The Two Kings' Children

The Two Kings' Children

     There was once upon a time a King who had a little boy of whom it had
been foretold that he should be killed by a stag when he was sixteen years of
age, and, when he had reached that age, the huntsmen once went hunting with
him. In the forest, the King's son was separated from the others, and all at
once he saw a great stag which he wanted to shoot, but could not hit. At
length he chased the stag so far that they were quite out of the forest, and
then suddenly a great tall man was standing there instead of the stag, and
said, "It is well that I have thee, I have already ruined six pairs of glass
skates with running after thee, and have not been able to get thee." Then he
took the King's son with him, and dragged him through a great lake to a great
palace, and then he had to sit down to table with him and eat something. When
they had eaten something together, the King said, "I have three daughters,
thou must keep watch over the eldest for one night, from nine in the evening
till six in the morning, and every time the clock strikes, I will come myself
and call, and if thou then givest me no answer, to-morrow morning thou shalt
be put to death, but if thou always givest me an answer, thou shalt have her
to wife."

     When the young folks went to the bed-room, there stood a stone image of
St. Christopher, and the King's daughter said to it, "My father will come at
nine o'clock, and every hour till it strikes three; when he calls, give him an
answer instead of the King's son." Then the stone image of St. Christopher
nodded its head quite quickly, and then more and more slowly till at last it
stood still. The next morning the King said to him, "Thou hast done the
business well, but I cannot give my daughter away, thou must now watch a night
by my second daughter, and then I will consider with myself whether thou canst
have my eldest daughter to wife, but I shall come every hour myself, and when
I call thee, answer me, and if I call thee and thou dost not reply, thy blood
shall flow." Then they both went into the sleeping-room, and there stood a
still larger stone image of St. Christopher, and the King's daughter said to
it, "If my father calls, do you answer him." Then the great stone image of St.
Christopher again nodded its head quite quickly and then more and more slowly,
until at last it stood still again. And the King's son lay down on the
threshold, put his hand under his head and slept. The next morning the King
said to him, "Thou hast done the business really well, but I cannot give my
daughter away; thou must now watch a night by the youngest princess, and then
I will consider with myself whether thou canst have my second daughter to
wife, but I shall come every hour myself, and when I call thee answer me, and
if I call thee and thou answerest not, thy blood shall flow for me."

     Then they once more went to the sleeping-room together, and there was a
much greater and much taller image of St. Christopher than the two first had
been. The King's daughter said to it, "When my father calls, do thou answer."
Then the great tall stone image of St. Christopher nodded quite half an hour
with its head, until at length the head stood still again. And the King's son
lay down on the threshold of the door and slept. The next morning the King
said, "Thou hast indeed watched well, but I cannot give thee my daughter now;
I have a great forest, if thou cuttest it down for me between six o'clock this
morning and six at night, I will think about it." Then he gave him a glass
axe, a glass wedge, and a glass mallet. When he got into the wood, he began to
cut, but the axe broke in two, then he took the wedge, and struck it once with
the mallet, and it became as short and as small as sand. Then he was much
troubled and believed he would have to die, and sat down and wept.

     Now, when it was noon, the King said, "One of you girls must take him
something to eat." "No," said the two eldest, "we will not take it to him; the
one by whom he last watched can take him something." Then the youngest was
forced to go and take him something to eat. When she got into the forest, she
asked him how he was getting on? "Oh," said he, "I am getting on very badly."
Then she said he was to come and just eat a little. "Nay," said he, "I cannot
do that, I shall still have to die, so I will eat no more." Then she spoke so
kindly to him and begged him just to try, that he came and ate something. When
he had eaten something she said, "I will comb thy hair a while, and then thou
wilt feel happier."

     So she combed his hair, and he became weary and fell asleep, and then she
took her handkerchief and made a knot in it, and struck it three times on the
earth, and said, "Earth-workers, come forth." In a moment, numbers of little
earth-men came forth, and asked what the King's daughter commanded? Then
said she, "In three hours' time the great forest must be cut down, and the
whole of the wood laid in heaps." So the little earth-men went about and got
together the whole of their kindred to help them with the work. They began at
once, and when the three hours were over, all was done, and they came back to
the King's daughter and told her so. Then she took her white handkerchief
again and said, "Earth-workers, go home." On this they all disappeared.

