92 lines
6 KiB
Text
92 lines
6 KiB
Text
The Three Apprentices
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There were once three apprentices, who had agreed to keep always
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together while travelling, and always to work in the same town. At one
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time, however, their masters had no more work to give them, so that at
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last they were in rags, and had nothing to live on. Then one of them
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said, "What shall we do? We cannot stay here any longer, we will travel
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once more, and if we do not find any work in the town we go to, we will
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arrange with the innkeeper there, that we are to write and tell him
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where we are staying, so that we can always have news of each other,
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and then we will separate." And that seemed best to the others also.
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They went forth, and met on the way a richly-dressed man who asked who
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they were. "We are apprentices looking for work; Up to this time we
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have kept together, but if we cannot find anything to do we are going
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to separate." "There is no need for that," said the man, "if you will
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do what I tell you, you shall not want for gold or for work; nay, you
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shall become great lords, and drive in your carriages!" One of them
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said, "If our souls and salvation be not endangered, we will certainly
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do it." "They will not," replied the man, "I have no claim on you." One
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of the others had, however, looked at his feet, and when he saw a
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horse's foot and a man's foot, he did not want to have anything to do
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with him. The Devil, however, said, "Be easy, I have no designs on you,
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but on another soul, which is half my own already, and whose measure
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shall but run full." As they were now secure, they consented, and the
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Devil told them what he wanted. The first was to answer, "All three of
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us," to every question; the second was to say, "For money," and the
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third, "And quite right too!" They were always to say this, one after
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the other, but they were not to say one word more, and if they
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disobeyed this order, all their money would disappear at once, but so
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long as they observed it, their pockets would always be full. As a
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beginning, he at once gave them as much as they could carry, and told
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them to go to such and such an inn when they got to the town. They went
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to it, and the innkeeper came to meet them, and asked if they wished
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for anything to eat? The first replied, "All three of us." "Yes," said
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the host, "that is what I mean." The second said, "For money." "Of
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course," said the host. The third said, "And quite right too!"
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"Certainly it is right," said the host.
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Good meat and drink were now brought to them, and they were well waited
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on. After the dinner came the payment, and the innkeeper gave the bill
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to the one who said, "All three of us," the second said, "For money,"
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and the third, "and quite right too!" "Indeed it is right," said the
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host, "all three pay, and without money I can give nothing." They,
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however, paid still more than he had asked. The lodgers, who were
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looking on, said, "These people must be mad." "Yes, indeed they are,"
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said the host, "they are not very wise." So they stayed some time in
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the inn, and said nothing else but, "All three of us," "For money," and
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"And quite right too!" But they saw and knew all that was going on. It
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so happened that a great merchant came with a large sum of money, and
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said, "Sir host, take care of my money for me, here are three crazy
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apprentices who might steal it from me." The host did as he was asked.
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As he was carrying the trunk into his room, he felt that it was heavy
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with gold. Thereupon he gave the three apprentices a lodging below, but
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the merchant came up-stairs into a separate apartment. When it was
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midnight, and the host thought that all were asleep, he came with his
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wife, and they had an axe and struck the rich merchant dead; and after
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they had murdered him they went to bed again. When it was day there was
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a great outcry; the merchant lay dead in bed bathed in blood. All the
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guests ran at once but the host said, "The three crazy apprentices have
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done this;" the lodgers confirmed it, and said, "It can have been no
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one else." The innkeeper, however, had them called, and said to them,
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"Have you killed the merchant?" "All three of us," said the first, "For
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money," said the second; and the third added, "And quite right too!"
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"There now, you hear," said the host, "they confess it themselves."
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They were taken to prison, therefore, and were to be tried. When they
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saw that things were going so seriously, they were after all afraid,
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but at night the Devil came and said, "Bear it just one day longer, and
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do not play away your luck, not one hair of your head shall be hurt."
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The next morning they were led to the bar, and the judge said, "Are you
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the murderers?" "All three of us." "Why did you kill the merchant?"
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"For money." "You wicked wretches, you have no horror of your sins?"
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"And quite right too!" "They have confessed, and are still stubborn,"
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said the judge, "lead them to death instantly." So they were taken out,
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and the host had to go with them into the circle. When they were taken
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hold of by the executioner's men, and were just going to be led up to
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the scaffold where the headsman was standing with naked sword, a coach
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drawn by four blood-red chestnut horses came up suddenly, driving so
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fast that fire flashed from the stones, and someone made signs from the
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window with a white handkerchief. Then said the headsman, "It is a
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pardon coming," and "Pardon! pardon!" was called from the carriage
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also. Then the Devil stepped out as a very noble gentleman, beautifully
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dressed, and said, "You three are innocent; you may now speak, make
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known what you have seen and heard." Then said the eldest, "We did not
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kill the merchant, the murderer is standing there in the circle," and
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he pointed to the innkeeper. "In proof of this, go into his cellar,
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where many others whom he has killed are still hanging." Then the judge
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sent the executioner's men thither, and they found it was as the
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apprentices said, and when they had informed the judge of this, he
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caused the innkeeper to be led up, and his head was cut off. Then said
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the Devil to the three, "Now I have got the soul which I wanted to
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have, and you are free, and have money for the rest of your lives."
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