“Why did you not mind what I told you; and why did you not listen to
what your father said? Now, I must away home, and as for you, you have
had both your wishes.”
With that she knitted a ring among his hair, with her name on it, and
wished herself home, and was off.
Then the young king was cut to the heart, and went, day out day in,
thinking and thinking how he should get back to his queen. “I’ll just
try,” he thought, “if I can’t learn where Whiteland lies;” and so he
went out into the world to ask. So when he had gone a good way, he came
to a high hill, and there he met one who was lord over all the beasts of
the wood, for they all came home to him when he blew his horn; so the
king asked if he knew where Whiteland was?
“No, I don’t,” said he, “but I’ll ask my beasts.” Then he blew his horn
and called them, and asked if any of them knew where Whiteland lay? but
there was no beast that knew.
So the man gave him a pair of snow-shoes.
“When you get on these,” he said, “you’ll come to my brother, who lives
hundreds of miles off; he is lord over all the birds of the air. Ask
him. When you reach his house, just turn the shoes, so that the toes
point this way, and they’ll come home of themselves.” So when the king
reached the house, he turned the shoes as the lord of the beasts had
said, and away they went home of themselves.
So he asked again after Whiteland, and the man called all the birds with
a blast of his horn, and asked if any of them knew where Whiteland lay;
but none of the birds knew. Now, long, long after the rest of the birds,
came an old eagle, which had been away ten round years, but he couldn’t
tell any more than the rest.
“Well! well!” said the man, “I’ll lend you a pair of snow-shoes, and
when you get them on, they’ll carry you to my brother, who lives
hundreds of miles off; he’s lord of all the fish in the sea; you’d
better ask him. But don’t forget to turn the toes of the shoes this
way.”
The king was full of thanks, got on the shoes, and when he came to the
man who was lord over the fish of the sea, he turned the toes round, and
so off they went home like the other pair. After that, he asked again
after Whiteland.
So the man called the fish with a blast, but no fish could tell where it
lay. At last came an old pike which they had great work to call home, he
was such a way off. So when they asked him he said,—
“Know it! I should think I did. I’ve been cook there ten years, and
to-morrow I’m going there again; for now, the queen of Whiteland, whose
king is away, is going to wed another husband.”
“Well!” said the man, “as this is so, I’ll give you a bit of advice.
Hereabouts, on a moor, stand three brothers, and here they have stood
these hundred years, fighting about a hat, a cloak, and a pair of boots.
If any one has these three things, he can make himself invisible, and
wish himself anywhere he pleases. You can tell them you wish to try the
things, and after that, you’ll pass judgment between them, whose they
shall be.”
Yes! the king thanked the man, and went and did as he told him.
“What’s all this?” he said to the brothers. “Why do you stand here
fighting for ever and a day? Just let me try these things, and I’ll give
judgment whose they shall be.”
They were very willing to do this; but as soon as he had got the hat,
cloak, and boots, he said,—
“When we meet next time I’ll tell you my judgment,” and with these words
he wished himself away.
So as he went along up in the air, he came up with the North Wind.
“Whither away?” roared the North Wind.
“To Whiteland,” said the king; and then he told him all that had
befallen him.
“Ah,” said the North Wind, “you go faster than I—you do; for you can go
straight, while I have to puff and blow round every turn and corner. But
when you get there, just place yourself on the stairs by the side of the
door, and then I’ll come storming in, as though I were going to blow
down the whole castle. And then when the prince, who is to have your
queen, comes out to see what’s the matter, just you take him by the
collar and pitch him out of doors; then I’ll look after him, and see if
I can’t carry him off.”
Well—the king did as the North Wind said. He took his stand on the
stairs, and when the North Wind came, storming and roaring, and took
hold of the castle wall, so that it shook again, the prince came out to
see what was the matter. But as soon as ever he came, the king caught
him by the collar and pitched him out of doors, and then the North Wind
caught him up, and carried him off. So when there was an end of him, the
king went into the castle, and at first his queen didn’t know him, he
was so wan and thin, through wandering so far and being so woeful; but
when he shewed her the ring, she was as glad as glad could be; and so
the rightful wedding was held, and the fame of it spread far and wide.
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