The Story of the Youth Who Went Forth to Learn What Fear Was

A certain father had two sons, the elder of whom was smart and
sensible, and could do everything, but the younger was stupid and could
neither learn nor understand anything, and when people saw him they
said, "There's a fellow who will give his father some trouble!" When
anything had to be done, it was always the elder who was forced to do
it; but if his father bade him fetch anything when it was late, or in
the night-time, and the way led through the churchyard, or any other
dismal place, he answered "Oh, no, father, I'll not go there, it makes
me shudder!" for he was afraid. Or when stories were told by the fire
at night which made the flesh creep, the listeners sometimes said "Oh,
it makes us shudder!" The younger sat in a corner and listened with the
rest of them, and could not imagine what they could mean. "They are
always saying 'it makes me shudder, it makes me shudder!' It does not
make me shudder," thought he. "That, too, must be an art of which I
understand nothing."

Now it came to pass that his father said to him one day "Hearken to me,
thou fellow in the corner there, thou art growing tall and strong, and
thou too must learn something by which thou canst earn thy living. Look
how thy brother works, but thou dost not even earn thy salt." "Well,
father," he replied, "I am quite willing to learn something--indeed, if
it could but be managed, I should like to learn how to shudder. I don't
understand that at all yet." The elder brother smiled when he heard
that, and thought to himself, "Good God, what a blockhead that brother
of mine is! He will never be good for anything as long as he lives. He
who wants to be a sickle must bend himself betimes."

The father sighed, and answered him "thou shalt soon learn what it is
to shudder, but thou wilt not earn thy bread by that."

Soon after this the sexton came to the house on a visit, and the father
bewailed his trouble, and told him how his younger son was so backward
in every respect that he knew nothing and learnt nothing. "Just think,"
said he, "when I asked him how he was going to earn his bread, he
actually wanted to learn to shudder." "If that be all," replied the
sexton, "he can learn that with me. Send him to me, and I will soon
polish him." The father was glad to do it, for he thought, "It will
train the boy a little." The sexton therefore took him into his house,
and he had to ring the bell. After a day or two, the sexton awoke him
at midnight, and bade him arise and go up into the church tower and
ring the bell. "Thou shalt soon learn what shuddering is," thought he,
and secretly went there before him; and when the boy was at the top of
the tower and turned round, and was just going to take hold of the bell
rope, he saw a white figure standing on the stairs opposite the
sounding hole. "Who is there?" cried he, but the figure made no reply,
and did not move or stir. "Give an answer," cried the boy, "or take thy
self off, thou hast no business here at night."

The sexton, however, remained standing motionless that the boy might
think he was a ghost. The boy cried a second time, "What do you want
here?--speak if thou art an honest fellow, or I will throw thee down the
steps!" The sexton thought, "he can't intend to be as bad as his
words," uttered no sound and stood as if he were made of stone. Then
the boy called to him for the third time, and as that was also to no
purpose, he ran against him and pushed the ghost down the stairs, so
that it fell down ten steps and remained lying there in a corner.
Thereupon he rang the bell, went home, and without saying a word went
to bed, and fell asleep. The sexton's wife waited a long time for her
husband, but he did not come back. At length she became uneasy, and
wakened the boy, and asked, "Dost thou not know where my husband is? He
climbed up the tower before thou didst." "No, I don't know," replied
the boy, "but some one was standing by the sounding hole on the other
side of the steps, and as he would neither give an answer nor go away,
I took him for a scoundrel, and threw him downstairs, just go there and
you will see if it was he. I should be sorry if it were." The woman ran
away and found her husband, who was lying moaning in the corner, and
had broken his leg.

She carried him down, and then with loud screams she hastened to the
boy's father. "Your boy," cried she, "has been the cause of a great
misfortune! He has thrown my husband down the steps and made him break
his leg. Take the good-for-nothing fellow away from our house." The
father was terrified, and ran thither and scolded the boy. "What wicked
tricks are these?" said he, "the devil must have put this into thy
head." "Father," he replied, "do listen to me. I am quite innocent. He
was standing there by night like one who is intending to do some evil.
I did not know who it was, and I entreated him three times either to
speak or to go away." "Ah," said the father, "I have nothing but
unhappiness with you. Go out of my sight. I will see thee no more."

