The Knapsack, the Hat, and the Horn

There were once three brothers who had fallen deeper and deeper into
poverty, and at last their need was so great that they had to endure
hunger, and had nothing to eat or drink. Then said they, "We cannot go
on thus, we had better go into the world and seek our fortune." They
therefore set out, and had already walked over many a long road and
many a blade of grass, but had not yet met with good luck. One day they
arrived in a great forest, and in the midst of it was a hill, and when
they came nearer they saw that the hill was all silver. Then spoke the
eldest, "Now I have found the good luck I wished for, and I desire
nothing more." He took as much of the silver as he could possibly
carry, and then turned back and went home again. But the two others
said, "We want something more from good luck than mere silver," and did
not touch it, but went onwards. After they had walked for two days
longer without stopping, they came to a hill which was all gold. The
second brother stopped, took thought with himself, and was undecided.
"What shall I do?" said he; "shall I take for myself so much of this
gold, that I have sufficient for all the rest of my life, or shall I go
farther?" At length he made a decision, and putting as much into his
pockets as would go in, said farewell to his brother, and went home.
But the third said, "Silver and gold do not move me, I will not
renounce my chance of fortune, perhaps something better still will be
given me." He journeyed onwards, and when he had walked for three days,
he got into a forest which was still larger than the one before, and
never would come to an end, and as he found nothing to eat or to drink,
he was all but exhausted. Then he climbed up a high tree to find out if
up there he could see the end of the forest, but so far as his eye
could pierce he saw nothing but the tops of trees. Then he began to
descend the tree again, but hunger tormented him, and he thought to
himself, "If I could but eat my fill once more!" When he got down he
saw with astonishment a table beneath the tree richly spread with food,
the steam of which rose up to meet him. "This time," said he, "my wish
has been fulfilled at the right moment." And without inquiring who had
brought the food, or who had cooked it, he approached the table, and
ate with enjoyment until he had appeased his hunger. When he was done,
he thought, "It would after all be a pity if the pretty little
table-cloth were to be spoilt in the forest here," and folded it up
tidily and put it in his pocket. Then he went onwards, and in the
evening, when hunger once more made itself felt, he wanted to make a
trial of his little cloth, and spread it out and said, "I wish thee to
be covered with good cheer again," and scarcely had the wish crossed
his lips than as many dishes with the most exquisite food on them stood
on the table as there was room for. "Now I perceive," said he, "in what
kitchen my cooking is done. Thou shalt be dearer to me than the
mountains of silver and gold." For he saw plainly that it was a
wishing-cloth. The cloth, however, was still not enough to enable him
to sit down quietly at home; he preferred to wander about the world and
pursue his fortune farther.

One night he met, in a lonely wood, a dusty, black charcoal-burner, who
was burning charcoal there, and had some potatoes by the fire, on which
he was going to make a meal. "Good evening, blackbird!" said the youth.
"How dost thou get on in thy solitude?"

"One day is like another," replied the charcoal-burner, "and every
night potatoes! Hast thou a mind to have some, and wilt thou be my
guest?" "Many thanks," replied the traveler, "I won't rob thee of thy
supper; thou didst not reckon on a visitor, but if thou wilt put up
with what I have, thou shalt have an invitation."

"Who is to prepare it for thee?" said the charcoal-burner. "I see that
thou hast nothing with thee, and there is no one within a two hours'
walk who could give thee anything." "And yet there shall be a meal,"
answered the youth, "and better than any thou hast ever tasted."
Thereupon he brought his cloth out of his knapsack, spread it on the
ground, and said, "Little cloth, cover thyself," and instantly boiled
meat and baked meat stood there, and as hot as if it had just come out
of the kitchen. The charcoal-burner stared, but did not require much
pressing; he fell to, and thrust larger and larger mouthfuls into his
black mouth. When they had eaten everything, the charcoal-burner smiled
contentedly, and said, "Hark thee, thy table-cloth has my approval; it
would be a fine thing for me in this forest, where no one ever cooks me
anything good. I will propose an exchange to thee; there in the corner
hangs a soldier's knapsack, which is certainly old and shabby, but in
it lie concealed wonderful powers; but, as I no longer use it, I will
give it to thee for the table-cloth."

"I must first know what these wonderful powers are," answered the
youth.

"That will I tell thee," replied the charcoal-burner; "every time thou
tappest it with thy hand, a corporal comes with six men armed from head
to foot, and they do whatsoever thou commandest them." "So far as I am
concerned," said the youth, "if nothing else can be done, we will
exchange," and he gave the charcoal-burner the cloth, took the knapsack
from the hook, put it on, and bade farewell. When he had walked a
while, he wished to make a trial of the magical powers of his knapsack
and tapped it. Immediately the seven warriors stepped up to him, and
the corporal said, "What does my lord and ruler wish for?"

"March with all speed to the charcoal-burner, and demand my
wishing-cloth back." They faced to the left, and it was not long before
they brought what he required, and had taken it from the
charcoal-burner without asking many questions. The young man bade them
retire, went onwards, and hoped fortune would shine yet more brightly
on him. By sunset he came to another charcoal-burner, who was making
his supper ready by the fire. "If thou wilt eat some potatoes with
salt, but with no dripping, come and sit down with me," said the sooty
fellow.

