The Devil With the Three Golden Hairs

There was once a poor woman who gave birth to a little son; and as he
came into the world with a caul on, it was predicted that in his
fourteenth year he would have the King's daughter for his wife. It
happened that soon afterwards the King came into the village, and no
one knew that he was the King, and when he asked the people what news
there was, they answered, "A child has just been born with a caul on;
whatever any one so born undertakes turns out well. It is prophesied,
too, that in his fourteenth year he will have the King's daughter for
his wife."

The King, who had a bad heart, and was angry about the prophecy, went
to the parents, and, seeming quite friendly, said, "You poor people,
let me have your child, and I will take care of it." At first they
refused, but when the stranger offered them a large amount of gold for
it, and they thought, "It is a luck-child, and everything must turn out
well for it," they at last consented, and gave him the child.

The King put it in a box and rode away with it until he came to a deep
piece of water; then he threw the box into it and thought, "I have
freed my daughter from her unlooked-for suitor."

The box, however, did not sink, but floated like a boat, and not a drop
of water made its way into it. And it floated to within two miles of
the King's chief city, where there was a mill, and it came to a
stand-still at the mill-dam. A miller's boy, who by good luck was
standing there, noticed it and pulled it out with a hook, thinking that
he had found a great treasure, but when he opened it there lay a pretty
boy inside, quite fresh and lively. He took him to the miller and his
wife, and as they had no children they were glad, and said, "God has
given him to us." They took great care of the foundling, and he grew up
in all goodness.

It happened that once in a storm, the King went into the mill, and he
asked the mill-folk if the tall youth was their son. "No," answered
they, "he's a foundling. Fourteen years ago he floated down to the
mill-dam in a box, and the mill-boy pulled him out of the water."

Then the King knew that it was none other than the luck-child which he
had thrown into the water, and he said, "My good people, could not the
youth take a letter to the Queen; I will give him two gold pieces as a
reward?" "Just as the King commands," answered they, and they told the
boy to hold himself in readiness. Then the King wrote a letter to the
Queen, wherein he said, "As soon as the boy arrives with this letter,
let him be killed and buried, and all must be done before I come home."

The boy set out with this letter; but he lost his way, and in the
evening came to a large forest. In the darkness he saw a small light;
he went towards it and reached a cottage. When he went in, an old woman
was sitting by the fire quite alone. She started when she saw the boy,
and said, "Whence do you come, and whither are you going?" "I come from
the mill," he answered, "and wish to go to the Queen, to whom I am
taking a letter; but as I have lost my way in the forest I should like
to stay here over night." "You poor boy," said the woman, "you have
come into a den of thieves, and when they come home they will kill
you." "Let them come," said the boy, "I am not afraid; but I am so
tired that I cannot go any farther:" and he stretched himself upon a
bench and fell asleep.

Soon afterwards the robbers came, and angrily asked what strange boy
was lying there? "Ah," said the old woman, "it is an innocent child who
has lost himself in the forest, and out of pity I have let him come in;
he has to take a letter to the Queen." The robbers opened the letter
and read it, and in it was written that the boy as soon as he arrived
should be put to death. Then the hard-hearted robbers felt pity, and
their leader tore up the letter and wrote another, saying, that as soon
as the boy came, he should be married at once to the King's daughter.
Then they let him lie quietly on the bench until the next morning, and
when he awoke they gave him the letter, and showed him the right way.

And the Queen, when she had received the letter and read it, did as was
written in it, and had a splendid wedding-feast prepared, and the
King's daughter was married to the luck-child, and as the youth was
handsome and agreeable she lived with him in joy and contentment.

After some time the King returned to his palace and saw that the
prophecy was fulfilled, and the luck-child married to his daughter.
"How has that come to pass?" said he; "I gave quite another order in my
letter."

So the Queen gave him the letter, and said that he might see for
himself what was written in it. The King read the letter and saw quite
well that it had been exchanged for the other. He asked the youth what
had become of the letter entrusted to him, and why he had brought
another instead of it. "I know nothing about it," answered he; "it must
have been changed in the night, when I slept in the forest." The King
said in a passion, "You shall not have everything quite so much your
own way; whosoever marries my daughter must fetch me from hell three
golden hairs from the head of the devil; bring me what I want, and you
shall keep my daughter." In this way the King hoped to be rid of him
for ever. But the luck-child answered, "I will fetch the golden hairs,
I am not afraid of the Devil;" thereupon he took leave of them and
began his journey.

The road led him to a large town, where the watchman by the gates asked
him what his trade was, and what he knew. "I know everything," answered
the luck-child. "Then you can do us a favour," said the watchman, "if
you will tell us why our market-fountain, which once flowed with wine
has become dry, and no longer gives even water?" "That you shall know,"
answered he; "only wait until I come back."

Then he went farther and came to another town, and there also the
gatekeeper asked him what was his trade, and what he knew. "I know
everything," answered he. "Then you can do us a favour and tell us why
a tree in our town which once bore golden apples now does not even put
forth leaves?" "You shall know that," answered he; "only wait until I
come back."

Then he went on and came to a wide river over which he must go. The
ferryman asked him what his trade was, and what he knew. "I know
everything," answered he. "Then you can do me a favour," said the
ferryman, "and tell me why I must always be rowing backwards and
forwards, and am never set free?" "You shall know that," answered he;
"only wait until I come back."

