ONCE on a time there was a poor couple who lived in a tumble-down hut,
in which there was nothing but black want, so that they hadn’t a morsel
to eat, nor a stick to burn. But though they had next to nothing of
other things, they had God’s blessing in the way of children, and every
year they had another babe. Now, when this story begins, they were just
looking out for a new child; and to tell the truth, the husband was
rather cross, and he was always going about grumbling and growling, and
saying “For his part, he thought one might have too many of these God’s
gifts.” So when the time came that the babe was to be born, he went off
into the wood to fetch fuel, saying “he didn’t care to stop and see the
young squaller; he’d be sure to hear him soon enough, screaming for
food.”
Now when her husband was well out of the house, his wife gave birth to a
beautiful boy, who began to look about the room as soon as ever he came
into the world.
“Oh! dear mother,” he said, “give me some of my brother’s cast-off
clothes, and a few days’ food, and I’ll go out into the world and try my
luck; you have children enough as it is, that I can see.”
“God help you, my son!” answered his mother; “that can never be, you are
far too young yet.”
But the tiny one stuck to what he said, and begged and prayed till his
mother was forced to let him have a few old rags, and a little food tied
up in a bundle, and off he went right merrily and manfully into the wide
world. But he was scarce out of the house before his mother had another
boy, and he too looked about him, and said—
“Oh, dear mother! give me some of my brother’s old clothes and a few
days’ food, and I’ll go out into the world to find my twin brother; you
have children enough already on your hands, that I can see.”
“God help you, my poor little fellow!” said his mother; “you are far too
little, this will never do.”
But it was no good; the tiny one begged and prayed so hard, till he got
some old tattered rags and a bundle of food; and so he wandered out into
the world like a man, to find his twin-brother. Now, when the younger
had walked a while, he saw his brother a good bit on before him, so he
called out to him to stop.
“Holloa! can’t you stop? why you lay legs to the ground as if you were
running a race. But you might just as well have stayed to see your
youngest brother before you set off into the world in such a hurry.”
So the elder stopped and looked round; and when the younger had come up
to him and told him the whole story, and how he was his brother, he went
on to say,—
“But let’s sit down here and see what our mother has given us for food.”
So they sat down together, and were soon great friends.
Now, when they had gone a bit further on their way, they came to a brook
which ran through a green meadow, and the youngest said now the time was
come to give one another names, “Since we set off in such a hurry that
we hadn’t time to do it at home, we may as well do it here.”
“Well,” said the elder, “and what shall your name be?”
“Oh!” said the younger, “my name shall be Shortshanks; and yours, what
shall it be?”
“I will be called King Sturdy,” answered the eldest.
So they christened each other in the brook, and went on; but when they
had walked a while they came to a cross road, and agreed they should
part there, and each take his own road. So they parted, but they hadn’t
gone half a mile before their roads met again. So they parted the second
time, and took each a road; but in a little while the same thing
happened, and they met again, they scarce knew how; and the same thing
happened a third time also. Then they agreed that they should each
choose a quarter of the heavens, and one was to go east and the other
west; but before they parted, the elder said,—
“If you ever fall into misfortune or need, call three times on me, and I
will come and help you; but mind you don’t call on me till you are at
the last pinch.”
“Well!” said Shortshanks, “if that’s to be the rule, I don’t think we
shall meet again very soon.”
After that they bade each other good-bye, and Shortshanks went east, and
King Sturdy west. Now, you must know, when Shortshanks had gone a good
bit alone, he met an old, old crook-backed hag, who had only one eye,
and Shortshanks snapped it up.
“Oh! oh!” screamed the hag, “what has become of my eye?”
“What will you give me,” asked Shortshanks, “if you get your eye back?”
“I’ll give you a sword, and such a sword! It will put a whole army to
flight, be it ever so great,” answered the old woman.
“Out with it, then!” said Shortshanks.
So the old hag gave him the sword, and got her eye back again. After
that, Shortshanks wandered on a while, and another old, old crook-backed
hag met him who had only one eye, which Shortshanks stole before she was
aware of him.
“Oh, oh! whatever has become of my eye,” screamed the hag.
“What will you give me to get your eye back?” asked Shortshanks.
“I’ll give you a ship,” said the woman, “which can sail over fresh water
and salt water, and over high hills and deep dales.”
“Well! out with it,” said Shortshanks.
So the old woman gave him a little tiny ship, no bigger than he could
put in his pocket, and she got her eye back again, and they each went
their way. But when he had wandered on a long, long way, he met a third
time an old, old crook-backed hag, with only one eye. This eye, too,
Shortshanks stole; and when the hag screamed and made a great to-do,
bawling out what had become of her eye, Shortshanks said,—
“What will you give me to get back your eye?”