     When the King's son awoke, he was delighted, and she said, "Come home
when it has struck six o'clock." He did as she told him, and then the King
asked, "Hast thou made away with the forest?" "Yes," said the King's son. When
they were sitting at table, the King said, "I cannot yet give thee my daughter
to wife, thou must still do something more for her sake." So he asked what it
was to be, then? "I have a great fish-pond," said the King. "Thou must go to
it tomorrow morning and clear it of all mud until it is as bright as a mirror,
and fill it with every kind of fish." The next morning the King gave him a
glass shovel and said, "The fish-pond must be done by six o'clock." So he
went away, and when he came to the fish-pond he stuck his shovel in the mud
and it broke in two, then he stuck his hoe in the mud, and broke it also. Then
he was much troubled. At noon the youngest daughter brought him something to
eat, and asked him how he was getting on? So the King's son said everything
was going very ill with him, and he would certainly have to lose his head. "My
tools have broken to pieces again." "Oh," said she, "thou must just come and
eat something, and then thou wilt be in another frame of mind." "No," said he,
"I cannot eat, I am far too unhappy for that!" Then she gave him many good
words until at last he came and ate something. Then she combed his hair again,
and he fell asleep, so once more she took her handkerchief, tied a knot in it,
and struck the ground thrice with the knot, and said, "Earth-workers, come
forth." In a moment a great many little earth-men came and asked what she
desired, and she told them that in three hours' time they must have the fish -
pond entirely cleaned out, and it must be so clear that people could see
themselves reflected in it, and every kind of fish must be in it. The little
earth-men went away and summoned all their kindred to help them, and in two
hours it was done. Then they returned to her and said, "We have done as thou
hast commanded." The King's daughter took the handkerchief and once more
struck thrice on the ground with it, and said, "Earth-workers, go home
again." Then they all went away.

     When the King's son awoke, the fish-pond was done. Then the King's
daughter went away also, and told him that when it was six he was to come to
the house. When he arrived at the house the King asked, "Hast thou got the
fish-pond done?" "Yes," said the King's son. That was very good.

     When they were again sitting at table, the King said, "Thou hast
certainly done the fish-pond, but I cannot give thee my daughter yet; thou
must just do one thing more." What is that, then?" asked the King's son. The
King said he had a great mountain on which there was nothing but briars which
must all be cut down, and at the top of it the youth must build up a great
castle, which must be as strong as could be conceived, and all the furniture
and fittings belonging to a castle must be inside it. And when he arose next
morning the King gave him a glass axe and a glass gimlet with him, and he was
to have all done by six o'clock. As he was cutting down the first briar with
the axe, it broke off short, and so small that the pieces flew all round
about, and he could not use the gimlet either. Then he was quite miserable,
and waited for his dearest to see if she would not come and help him in his
need. When it was mid-day she came and brought him something to eat. He went
to meet her and told her all, and ate something, and let her comb his hair and
fell asleep. Then she once more took the knot and struck the earth with it,
and said, "Earth-workers, come forth!" Then came once again numbers of earth
- men, and asked what her desire was. Then said she, "In the space of three
hours they must cut down the whole of the briars, and a castle must be built
on the top of the mountain that must be as strong as any one could conceive,
and all the furniture that pertains to a castle must be inside it. They went
away, and summoned their kindred to help them and when the time was come, all
was ready. Then they came to the King's daughter and told her so, and the
King's daughter took her handkerchief and struck thrice on the earth with it,
and said "Earth-workers, go home," on which they all disappeared. When
therefore the King's son awoke and saw everything done, he was as happy as a
bird in air.

     When it had struck six, they went home together. Then said the King, "Is
the castle ready?" "Yes," said the King's son. When they sat down to table,
the King said, "I cannot give away my youngest daughter until the two eldest
are married." Then the King's son and the King's daughter were quite troubled,
and the King's son had no idea what to do. But he went by night to the King's
daughter and ran away with her. When they had got a little distance away, the
King's daughter peeped round and saw her father behind her. "Oh," said she,
"what are we to do? My father is behind us, and will take us back with him. I
will at once change thee into a briar, and myself into a rose, and I will
shelter myself in the midst of the bush." When the father reached the place,
there stood a briar with one rose on it, then he was about to gather the rose,
when the thorn came and pricked his finger so that he was forced to go home
again. His wife asked why he had not brought their daughter back with him? So
he said he had nearly got up to her, but that all at once he had lost sight of
her, and a briar with one rose was growing on the spot.

     Then said the Queen, "If thou hadst but gathered the rose, the briar
would have been forced to come too." So he went back again to fetch the rose,
but in the meantime the two were already far over the plain, and the King ran
after them. Then the daughter once more looked round and saw her father
coming, and said, "Oh, what shall we do now? I will instantly change thee into
a church and myself into a priest, and I will stand up in the pulpit, and
preach."

When the King got to the place, there stood a church, and in the pulpit was a
priest preaching. So he listened to the sermon, and then went home again.

