Faithful John There was once on a time an old king who was ill, and thought to himself, I am lying on what must be my death-bed. Then said he, Tell Faithful John to come to me. Faithful John was his favourite servant, and was so called, because he had for his whole life long been so true to him. When therefore he came beside the bed, the King said to him, Most faithful John, I feel my end approaching, and have no anxiety except about my son. He is still of tender age, and cannot always know how to guide himself. If thou dost not promise me to teach him everything that he ought to know, and to be his foster-father, I cannot close my eyes in peace. Then answered Faithful John, I will not forsake him, and will serve him with fidelity, even if it should cost me my life. On this, the old King said, Now I die in comfort and peace. Then he added, After my death, thou shalt show him the whole castle: all the chambers, halls, and vaults, and all the treasures which lie therein, but the last chamber in the long gallery, in which is the picture of the princess of the Golden Dwelling, shalt thou not show. If he sees that picture, he will fall violently in love with her, and will drop down in a swoon, and go through great danger for her sake, therefore thou must preserve him from that. And when Faithful John had once more given his promise to the old King about this, the King said no more, but laid his head on his pillow, and died. When the old King had been carried to his grave, Faithful John told the young King all that he had promised his father on his deathbed, and said, This will I assuredly perform, and will be faithful to thee as I have been faithful to him, even if it should cost me my life. When the mourning was over, Faithful John said to him, It is now time that thou shouldst see thine inheritance. I will show thee thy fathers palace. Then he took him about everywhere, up and down, and let him see all the riches, and the magnificent apartments, only there was one room which he did not open, that in which hung the dangerous picture. The picture was, however, so placed that when the door was opened you looked straight on it, and it was so admirably painted that it seemed to breathe and live, and there was nothing more charming or more beautiful in the whole world. The young king, however plainly remarked that Faithful John always walked past this one door, and said, Why dost thou never open this one for me? There is something within it, he replied, which would terrify thee. But the King answered, I have seen all the palace, and I will know what is in this room also, and he went and tried to break open the door by force. Then Faithful John held him back and said, I promised thy father before his death that thou shouldst not see that which is in this chamber, it might bring the greatest misfortune on thee and on me. Ah, no, replied the young King, if I do not go in, it will be my certain destruction. I should have no rest day or night until I had seen it with my own eyes. I shall not leave the place now until thou hast unlocked the door. Then Faithful John saw that there was no help for it now, and with a heavy heart and many sighs, sought out the key from the great bunch. When he had opened the door, he went in first, and thought by standing before him he could hide the portrait so that the King should not see it in front of him, but what availed that? The King stood on tip-toe and saw it over his shoulder. And when he saw the portrait of the maiden, which was so magnificent and shone with gold and precious stones, he fell fainting to the ground. Faithful John took him up, carried him to his bed, and sorrowfully thought, The misfortune has befallen us, Lord God, what will be the end of it? Then he strengthened him with wine, until he came to himself again. The first words the King said were, Ah, the beautiful portrait! whose is it? That is the princess of the Golden Dwelling, answered Faithful John. Then the King continued, My love for her is so great, that if all the leaves on all the trees were tongues, they could not declare it. I will give my life to win her. Thou art my most Faithful John, thou must help me. The faithful servant considered within himself for a long time how to set about the matter, for it was difficult even to obtain a sight of the Kings daughter. At length he thought of a way, and said to the King, Everything which she has about her is of gold tables, chairs, dishes, glasses, bowls, and household furniture. Among thy treasures are five tons of gold; let one of the goldsmiths of the kingdom work these up into all manner of vessels and utensils, into all kinds of birds, wild beasts and strange animals, such as may please her, and we will go there with them and try our luck. The King ordered all the goldsmiths to be brought to him, and they had to work night and day until at last the most splendid things were prepared. When everything was stowed on board a ship, Faithful John put on the dress of a merchant, and the King was forced to do the same in order to make himself quite unrecognizable. Then they sailed across the sea, and sailed on until they came to the town wherein dwelt the princess of the Golden Dwelling. Faithful John bade the King stay behind on the ship, and wait for him. Perhaps I shall bring the princess with me, said he, therefore see that everything is in order; have the golden vessels set out and the whole ship decorated. Then he gathered together in his apron all kinds of gold things, went on shore and walked straight to the royal palace. When he entered the courtyard of the palace, a