When he had crossed the water he found the entrance to Hell. It was
black and sooty within, and the Devil was not at home, but his
grandmother was sitting in a large arm-chair. "What do you want?" said
she to him, but she did not look so very wicked. "I should like to have
three golden hairs from the devil's head," answered he, "else I cannot
keep my wife." "That is a good deal to ask for," said she; "if the
devil comes home and finds you, it will cost you your life; but as I
pity you, I will see if I cannot help you."

She changed him into an ant and said, "Creep into the folds of my
dress, you will be safe there." "Yes," answered he, "so far, so good;
but there are three things besides that I want to know: why a fountain
which once flowed with wine has become dry, and no longer gives even
water; why a tree which once bore golden apples does not even put forth
leaves; and why a ferry-man must always be going backwards and
forwards, and is never set free?"

"Those are difficult questions," answered she, "but only be silent and
quiet and pay attention to what the devil says when I pull out the
three golden hairs."

As the evening came on, the devil returned home. No sooner had he
entered than he noticed that the air was not pure. "I smell man's
flesh," said he; "all is not right here." Then he pried into every
corner, and searched, but could not find anything. His grandmother
scolded him. "It has just been swept," said she, "and everything put in
order, and now you are upsetting it again; you have always got man's
flesh in your nose. Sit down and eat your supper."

When he had eaten and drunk he was tired, and laid his head in his
grandmother's lap, and before long he was fast asleep, snoring and
breathing heavily. Then the old woman took hold of a golden hair,
pulled it out, and laid it down near her. "Oh!" cried the devil, "what
are you doing?" "I have had a bad dream," answered the grandmother, "so
I seized hold of your hair." "What did you dream then?" said the devil.
"I dreamed that a fountain in a market-place from which wine once
flowed was dried up, and not even water would flow out of it; what is
the cause of it?" "Oh, ho! if they did but know it," answered the
devil; "there is a toad sitting under a stone in the well; if they
killed it, the wine would flow again."

He went to sleep again and snored until the windows shook. Then she
pulled the second hair out. "Ha! what are you doing?" cried the devil
angrily. "Do not take it ill," said she, "I did it in a dream." "What
have you dreamt this time?" asked he. "I dreamt that in a certain
kingdom there stood an apple-tree which had once borne golden apples,
but now would not even bear leaves. What, think you, was the reason?"
"Oh! if they did but know," answered the devil. "A mouse is gnawing at
the root; if they killed this they would have golden apples again, but
if it gnaws much longer the tree will wither altogether. But leave me
alone with your dreams: if you disturb me in my sleep again you will
get a box on the ear."

The grandmother spoke gently to him until he fell asleep again and
snored. Then she took hold of the third golden hair and pulled it out.
The devil jumped up, roared out, and would have treated her ill if she
had not quieted him once more and said, "Who can help bad dreams?"
"What was the dream, then?" asked he, and was quite curious. "I dreamt
of a ferry-man who complained that he must always ferry from one side
to the other, and was never released. What is the cause of it?" "Ah!
the fool," answered the devil; "when any one comes and wants to go
across he must put the oar in his hand, and the other man will have to
ferry and he will be free." As the grandmother had plucked out the
three golden hairs, and the three questions were answered, she let the
old serpent alone, and he slept until daybreak.

When the devil had gone out again the old woman took the ant out of the
folds of her dress, and gave the luck-child his human shape again.
"There are the three golden hairs for you," said she. "What the Devil
said to your three questions, I suppose you heard?" "Yes," answered he,
"I heard, and will take care to remember." "You have what you want,"
said she, "and now you can go your way." He thanked the old woman for
helping him in his need, and left hell well content that everything had
turned out so fortunately.

When he came to the ferry-man he was expected to give the promised
answer. "Ferry me across first," said the luck-child, "and then I will
tell you how you can be set free," and when he reached the opposite
shore he gave him the devil's advice: "Next time any one comes, who
wants to be ferried over, just put the oar in his hand."

He went on and came to the town wherein stood the unfruitful tree, and
there too the watchman wanted an answer. So he told him what he had
heard from the devil: "Kill the mouse which is gnawing at its root, and
it will again bear golden apples." Then the watchman thanked him, and
gave him as a reward two asses laden with gold, which followed him.

At last he came to the town whose well was dry. He told the watchman
what the devil had said: "A toad is in the well beneath a stone; you
must find it and kill it, and the well will again give wine in plenty."
The watchman thanked him, and also gave him two asses laden with gold.

At last the luck-child got home to his wife, who was heartily glad to
see him again, and to hear how well he had prospered in everything. To
the King he took what he had asked for, the devil's three golden hairs,
and when the King saw the four asses laden with gold he was quite
content, and said, "Now all the conditions are fulfilled, and you can
keep my daughter. But tell me, dear son-in-law, where did all that gold
come from? this is tremendous wealth!" "I was rowed across a river,"
answered he, "and got it there; it lies on the shore instead of sand."
"Can I too fetch some of it?" said the King; and he was quite eager
about it. "As much as you like," answered he. "There is a ferry-man on
the river; let him ferry you over, and you can fill your sacks on the
other side." The greedy King set out in all haste, and when he came to
the river he beckoned to the ferry-man to put him across. The ferry-man
came and bade him get in, and when they got to the other shore he put
the oar in his hand and sprang out. But from this time forth the King
had to ferry, as a punishment for his sins. Perhaps he is ferrying
still? If he is, it is because no one has taken the oar from him.