"Yes, father, right willingly, wait only until it is day. Then will I
go forth and learn how to shudder, and then I shall, at any rate,
understand one art which will support me." "Learn what thou wilt,"
spake the father, "it is all the same to me. Here are fifty thalers for
thee. Take these and go into the wide world, and tell no one from
whence thou comest, and who is thy father, for I have reason to be
ashamed of thee." "Yes, father, it shall be as you will. If you desire
nothing more than that, I can easily keep it in mind."

When day dawned, therefore, the boy put his fifty thalers into his
pocket, and went forth on the great highway, and continually said to
himself, "If I could but shudder! If I could but shudder!" Then a man
approached who heard this conversation which the youth was holding with
himself, and when they had walked a little farther to where they could
see the gallows, the man said to him, "Look, there is the tree where
seven men have married the ropemaker's daughter, and are now learning
how to fly. Sit down below it, and wait till night comes, and you will
soon learn how to shudder." "If that is all that is wanted," answered
the youth, "it is easily done; but if I learn how to shudder as fast as
that, thou shalt have my fifty thalers. Just come back to me early in
the morning." Then the youth went to the gallows, sat down below it,
and waited till evening came. And as he was cold, he lighted himself a
fire, but at midnight the wind blew so sharply that in spite of his
fire, he could not get warm. And as the wind knocked the hanged men
against each other, and they moved backwards and forwards, he thought
to himself "Thou shiverest below by the fire, but how those up above
must freeze and suffer!" And as he felt pity for them, he raised the
ladder, and climbed up, unbound one of them after the other, and
brought down all seven. Then he stirred the fire, blew it, and set them
all round it to warm themselves. But they sat there and did not stir,
and the fire caught their clothes. So he said, "Take care, or I will
hang you up again." The dead men, however, did not hear, but were quite
silent, and let their rags go on burning. On this he grew angry, and
said, "If you will not take care, I cannot help you, I will not be
burnt with you," and he hung them up again each in his turn. Then he
sat down by his fire and fell asleep, and the next morning the man came
to him and wanted to have the fifty thalers, and said, "Well, dost thou
know how to shudder?" "No," answered he, "how was I to get to know?
Those fellows up there did not open their mouths, and were so stupid
that they let the few old rags which they had on their bodies get
burnt." Then the man saw that he would not get the fifty thalers that
day, and went away saying, "One of this kind has never come my way
before."

The youth likewise went his way, and once more began to mutter to
himself, "Ah, if I could but shudder! Ah, if I could but shudder!" A
waggoner who was striding behind him heard that and asked, "Who are
you?" "I don't know," answered the youth. Then the waggoner asked,
"From whence comest thou?" "I know not." "Who is thy father?" "That I
may not tell thee." "What is it that thou art always muttering between
thy teeth." "Ah," replied the youth, "I do so wish I could shudder, but
no one can teach me how to do it." "Give up thy foolish chatter," said
the waggoner. "Come, go with me, I will see about a place for thee."
The youth went with the waggoner, and in the evening they arrived at an
inn where they wished to pass the night. Then at the entrance of the
room the youth again said quite loudly, "If I could but shudder! If I
could but shudder!" The host who heard this, laughed and said, "If that
is your desire, there ought to be a good opportunity for you here."
"Ah, be silent," said the hostess, "so many inquisitive persons have
already lost their lives, it would be a pity and a shame if such
beautiful eyes as these should never see the daylight again."