     Then the Queen asked why he had not brought their daughter with him, and
he said, "Nay, I ran a long time after her, and just as I thought I should
soon overtake her, a church was standing there and a priest was in the pulpit
preaching." "Thou shouldst just have brought the priest," said his wife, "and
then the church would soon have come. It is no use to send thee, I must go
there myself." When she had walked for some time, and could see the two in the
distance, the King's daughter peeped round and saw her mother coming, and
said, "Now we are undone, for my mother is coming herself: I will immediately
change thee into a fish-pond and myself into a fish."

     When the mother came to the place, there was a large fish-pond, and in
the midst of it a fish was leaping about and peeping out of the water, and it
was quite merry. She wanted to catch the fish but she could not. Then she was
very angry, and drank up the whole pond in order to catch the fish, but it
made her so ill that she was forced to vomit, and vomited the whole pond out
again. Then she cried, "I see very well that nothing can be done now," and
said that now they might come back to her. Then the King's daughter went back
again, and the Queen gave her daughter three walnuts, and said, "With these
thou canst help thyself when thou art in thy greatest need." So the young
folks went once more away together. And, when they had walked quite ten miles,
they arrived at the castle from whence the King's son came, and close by it
was a village. When they reached it, the King's son said, "Stay here, my
dearest, I will just go to the castle, and then will I come with a carriage
and with attendants to fetch thee."

     When he got to the castle, they all rejoiced greatly at having the King's
son back again, and he told them he had a bride who was now in the village,
and they must go with the carriage to fetch her. Then they harnessed the
horses at once, and many attendants seated themselves outside the carriage.
When the King's son was about to get in, his mother gave him a kiss, and he
forgot everything which had happened, and also what he was about to do. On
this his mother ordered the horses to be taken out of the carriage again, and
every one went back into the house. But the maiden sat in the village and
watched and watched, and thought he would come and fetch her, but no one came.
Then the King's daughter took service in the mill which belonged to the
castle, and was obliged to sit by the pond every afternoon and clean the tubs.
And the Queen came one day on foot from the castle, and went walking by the
pond, and saw the well-grown maiden sitting there, and said, "What a fine
strong girl that is! She pleases me well!" Then she and all with her looked at
the maid, but no one knew her. So a long time passed by during which the
maiden served the miller honourably and faithfully. In the meantime, the Queen
had sought a wife for her son, who came from quite a distant part of the
world. When the bride came, they were at once to be married. And many people
hurried together, all of whom wanted to see everything. Then the girl said to
the miller that he might be so good as to give her leave to go also. So the
miller said, "Yes, do go there." When she was about to go, she opened one of
the three walnuts, and a beautiful dress lay inside it. She put it on, and
went into the church and stood by the altar. Suddenly came the bride and
bridegroom, and seated themselves before the altar, and when the priest was
just going to bless them, the bride peeped half round and saw the maiden
standing there. Then she stood up again, and said she would not be given away
until she also had as beautiful a dress as that lady there. So they went back
to the house again, and sent to ask the lady if she would sell that dress. No,
she would not sell it, but the bride might perhaps earn it. Then the bride
asked her how she was to do this? Then the maiden said if she might sleep one
night outside the King's son's door, the bride might have what she wanted. So
the bride said, "Yes, she was to do that." But the servants were ordered to
give the King's son a sleeping drink, and then the maiden laid herself down on
the threshold and lamented all night long. She had had the forest cut down for
him, she had had the fish-pond cleaned out for him, she had had the castle
built for him, she had changed him into a briar, and then into a church, and
at last into a fish-pond, and yet he had forgotten her so quickly. The
King's son did not hear one word of it, but the servants had been awakened,
and had listened to it, and had not known what it could mean. The next morning
when they were all up, the bride put on the dress, and went away to the church
with the bridegroom. In the meantime the maiden opened the second walnut, and
a still more beautiful dress was inside it. She put it on, and went and stood
by the altar in the church, and everything happened as it had happened the
time before. And the maiden again lay all night on the threshold which led to
the chamber of the King's son, and the servant was once more to give him a
sleeping-drink. The servant, however, went to him and gave him something to
keep him awake, and then the King's son went to bed, and the miller's maiden
bemoaned herself as before on the threshold of the door, and told of all that
she had done. All this the King's son heard, and was sore troubled, and what
was passed came back to him. Then he wanted to go to her, but his mother had
locked the door. The next morning, however, he went at once to his beloved,
and told her everything which had happened to him, and prayed her not to be
angry with him for having forgotten her. Then the King's daughter opened the
third walnut, and within it was a still more magnificent dress, which she put
on, and went with her bridegroom to church, and numbers of children came who
gave them flowers, and offered them gay ribbons to bind about their feet, and
they were blessed by the priest, and had a merry wedding. But the false mother
and the bride had to depart. And the mouth of the person who last told all
this is still warm.