beautiful girl was standing there by the well with two golden buckets in her hand, drawing water with them. And when she was just turning round to carry away the sparkling water she saw the stranger, and asked who he was. So he answered, I am a merchant, and opened his apron, and let her look in. Then she cried, Oh, what beautiful gold things! and put her pails down and looked at the golden wares one after the other. Then said the girl, The princess must see these, she has such great pleasure in golden things, that she will buy all you have. She took him by the hand and led him upstairs, for she was the waiting-maid. When the Kings daughter saw the wares, she was quite delighted and said, They are so beautifully worked, that I will buy them all of thee. But Faithful John said, I am only the servant of a rich merchant. The things I have here are not to be compared with those my master has in his ship. They are the most beautiful and valuable things that have ever been made in gold. She wanted to have everything brought to her there, but he said, There are so many of them that it would take a great many days to do that, and so many rooms would be required to exhibit them, that your house is not big enough. Then her curiosity and longing were still more excited, until at last she said, Conduct me to the ship, I will go there myself, and behold the treasures of thy master. On this Faithful John was quite delighted, and led her to the ship, and when the King saw her, he perceived that her beauty was even greater than the picture had represented it to be, and thought no other than that his heart would burst in twain. Then she got into the ship, and the King led her within. Faithful John, however, remained behind with the pilot, and ordered the ship to be pushed off, saying, Set all sail, till it fly like a bird in air. Within, however, the King showed her the golden vessels, every one of them, also the wild beasts and strange animals. Many hours went by whilst she was seeing everything, and in her delight she did not observe that the ship was sailing away. After she had looked at the last, she thanked the merchant and wanted to go home, but when she came to the side of the ship, she saw that it was on the deep sea far from land, and hurrying onwards with all sail set. Ah, cried she in her alarm, I am betrayed! I am carried away and have fallen into the power of a merchant I would die rather! The King, however, seized her hand, and said, I am not a merchant. I am a king, and of no meaner origin than thou art, and if I have carried thee away with subtlety, that has come to pass because of my exceeding great love for thee. The first time that I looked on thy portrait, I fell fainting to the ground. When the princess of the Golden Dwelling heard that, she was comforted, and her heart was inclined unto him, so that she willingly consented to be his wife. It happened, however, while they were sailing onwards over the deep sea, that Faithful John, who was sitting on the fore part of the vessel, making music, saw three ravens in the air, which came flying towards them. On this he stopped playing and listened to what they were saying to each other, for that he well understood. One cried, Oh, there he is carrying home the princess of the Golden Dwelling. Yes, replied the second, but he has not got her yet. Said the third, But he has got her, she is sitting beside him in the ship. Then the first began again, and cried, What good will that do him? When they reach land a chestnut horse will leap forward to meet him, and the prince will want to mount it, but if he does that, it will run away with him, and rise up into the air with him, and he will never see his maiden more. Spake the second, But is there no escape? Oh, yes, if any one else gets on it swiftly, and takes out the pistol which must be in its holster, and shoots the horse dead with it, the young King is saved. But who knows that? And whosoever does know it, and tells it to him, will be turned to stone from the toe to the knee. Then said the second, I know more than that; even if the horse be killed, the young King will still not keep his bride. When they go into the castle together, a wrought bridal garment will be lying there in a dish, and looking as if it were woven of gold and silver; it is, however, nothing but sulphur and pitch, and if he put it on, it will burn him to the very bone and marrow. Said the third, Is there no escape at all? Oh, yes, replied the second, if any one with gloves on seizes the garment and throws it into the fire and burns it, the young King will be saved. But what avails that? Whosoever knows it and tells it to him, half his body will become stone from the knee to the heart. Then said the third, I know still more; even if the bridal garment be burnt, the young King will still not have his bride. After the wedding, when the dancing begins and the young Queen is dancing, she will suddenly turn pale and fall down as if dead, and if some one does not lift her up and draw three drops of blood from her right breast and spit them out again, she will die. But if any one who knows that were to declare it, he would become stone from the crown of his head to the sole of his foot. When the ravens had spoken of this together, they flew onwards, and Faithful John had well understood everything, but from that time forth he became quiet and sad, for if he concealed what he had heard from his master, the latter would be unfortunate, and if he discovered it to him, he himself must sacrifice his life. At length, however, he said to himself, I will save my master, even