But the youth said, "However difficult it may be, I will learn it and
for this purpose indeed have I journeyed forth." He let the host have
no rest, until the latter told him, that not far from thence stood a
haunted castle where any one could very easily learn what shuddering
was, if he would but watch in it for three nights. The King had
promised that he who would venture should have his daughter to wife,
and she was the most beautiful maiden the sun shone on. Great treasures
likewise lay in the castle, which were guarded by evil spirits, and
these treasures would then be freed, and would make a poor man rich
enough. Already many men had gone into the castle, but as yet none had
come out again. Then the youth went next morning to the King and said
if he were allowed he would watch three nights in the haunted castle.
The King looked at him, and as the youth pleased him, he said, "Thou
mayest ask for three things to take into the castle with thee, but they
must be things without life." Then he answered, "Then I ask for a fire,
a turning lathe, and a cutting-board with the knife." The King had
these things carried into the castle for him during the day. When night
was drawing near, the youth went up and made himself a bright fire in
one of the rooms, placed the cutting-board and knife beside it, and
seated himself by the turning-lathe. "Ah, if I could but shudder!" said
he, "but I shall not learn it here either." Towards midnight he was
about to poke his fire, and as he was blowing it, something cried
suddenly from one corner, "Au, miau! how cold we are!" "You
simpletons!" cried he, "what are you crying about? If you are cold,
come and take a seat by the fire and warm yourselves." And when he had
said that, two great black cats came with one tremendous leap and sat
down on each side of him, and looked savagely at him with their fiery
eyes. After a short time, when they had warmed themselves, they said,
"Comrade, shall we have a game at cards?" "Why not?" he replied, "but
just show me your paws." Then they stretched out their claws. "Oh,"
said he, "what long nails you have! Wait, I must first cut them for
you." Thereupon he seized them by the throats, put them on the
cutting-board and screwed their feet fast. "I have looked at your
fingers," said he, "and my fancy for card-playing has gone," and he
struck them dead and threw them out into the water. But when he had
made away with these two, and was about to sit down again by his fire,
out from every hole and corner came black cats and black dogs with
red-hot chains, and more and more of them came until he could no longer
stir, and they yelled horribly, and got on his fire, pulled it to
pieces, and tried to put it out. He watched them for a while quietly,
but at last when they were going too far, he seized his cutting-knife,
and cried, "Away with ye, vermin," and began to cut them down. Part of
them ran away, the others he killed, and threw out into the fish-pond.
When he came back he fanned the embers of his fire again and warmed
himself. And as he thus sat, his eyes would keep open no longer, and he
felt a desire to sleep. Then he looked round and saw a great bed in the
corner. "That is the very thing for me," said he, and got into it. When
he was just going to shut his eyes, however, the bed began to move of
its own accord, and went over the whole of the castle. "That's right,"
said he, "but go faster." Then the bed rolled on as if six horses were
harnessed to it, up and down, over thresholds and steps, but suddenly
hop, hop, it turned over upside down, and lay on him like a mountain.
But he threw quilts and pillows up in the air, got out and said, "Now
any one who likes, may drive," and lay down by his fire, and slept till
it was day. In the morning the King came, and when he saw him lying
there on the ground, he thought the evil spirits had killed him and he
was dead. Then said he, "After all it is a pity,--he is a handsome man."
The youth heard it, got up, and said, "It has not come to that yet."
Then the King was astonished, but very glad, and asked how he had
fared. "Very well indeed," answered he; "one night is past, the two
others will get over likewise." Then he went to the innkeeper, who
opened his eyes very wide, and said, "I never expected to see thee
alive again! Hast thou learnt how to shudder yet?" "No," said he, "it
is all in vain. If some one would but tell me."

The second night he again went up into the old castle, sat down by the
fire, and once more began his old song, "If I could but shudder." When
midnight came, an uproar and noise of tumbling about was heard; at
first it was low, but it grew louder and louder. Then it was quiet for
awhile, and at length with a loud scream, half a man came down the
chimney and fell before him. "Hollo!" cried he, "another half belongs
to this. This is too little!" Then the uproar began again, there was a
roaring and howling, and the other half fell down likewise. "Wait,"
said he, "I will just blow up the fire a little for thee." When he had
done that and looked round again, the two pieces were joined together,
and a frightful man was sitting in his place. "That is no part of our
bargain," said the youth, "the bench is mine." The man wanted to push
him away; the youth, however, would not allow that, but thrust him off
with all his strength, and seated himself again in his own place. Then
still more men fell down, one after the other; they brought nine dead
men's legs and two skulls, and set them up and played at nine-pins with
them. The youth also wanted to play and said "Hark you, can I join
you?" "Yes, if thou hast any money." "Money enough," replied he, "but
your balls are not quite round." Then he took the skulls and put them
in the lathe and turned them till they were round. "There, now, they
will roll better!" said he. "Hurrah! Now it goes merrily!" He played
with them and lost some of his money, but when it struck twelve,
everything vanished from his sight. He lay down and quietly fell
asleep. Next morning the King came to inquire after him. "How has it
fared with you this time?" asked he. "I have been playing at
nine-pins," he answered, "and have lost a couple of farthings." "Hast
thou not shuddered then?" "Eh, what?" said he, "I have made merry. If I
did but know what it was to shudder!"