"No, he replied, this time thou shalt be my guest," and he spread out
his cloth, which was instantly covered with the most beautiful dishes.
They ate and drank together, and enjoyed themselves heartily. After the
meal was over, the charcoal-burner said, "Up there on that shelf lies a
little old worn-out hat which has strange properties: when any one puts
it on, and turns it round on his head, the cannons go off as if twelve
were fired all together, and they shoot down everything so that no one
can withstand them. The hat is of no use to me, and I will willingly
give it for thy table-cloth."

"That suits me very well," he answered, took the hat, put it on, and
left his table-cloth behind him. Hardly, however, had he walked away
than he tapped on his knapsack, and his soldiers had to fetch the cloth
back again. "One thing comes on the top of another," thought he, "and I
feel as if my luck had not yet come to an end." Neither had his
thoughts deceived him. After he had walked on for the whole of one day,
he came to a third charcoal-burner, who like the previous ones, invited
him to potatoes without dripping. But he let him also dine with him
from his wishing-cloth, and the charcoal-burner liked it so well, that
at last he offered him a horn for it, which had very different
properties from those of the hat. When any one blew it all the walls
and fortifications fell down, and all towns and villages became ruins.
He certainly gave the charcoal-burner the cloth for it, but he
afterwards sent his soldiers to demand it back again, so that at length
he had the knapsack, hat and horn, all three. "Now," said he, "I am a
made man, and it is time for me to go home and see how my brothers are
getting on."

When he reached home, his brothers had built themselves a handsome
house with their silver and gold, and were living in clover. He went to
see them, but as he came in a ragged coat, with his shabby hat on his
head, and his old knapsack on his back, they would not acknowledge him
as their brother. They mocked and said, "Thou givest out that thou art
our brother who despised silver and gold, and craved for something
still better for himself. He will come in his carriage in full
splendour like a mighty king, not like a beggar," and they drove him
out of doors. Then he fell into a rage, and tapped his knapsack until a
hundred and fifty men stood before him armed from head to foot. He
commanded them to surround his brothers' house, and two of them were to
take hazel-sticks with them, and beat the two insolent men until they
knew who he was. A violent disturbance arose, people ran together, and
wanted to lend the two some help in their need, but against the
soldiers they could do nothing. News of this at length came to the
King, who was very angry, and ordered a captain to march out with his
troop, and drive this disturber of the peace out of the town; but the
man with the knapsack soon got a greater body of men together, who
repulsed the captain and his men, so that they were forced to retire
with bloody noses. The King said, "This vagabond is not brought to
order yet," and next day sent a still larger troop against him, but
they could do even less. The youth set still more men against them, and
in order to be done the sooner, he turned his hat twice round on his
head, and heavy guns began to play, and the king's men were beaten and
put to flight. "And now," said he, "I will not make peace until the
King gives me his daughter to wife, and I govern the whole kingdom in
his name." He caused this to be announced to the King, and the latter
said to his daughter, "Necessity is a hard nut to crack, what remains
to me but to do what he desires? If I want peace and to keep the crown
on my head, I must give thee away."

So the wedding was celebrated, but the King's daughter was vexed that
her husband should be a common man, who wore a shabby hat, and put on
an old knapsack. She wished much to get rid of him, and night and day
studied how she could accomplished this. Then she thought to herself,
"Is it possible that his wonderful powers lie in the knapsack?" and she
dissembled and caressed him, and when his heart was softened, she said,
"If thou wouldst but lay aside that ugly knapsack, it makes disfigures
thee so, that I can't help being ashamed of thee." "Dear child," said
he, "this knapsack is my greatest treasure; as long as I have it, there
is no power on earth that I am afraid of." And he revealed to her the
wonderful virtue with which it was endowed. Then she threw herself in
his arms as if she were going to kiss him, but dexterously took the
knapsack off his shoulders, and ran away with it. As soon as she was
alone she tapped it, and commanded the warriors to seize their former
master, and take him out of the royal palace. They obeyed, and the
false wife sent still more men after him, who were to drive him quite
out of the country. Then he would have been ruined if he had not had
the little hat. But his hands were scarcely at liberty before he turned
it twice. Immediately the cannon began to thunder, and struck down
everything, and the King's daughter herself was forced to come and beg
for mercy. As she entreated in such moving terms, and promised
amendment, he allowed himself to be persuaded and granted her peace.
She behaved in a friendly manner to him, and acted as if she loved him
very much, and after some time managed so to befool him, that he
confided to her that even if someone got the knapsack into his power,
he could do nothing against him so long as the old hat was still his.
When she knew the secret, she waited until he was asleep, and then she
took the hat away from him, and had it thrown out into the street. But
the horn still remained to him, and in great anger he blew it with all
his strength. Instantly all walls, fortifications, towns, and villages,
toppled down, and crushed the King and his daughter to death. And had
he not put down the horn and had blown just a little longer, everything
would have been in ruins, and not one stone would have been left
standing on another. Then no one opposed him any longer, and he made
himself King of the whole country.