if it bring destruction on myself. When therefore they came to shore, all happened as had been foretold by the ravens, and a magnificent chestnut horse sprang forward. Good, said the King, he shall carry me to my palace, and was about to mount it when Faithful John got before him, jumped quickly on it, drew the pistol out of the holster, and shot the horse. Then the other attendants of the King, who after all were not very fond of Faithful John, cried, How shameful to kill the beautiful animal, that was to have carried the King to his palace! But the King said, Hold your peace and leave him alone, he is my most faithful John, who knows what may be the good of that! They went into the palace, and in the hall there stood a dish, and therein lay the bridal garment looking no otherwise than as if it were made of gold and silver. The young king went towards it and was about to take hold of it, but Faithful John pushed him away, seized it with gloves on, carried it quickly to the fire and burnt it. The other attendants again began to murmur, and said, Behold, now he is even burning the Kings bridal garment! But the young King said, Who knows what good he may have done, leave him alone, he is my most faithful John. And now the wedding was solemnized: the dance began, and the bride also took part in it; then Faithful John was watchful and looked into her face, and suddenly she turned pale and fell to the ground as if she were dead. On this he ran hastily to her, lifted her up and bore her into a chamber then he laid her down, and knelt and sucked the three drops of blood from her right breast, and spat them out. Immediately she breathed again and recovered herself, but the young King had seen this, and being ignorant why Faithful John had done it, was angry and cried, Throw him into a dungeon. Next morning Faithful John was condemned, and led to the gallows, and when he stood on high, and was about to be executed, he said, Every one who has to die is permitted before his end to make one last speech; may I too claim the right? Yes, answered the King, it shall be granted unto thee. Then said Faithful John, I am unjustly condemned, and have always been true to thee, and related how he had hearkened to the conversation of the ravens when on the sea, and how he had been obliged to do all these things in order to save his master. Then cried the King, Oh, my most Faithful John. Pardon, pardon bring him down. But as Faithful John spoke the last word he had fallen down lifeless and become a stone. Thereupon the King and the Queen suffered great anguish, and the King said, Ah, how ill I have requited great fidelity! and ordered the stone figure to be taken up and placed in his bedroom beside his bed. And as often as he looked on it he wept and said, Ah, if I could bring thee to life again, my most faithful John. Some time passed and the Queen bore twins, two sons who grew fast and were her delight. Once when the Queen was at church and the two children were sitting playing beside their father, the latter full of grief again looked at the stone figure, sighed and said, Ah, if I could but bring thee to life again, my most faithful John. Then the stone began to speak and said, Thou canst bring me to life again if thou wilt use for that purpose what is dearest to thee. Then cried the King, I will give everything I have in the world for thee. The stone continued, If thou wilt will cut off the heads of thy two children with thine own hand, and sprinkle me with their blood, I shall be restored to life. The King was terrified when he heard that he himself must kill his dearest children, but he thought of faithful Johns great fidelity, and how he had died for him, drew his sword, and with his own hand cut off the childrens heads. And when he had smeared the stone with their blood, life returned to it, and Faithful John stood once more safe and healthy before him. He said to the King, Thy truth shall not go unrewarded, and took the heads of the children, put them on again, and rubbed the wounds with their blood, on which they became whole again immediately, and jumped about, and went on playing as if nothing had happened. Then the King was full of joy, and when he saw the Queen coming he hid Faithful John and the two children in a great cupboard. When she entered, he said to her, Hast thou been praying in the church? Yes, answered she, but I have constantly been thinking of Faithful John and what misfortune has befallen him through us. Then said he, Dear wife, we can give him his life again, but it will cost us our two little sons, whom we must sacrifice. The Queen turned pale, and her heart was full of terror, but she said, We owe it to him, for his great fidelity. Then the King was rejoiced that she thought as he had thought, and went and opened the cupboard, and brought forth Faithful John and the children, and said, God be praised, he is delivered, and we have our little sons again also, and told her how everything had occurred. Then they dwelt together in much happiness until their death. The Pink There was once on a time a Queen to whom God had given no children. Every morning she went into the garden and prayed to God in heaven to bestow on her a son or a daughter. Then an angel from heaven came to her and said, Be at rest, thou shalt have a son with the power of wishing, so that whatsoever in the world he wishes for, that shall he have. Then she went to the King, and told him the joyful tidings, and when the time was come she gave birth to a son, and the King was filled with gladness. Every morning she went with the child to the garden