she knew what her brother said.
"Yes," said the false hag; "he says we shall never come to God's land
unless you throw your gold casket into the sea."
When Swanwhite heard that, she did what the hag told her, and cast the
gold casket into the deep sea.
A while after her brother once more called to his sister, who stood on
the deck--
"Swanwhite, go and deck yourself as a bride, for we shall soon be
there."
But the maiden could not hear a word for the raging of the sea. She
asked her step-mother if she knew what her brother had said.
"Yes," said the false hag; "he says we shall never come to God's land
unless you cast yourself into the sea."
While Swanwhite thought of this, the wicked step-mother sprang to her,
and thrust her on a sudden overboard. The young girl was carried away by
the blue waves, and came to the mermaid who rules over all those who are
drowned in the sea.
When the young man came down the mast, and asked whether his sister was
attired, the step-mother told him many falsehoods about Swanwhite having
fallen into the sea. When the young man heard this he and all the
ship-folk were afraid, for they well knew what punishment awaited them
for having so ill looked after the king's bride. The false hag then
thought of another deception. She said they had better dress her own
daughter as the bride, and then no one need know that Swanwhite had
perished. The young man would not agree to this, but the sailors, being
in fear of their lives, made him do as the step-mother had suggested.
Maiden Foxtail was dressed out in the finest manner with red rings and a
gold girdle, but the young man was ill at ease, and could not forget
what had happened to his sister.
In the midst of this the vessel came to shore, where was the king with
all his court with much splendour awaiting their arrival. Carpets were
spread upon the ground, and the king's bride left the ship in great
state. When the king beheld Maiden Foxtail, and was told that that was
his bride, he suspected some cheat, and was very angry, and he ordered
that the young man should be thrown into the lions' den. He would not,
however, break his kingly word, so he took the ugly maiden for his wife,
and she became queen in the place of her step-sister.
Now Maiden Swanwhite had a little dog of which she was very fond, and
she called it Snow-white. Now that its mistress was lost, there was no
one who cared for it, so it came into the king's palace and took refuge
in the kitchen, where it lay down in front of the fire. When it was
night and all had gone to bed, the master-cook saw the kitchen door open
of itself and a beautiful little duck, fastened to a chain, came into
the kitchen. Wherever the little bird trod the most beautiful roses
sprang up. The duck went up to the dog upon the hearth, and said--
"Poor little Snow-white! Once on a time you lay on blue silk cushions.
Now you must lie on the grey ashes. Ah! my poor brother, who is in the
lions' den! Shame on Maiden Foxtail! she sleeps in my lord's arms."
"Alas, poor me!" continued the duck, "I shall come here only on two more
nights. After that I shall see you no more."
Then it caressed the little dog, and the dog returned its caresses.
After a little while the door opened of itself and the little bird went
its way.
The next morning, when it was daylight, the master-cook took the
beautiful roses that lay strewn on the floor and with them decorated the
dishes for the king's table. The king so much admired the flowers that
he ordered the master-cook to be called to him, and asked him where he
had found such magnificent roses. The cook told him all that had
happened, and what the duck had said to the little dog. When the king
heard it he was much perplexed, and he told the cook to let him know as
soon as the bird showed itself again.
The next night the little duck again came to the kitchen, and spoke to
the dog as before. The cook sent word to the king, and he came just as
the bird went out at the door. However he saw the beautiful roses lying
all over the kitchen floor, and from them came such a delightful scent
that the like had never been known.
The king made up his mind that if the duck came again he would see it,
so he lay in wait for it. He waited a long while, when, at midnight, the
little bird, as before, came walking up to the dog which lay on the
hearth, and said--
"Poor little Snow-white! once on a time you lay on blue silk cushions.
Now you must lie on grey ashes. Ah! my poor brother, who is in the
lions' den. Shame on Maiden Foxtail! she sleeps in my lord's arms."