The third night he sat down again on his bench and said quite sadly,
"If I could but shudder." When it grew late, six tall men came in and
brought a coffin. Then said he, "Ha, ha, that is certainly my little
cousin, who died only a few days ago," and he beckoned with his finger,
and cried "Come, little cousin, come." They placed the coffin on the
ground, but he went to it and took the lid off, and a dead man lay
therein. He felt his face, but it was cold as ice. "Stop," said he, "I
will warm thee a little," and went to the fire and warmed his hand and
laid it on the dead man's face, but he remained cold. Then he took him
out, and sat down by the fire and laid him on his breast and rubbed his
arms that the blood might circulate again. As this also did no good, he
thought to himself "When two people lie in bed together, they warm each
other," and carried him to the bed, covered him over and lay down by
him. After a short time the dead man became warm too, and began to
move. Then said the youth, "See, little cousin, have I not warmed
thee?" The dead man, however, got up and cried, "Now will I strangle
thee."

"What!" said he, "is that the way thou thankest me? Thou shalt at once
go into thy coffin again," and he took him up, threw him into it, and
shut the lid. Then came the six men and carried him away again. "I
cannot manage to shudder," said he. "I shall never learn it here as
long as I live."

Then a man entered who was taller than all others, and looked terrible.
He was old, however, and had a long white beard. "Thou wretch," cried
he, "thou shalt soon learn what it is to shudder, for thou shalt die."
"Not so fast," replied the youth. "If I am to die, I shall have to have
a say in it." "I will soon seize thee," said the fiend. "Softly,
softly, do not talk so big. I am as strong as thou art, and perhaps
even stronger." "We shall see," said the old man. "If thou art
stronger, I will let thee go--come, we will try." Then he led him by
dark passages to a smith's forge, took an axe, and with one blow struck
an anvil into the ground. "I can do better than that," said the youth,
and went to the other anvil. The old man placed himself near and wanted
to look on, and his white beard hung down. Then the youth seized the
axe, split the anvil with one blow, and struck the old man's beard in
with it. "Now I have thee," said the youth. "Now it is thou who will
have to die." Then he seized an iron bar and beat the old man till he
moaned and entreated him to stop, and he would give him great riches.
The youth drew out the axe and let him go. The old man led him back
into the castle, and in a cellar showed him three chests full of gold.
"Of these," said he, "one part is for the poor, the other for the king,
the third is thine." In the meantime it struck twelve, and the spirit
disappeared; the youth, therefore, was left in darkness. "I shall still
be able to find my way out," said he, and felt about, found the way
into the room, and slept there by his fire. Next morning the King came
and said "Now thou must have learnt what shuddering is?" "No," he
answered; "what can it be? My dead cousin was here, and a bearded man
came and showed me a great deal of money down below, but no one told me
what it was to shudder." "Then," said the King, "thou hast delivered
the castle, and shalt marry my daughter." "That is all very well," said
he, "but still I do not know what it is to shudder."

Then the gold was brought up and the wedding celebrated; but howsoever
much the young king loved his wife, and however happy he was, he still
said always "If I could but shudder--if I could but shudder." And at
last she was angry at this. Her waiting-maid said, "I will find a cure
for him; he shall soon learn what it is to shudder." She went out to
the stream which flowed through the garden, and had a whole bucketful
of gudgeons brought to her. At night when the young king was sleeping,
his wife was to draw the clothes off him and empty the bucketful of
cold water with the gudgeons in it over him, so that the little fishes
would sprawl about him. When this was done, he woke up and cried "Oh,
what makes me shudder so?--what makes me shudder so, dear wife? Ah! now
I know what it is to shudder!"