where the wild beasts were kept, and washed herself there in a clear stream. It happened once when the child was a little older, that it was lying in her arms and she fell asleep. Then came the old cook, who knew that the child had the power of wishing, and stole it away, and he took a hen, and cut it in pieces, and dropped some of its blood on the Queens apron and on her dress. Then he carried the child away to a secret place, where a nurse was obliged to suckle it, and he ran to the King and accused the Queen of having allowed her child to be taken from her by the wild beasts. When the King saw the blood on her apron, he believed this, fell into such a passion that he ordered a high tower to be built, in which neither sun nor moon could be seen, and had his wife put into it, and walled up. Here she was to stay for seven years without meat or drink, and die of hunger. But God sent two angels from heaven in the shape of white doves, which flew to her twice a day, and carried her food until the seven years were over. The cook, however, thought to himself, If the child has the power of wishing, and I am here, he might very easily get me into trouble. So he left the palace and went to the boy, who was already big enough to speak, and said to him, Wish for a beautiful palace for thyself with a garden, and all else that pertains to it. Scarcely were the words out of the boys mouth, when everything was there that he had wished for. After a while the cook said to him, It is not well for thee to be so alone, wish for a pretty girl as a companion. Then the Kings son wished for one, and she immediately stood before him, and was more beautiful than any painter could have painted her. The two played together, and loved each other with all their hearts, and the old cook went out hunting like a nobleman. The thought, however, occurred to him that the Kings son might some day wish to be with his father, and thus bring him into great peril. So he went out and took the maiden aside, and said, To-night when the boy is asleep, go to his bed and plunge this knife into his heart, and bring me his heart and tongue, and if thou dost not do it, thou shalt lose thy life. Thereupon he went away, and when he returned next day she had not done it, and said, Why should I shed the blood of an innocent boy who has never harmed any one? The cook once more said, If thou dost not do it, it shall cost thee thy own life. When he had gone away, she had a little hind brought to her, and ordered her to be killed, and took her heart and tongue, and laid them on a plate, and when she saw the old man coming, she said to the boy, Lie down in thy bed, and draw the clothes over thee. Then the wicked wretch came in and said, Where are the boys heart and tongue? The girl reached the plate to him, but the Kings son threw off the quilt, and said, Thou old sinner, why didst thou want to kill me? Now will I pronounce thy sentence. Thou shalt become a black poodle and have a gold collar round thy neck, and shalt eat burning coals, till the flames burst forth from thy throat. And when he had spoken these words, the old man was changed into a poodle dog, and had a gold collar round his neck, and the cooks were ordered to bring up some live coals, and these he ate, until the flames broke forth from his throat. The Kings son remained there a short while longer, and he thought of his mother, and wondered if she were still alive. At length he said to the maiden, I will go home to my own country; if thou wilt go with me, I will provide for thee. Ah, she replied, the way is so long, and what shall I do in a strange land where I am unknown? As she did not seem quite willing, and as they could not be parted from each other, he wished that she might be changed into a beautiful pink, and took her with him. Then he went away to his own country, and the poodle had to run after him. He went to the tower in which his mother was confined, and as it was so high, he wished for a ladder which would reach up to the very top. Then he mounted up and looked inside, and cried, Beloved mother, Lady Queen, are you still alive, or are you dead? She answered, I have just eaten, and am still satisfied, for she thought the angels were there. Said he, I am your dear son, whom the wild beasts were said to have torn from your arms; but I am alive still, and will speedily deliver you. Then he descended again, and went to his father, and caused himself to be announced as a strange huntsman, and asked if he could give him a place. The King said yes, if he was skilful and could get game for him, he should come to him, but that deer had never taken up their quarters in any part of the district or country. Then the huntsman promised to procure as much game for him as he could possibly use at the royal table. So he summoned all the huntsmen together, and bade them go out into the forest with him. And he went with them and made them form a great circle, open at one end where he stationed himself, and began to wish. Two hundred deer and more came running inside the circle at once, and the huntsmen shot them. Then they were all placed on sixty country carts, and driven home to the King, and for once he was able to deck his table with game, after having had none at all for years. Now the King felt great joy at this, and commanded that his entire household should eat with him next day, and made a great feast. When they were all assembled together, he said to the huntsman, As thou art so clever, thou shalt sit by me. He replied, Lord King, your majesty must excuse me, I am a poor huntsman. But the King insisted on