mud/content/library/grimm/113_the_two_kings_children.txt

The Two Kings’ Children

There was once on 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 shall 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 laid himself 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
at once 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 to-morrow 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 everyone 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 honorably 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 willing 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 past 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.