it, and said, Thou shalt sit by me, until he did it. Whilst he was sitting there, he thought of his dearest mother, and wished that one of the Kings principal servants would begin to speak of her, and would ask how it was faring with the Queen in the tower, and if she were alive still, or had perished. Hardly had he formed the wish than the marshal began, and said, Your majesty, we live joyously here, but how is the Queen living in the tower? Is she still alive, or has she died? But the King replied, She let my dear son be torn to pieces by wild beasts; I will not have her named. Then the huntsman arose and said, Gracious lord father, she is alive still, and I am her son, and I was not carried away by wild beasts, but by that wretch the old cook, who tore me from her arms when she was asleep, and sprinkled her apron with the blood of a chicken. Thereupon he took the dog with the golden collar, and said, That is the wretch! and caused live coals to be brought, and these the dog was compelled to devour before the sight of all, until flames burst forth from its throat. On this the hunts- man asked the King if he would like to see the dog in his true shape, and wished him back into the form of the cook, in the which he stood immediately, with his white apron, and his knife by his side. When the King saw him he fell into a passion, and ordered him to be cast into the deepest dungeon. Then the huntsman spake further and said, Father, will you see the maiden who brought me up so tenderly and who was afterwards to murder me, but did not do it, though her own life depended on it? The King replied, Yes, I would like to see her. The son said, Most gracious father, I will show her to you in the form of a beautiful flower, and he thrust his hand into his pocket and brought forth the pink, and placed it on the royal table, and it was so beautiful that the King had never seen one to equal it. Then the son said, Now will I show her to you in her own form, and wished that she might become a maiden, and she stood there looking so beautiful that no painter could have made her look more so. And the King sent two waiting-maids and two attendants into the tower, to fetch the Queen and bring her to the royal table. But when she was led in she ate nothing, and said, The gracious and merciful God who has supported me in the tower, will speedily deliver me. She lived three days more, and then died happily, and when she was buried, the two white doves which had brought her food to the tower, and were angels of heaven, followed her body and seated themselves on her grave. The aged King ordered the cook to be torn in four pieces, but grief consumed the Kings own heart, and he soon died. His son married the beautiful maiden whom he had brought with him as a flower in his pocket, and whether they are still alive or not, is known to God. ANDREW LANG Once upon a time in a certain country there lived a king whose palace was surrounded by a spacious garden. But, though the gardeners were many and the soil was good, this garden yielded neither flowers nor fruits, not even grass or shady trees. The King was in despair about it, when a wise old man said to him: Your gardeners do not understand their business: but what can you expect of men whose fathers were cobblers and carpenters? How should they have learned to cultivate your garden? You are quite right, cried the King. Therefore, continued the old man, you should send for a gardener whose father and grandfather have been gardeners before him, and very soon your garden will be full of green grass and gay flowers, and you will enjoy its delicious fruit. So the King sent messengers to every town, village, and hamlet in his dominions, to look for a gardener whose forefathers had been gardeners also, and after forty days one was found. Come with us and be gardener to the King, they said to him. How can I go to the King, said the gardener, a poor wretch like me? That is of no consequence, they answered. Here are new clothes for you and your family. But I owe money to several people. We will pay your debts, they said. So the gardener allowed himself to be persuaded, and went away with the messengers, taking his wife and his son with him; and the King, delighted to have found a real gardener, entrusted him with the care of his garden. The man found no difficulty in making the royal garden produce flowers and fruit, and at the end of a year the park was not like the same place, and the King showered gifts upon his new servant. The gardener, as you have heard already, had a son, who was a very handsome young man, with most agree- able manners, and every day he carried the best fruit of the garden to the King, and all the prettiest flowers to his daughter. Now this princess was wonderfully pretty and was just sixteen years old, and the King was beginning to think it was time that she should be married. My dear child, said he, you are of an age to take a husband, therefore I am thinking of marrying you to the son of my prime minister. Father, replied the Princess, I will never marry the son of the minister. Why not? asked the King. Because I love the gardeners son, answered the Princess. On hearing this the King was at first very angry, and then he wept and sighed, and declared that such a husband was not worthy of his daughter; but the young Princess was not to be turned from her resolution to marry the gardeners son. Then the King consulted his ministers. This is what you must do, they said. To get rid of the gardener you must send both suitors to a very distant country, and the one who returns first shall marry your daughter. The King followed this advice, and the ministers son was presented with a splendid horse and a purse full of gold pieces, while the gardeners son had only an old lame horse and a purse full of copper money, and every one thought he would never come back from his journey. The day before they started the Princess met her lover and said to him: Be brave, and remember always that I love you. Take this purse full of jewels and make the best use you can of them for love of me, and come back quickly and demand my hand. The two suitors left the town together, but the ministers son went off at a gallop on his good horse, and very soon was lost to sight behind the most distant hills. He traveled on for some days, and presently reached a fountain beside which an old woman all in rags sat upon a stone. Good-day to you, young traveler, said she. But the ministers son made no reply. Have pity upon me, traveler, she said again. I am dying of hunger, as you see, and three days have I been here and no one has given me anything. Let me alone, old witch, cried the young man; I can do nothing for you, and so saying he went on his way. That same evening the gardeners son rode up to the fountain upon his lame gray horse. Good-day to you, young traveler, said the beggar- woman. Good-day, good woman, answered he. Young traveler, have pity upon me. Take my purse, good woman, said he, and mount behind me, for your legs cant be very strong. The old woman didnt wait to be asked twice, but mounted behind him, and in this style they reached the chief city of a powerful kingdom. The ministers son was lodged in a grand inn, the gardeners son and the old woman dismounted at the inn for beggars. The next day the gardeners son heard a great noise in the street, and the Kings heralds passed, blowing all kinds of instruments, and crying: The King, our master, is old and infirm. He will give a great reward to whoever will cure him and give him back the strength of his youth. Then the old beggar-woman said to her benefactor: This is what you must do to obtain the reward which the King promises. Go out of the town by the south gate, and there you will find three little dogs of different colors; the first will be white, the second black, the third red. You must kill them and then burn them separately, and gather up the ashes. Put the ashes of each dog into a bag of its own color, then go before the door of the palace and cry out, `A celebrated physician has come from Janina in Albania. He alone can cure the King and give him back the strength of his youth. The Kings physicians will say, This is an impostor, and not a learned man, and they will make all sorts of difficulties, but you will overcome them all at last, and will present yourself before the sick King. You must then demand as much wood as three mules can carry, and a great cauldron, and must shut yourself up in a room with the Sultan, and when the cauldron boils you must throw him into it, and there leave him until his flesh is completely separated from his bones. Then arrange the bones in their proper places, and throw over them the ashes out of the three bags. The King will come back to life, and will be just as he was when he was twenty years old. For your reward you must demand the bronze ring which has the power to grant you everything you desire. Go, my son, and do not forget any of my instructions. The young man followed the old beggar-womans directions. On going out of the town he found the white, red, and black dogs, and killed and burnt them, gathering the ashes in three bags. Then he ran to the palace and cried: A celebrated physician has just come from Janina in Albania. He alone can cure the King and give him back the strength of his youth. The Kings physicians at first laughed at the unknown wayfarer, but the Sultan ordered that the stranger should be admitted. They brought the cauldron and the loads of wood, and very soon the King was boiling away. Toward mid-day the gardeners son arranged the bones in their places, and he had hardly scattered the ashes over them before the old King revived, to find himself once more young and hearty. How can I reward you, my benefactor? he cried. Will you take half my treasures? No, said the gardeners son. My daughters hand? NO. Take half my kingdom. No. Give me only the bronze ring which can instantly grant me anything I wish for. Alas! said the King, I set great store by that marvelous ring; nevertheless, you shall have it. And he gave it to him. The gardeners son went back to say good-by to the old beggar-woman; then he said to the bronze ring: Prepare a splendid ship in which I may continue my journey. Let the hull be of fine gold, the masts of silver, the sails of brocade; let the crew consist of twelve young men of noble appearance, dressed like kings. St. Nicholas will be at the helm. As to the cargo, let it be diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and carbuncles. And immediately a ship appeared upon the sea which resembled in every particular THE DESCRIPTION GIVEN BY THE GARDENERS SON, and, stepping on board, he continued his journey. Presently he arrived at a great town and established himself in a wonderful palace. After several days he met his rival, the ministers son, who had spent all his money and was reduced to the disagreeable employment of a carrier of dust and rubbish. The gardeners son said to him: What is your name, what is your family, and from what country do you come? I am the son of the prime minister of a great nation, and yet see what a degrading occupation I am reduced to. Listen to me; though I dont know anything more about you, I am willing to help you. I will give you a ship to take you back to your own country upon one condition. Whatever it may be, I accept it willingly. Follow me to my palace. The ministers son followed the rich stranger, whom he had not recognized. When they reached the palace the gardeners son made a sign to his slaves, who completely undressed the new-comer. Make this ring red-hot, commanded the master, and mark the man with it upon his back. The slaves obeyed him. Now, young man, said the rich stranger, I am going to give you a vessel which will take you back to your own country. And, going out, he took the bronze ring and said: Bronze ring, obey thy master. Prepare me a ship of which the half-rotten timbers shall be painted black, let the sails be in rags, and the sailors infirm and sickly. One shall have lost a leg, another an arm, the third shall be a hunchback, another lame or club-footed or blind, and most of them shall be ugly and covered with scars. Go, and let my orders be executed. The ministers son embarked in this old vessel, and thanks to favorable winds, at length reached his own country. In spite of the pitiable condition in which he returned they received him joyfully. I am the first to come back, said he to the King; now fulfil your promise, and give me the princess in marriage. So they at once began to prepare for the wedding festivities. As to the poor princess, she was sorrowful and angry enough about it. The next morning, at daybreak, a wonderful ship with every sail set came to anchor before the town. The King happened at that moment to be at the palace window. What strange ship is this, he cried, that has a golden hull, silver masts, and silken sails, and who are the young men like princes who man it? And do I not see St. Nicholas at the helm? Go at once and invite the captain of the ship to come to the palace. His servants obeyed him, and very soon in came an enchantingly handsome young prince, dressed in rich silk, ornamented with pearls and diamonds. Young man, said the King, you are welcome, whoever you may be. Do me the favor to be my guest as long as you remain in my capital. Many thanks, sire, replied the captain, I accept your offer. My daughter is about to be married, said the King; will you give her away? I shall be charmed, sire. Soon after came the Princess and her betrothed. Why, how is this? cried the young captain; would you marry this charming princess to such a man as that? But he is my prime ministers son! What does that matter? I cannot give your daughter away. The man she is betrothed to is one of my servants. Your servant? Without doubt. I met him in a distant town reduced to carrying away dust and rubbish from the houses. I had pity on him and engaged him as one of my servants. It is impossible! cried the King. Do you wish me to prove what I say? This young man returned in a vessel which I fitted out for him, an unsea- worthy ship with a black battered hull, and the sailors were infirm and crippled. It is quite true, said the King. It is false, cried the ministers son. I do not know this man! Sire, said the young captain, order your daughters betrothed to be stripped, and see if the mark of my ring is not branded upon his back. The King was about to give this order, when the ministers son, to save himself from such an indignity, admitted that the story was true. And now, sire, said the young captain, do you not recognize me? I recognize you, said the Princess; you are the gardeners son whom I have always loved, and it is you I wish to marry. Young man, you shall be my son-in-law, cried the King. The marriage festivities are already begun, so you shall marry my daughter this very day. And so that very day the gardeners son married the beautiful Princess. Several months passed. The young couple were as happy as the day was long, and the King was more and more pleased with himself for having secured such a son- in-law. But, presently, the captain of the golden ship found it necessary to take a long voyage, and after embracing his wife tenderly he embarked. Now in the outskirts of the capital there lived an old man, who had spent his life in studying black arts-- alchemy, astrology, magic, and enchantment. This man found out that the gardeners son had only succeeded in marrying the Princess by the help of the genii who obeyed the bronze ring. I will have that ring, said he to himself. So he went down to the sea-shore and caught some little red fishes. Really, they were quite wonderfully pretty. Then he came back, and, passing before the Princesss window, he began to cry out: Who wants some pretty little red fishes? The Princess heard him, and sent out one of her slaves, who said to the old peddler: What will you take for your fish? A bronze ring. A bronze ring, old simpleton! And where shall I find one? Under the cushion in the Princesss room. The slave went back to her mistress. The old madman will take neither gold nor silver, said she. What does he want then? A bronze ring that is hidden under a cushion. Find the ring and give it to him, said the Princess. And at last the slave found the bronze ring, which the captain of the golden ship had accidentally left behind and carried it to the man, who made off with it instantly. Hardly had he reached his own house when, taking the ring, he said, Bronze ring, obey thy master. I desire that the golden ship shall turn to black wood, and the crew to hideous negroes; that St. Nicholas shall leave the helm and that the only cargo shall be black cats. And the genii of the bronze ring obeyed him. Finding himself upon the sea in this miserable condition, the young captain understood that some one must have stolen the bronze ring from him, and he lamented his misfortune loudly; but that did him no good. Alas! he said to himself, whoever has taken my ring has probably taken my dear wife also. What good will it do me to go back to my own country? And he sailed about from island to island, and from shore to shore, believing that wherever he went everybody was laughing at him, and very soon his poverty was so great that he and his crew and the poor black cats had nothing to eat but herbs and roots. After wandering about a long time he reached an island inhabited by mice. The captain landed upon the shore and began to explore the country. There were mice everywhere, and nothing but mice. Some of the black cats had followed him, and, not having been fed for several days, they were fearfully hungry, and made terrible havoc among the mice. Then the queen of the mice held a council. These cats will eat every one of us, she said, if the captain of the ship does not shut the ferocious animals up. Let us send a deputation to him of the bravest among us. Several mice offered themselves for this mission and set out to find the young captain. Captain, said they, go away quickly from our island, or we shall perish, every mouse of us. Willingly, replied the young captain, upon one condition. That is that you shall first bring me back a bronze ring which some clever magician has stolen from me. If you do not do this I will land all my cats upon your island, and you shall be exterminated. The mice withdrew in great dismay. What is to be done? said the Queen. How can we find this bronze ring? She held a new council, calling in mice from every quarter of the globe, but nobody knew where the bronze ring was. Suddenly three mice arrived from a very distant country. One was blind, the second lame, and the third had her ears cropped. Ho, ho, ho! said the new-comers. We come from a far distant country. Do you know where the bronze ring is which the genii obey? Ho, ho, ho! we know; an old sorcerer has taken possession of it, and now he keeps it in his pocket by day and in his mouth by night. Go and take it from him, and come back as soon as possible. So the three mice made themselves a boat and set sail for the magicians country. When they reached the capital they landed and ran to the palace, leaving only the blind mouse on the shore to take care of the boat. Then they waited till it was night. The wicked old man lay down in bed and put the bronze ring into his mouth, and very soon he was asleep. Now, what shall we do? said the two little animals to each other. The mouse with the cropped ears found a lamp full of oil and a bottle full of pepper. So she dipped her tail first in the oil and then in the pepper, and held it to the sorcerers nose. Atisha! atisha! sneezed the old man, but he did not wake, and the shock made the bronze ring jump out of his mouth. Quick as thought the lame mouse snatched up the precious talisman and carried it off to the boat. Imagine the despair of the magician when he awoke and the bronze ring was nowhere to be found! But by that time our three mice had set sail with their prize. A favoring breeze was carrying them toward the island where the queen of the mice was awaiting them. Naturally they began to talk about the bronze ring. Which of us deserves the most credit? they cried all at once. I do, said the blind mouse, for without my watchfulness our boat would have drifted away to the open sea. No, indeed, cried the mouse with the cropped ears; the credit is mine. Did I not cause the ring to jump out of the mans mouth? No, it is mine, cried the lame one, for I ran off with the ring. And from high words they soon came to blows, and, alas! when the quarrel was fiercest the bronze ring fell into the sea. How are we to face our queen, said the three mice when by our folly we have lost the talisman and condemned our people to be utterly exterminated? We cannot go back to our country; let us land on this desert island and there end our miserable lives. No sooner said than done. The boat reached the island, and the mice landed. The blind mouse was speedily deserted by her two sisters, who went off to hunt flies, but as she wandered sadly along the shore she found a dead fish, and was eating it, when she felt something very hard. At her cries the other two mice ran up. It is the bronze ring! It is the talisman! they cried joyfully, and, getting into their boat again, they soon reached the mouse island. It was time they did, for the captain was just going to land his cargo of cats, when a deputation of mice brought him the precious bronze ring. Bronze ring, commanded the young man, obey thy master. Let my ship appear as it was before. Immediately the genii of the ring set to work, and the old black vessel became once more the wonderful golden ship with sails of brocade; the handsome sailors ran to the silver masts and the silken ropes, and very soon they set sail for the capital. Ah! how merrily the sailors sang as they flew over the glassy sea! At last the port was reached. The captain landed and ran to the palace, where he found the wicked old man asleep. The Princess clasped her husband in a long embrace. The magician tried to escape, but he was seized and bound with strong cords. The next day the sorcerer, tied to the tail of a savage mule loaded with nuts, was broken into as many pieces as there were nuts upon the mules back.
Posted on: Sat, 19 Oct 2013 05:28:01 +0000
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015