Always in the evening he used to love to come aside the old woman because he had known nobody else. As far as he believed it was the only mother and the only friend he had in his life. When the cold winter winds were howling round the little house in the forest, he used to come up beside his old mother’s knee, he would put his head on her knee, and he loved her. Because even though she was the ugliest being that you and me would take to be ugly, to him she was just an angel, she gave him everything he wanted. And it wasn’t all one-sided, he worked hard, he cut sticks and dug the garden, he did everything in the forest for her, tended the goats, tended the hens, whatever she needed – and they had just the greatest understanding between them. Till one particular night, the wind was blowing strong and it was a terrible storm.
She sat down, said, ‘Robin,’ (she called him Robin because he looked like a wee robin beside a tree when she’d found him) ‘Robin, come beside me, son, I want tae tell you a wee story.’
He said, ‘Mother, what is it you want to tell me? Are you gaun to tell me a story?’
She says, ‘Yes, Robin, I’m gaunna tell you a story, a story about yir father.’
He said, ‘My father?’
‘Yes,’ she said, ‘about yir father. Do you know, Robin, I’m not yir mother.’
‘But,’ he said, ‘you must be ma mother, I don’t remember anyone else but you!’
She said, ‘I found you in the forest many years ago, I took you here an brought ye up like ma own child.’ This upset him a wee bit when he heard this fir the first time.
‘Well, where is ma real mother, who is my real mother?’
She said, ‘Robin, it’s a sad sad story I’m about to tell ye. Your mother was the queen, the most loving an nices an gentle queen there ever was in this land – our queen, my queen.’ Robin never said a word. He listened and she said, ‘Yir father is the king of the country many miles from here, an he was ashamed of you when you were a baby!’
And he said, ‘Why was he ashamed?’
She says, ‘Robin, because of the hump on yir back.’ Now, he had grown this boy by fifteen, but he still had the hump on his back right between his shoulder blades. He was a little crooked, a little bent, but otherwise he was the most perfect boy in this world, fifteen years old, and all these years had passed by. ‘But,’ she said, ‘your father sent you into the forest to get killed, and the huntsmen who were family people wouldn’t kill you, left you under a tree. I pickit you up fourteen year ago, I took you and I brought you up.’
‘But, Mother,’ he says, ‘what has that got to do with me? If they didn’t want me as a hunchback then, they don’t want me now.’
‘But,’ she says, ‘look, this is something you must know, your father is still the king and he is sufferin terrible because of me.’
‘But why, Mother,’ he said, ‘what did you do to hurt him?’
She said, ‘I hurt him to pay him back for what he’d done to yir mother and what he’d done to you!’
‘But,’ he said, ‘what has that got to do with me?’
‘I think the time has come,’ she says, ‘that you mus go an settle the problem between yir father, you an me. Look at my face – what do you see?’
And the boy looked at her face, he said, ‘Mother, I don’t see nothing.’
She says, ‘Look at these scabs on my face. Luik at my face, it’s destroyed with Evil!’
He said, ‘I don’t see nothing out o’ the way in your face.’
She says, ‘Luik, this is known as King’s Evil.’
‘But,’ he said, ‘why did the king do this on you?’
She said, ‘Robin, the king never done it on me. This is a disease that comes to people, an it can only be cured by the touch of a king – who must put his finger on this – an make me better.’
‘Well,’ he said, ‘if the king … I’ll go and find the king an make him come to you, Mother!’
She says, ‘Robin, before you go and find the king, you must hear the rest of the story. Your father the king he is sufferin from a terrible wound.’
‘What kind o’ wound?’ says Robin.
She said, ‘He hes got a thorn in his foot at was put there by me fourteen years ago, an no one can ever cure it – excepts you – you’re the only one! He has tried, he has offered rewards, he has sent people. He’s had quacks an wise magicians come all over the world to try an cure his foot. An he’s in agony, he has little sleep except when the wind blows from the forest. But you must go an get his promise, that if you cure him, he’ll cure me.’
‘Mother,’ he says, ‘I’ll do anything fir you, anything in the world. Tell me, please, what I must do!’
She said, ‘Tomorrow morning, Robin, you mus make yir way to the palace an tell everyone who meets you along the way, if you’re stoppit on the way, that you have come to cure the king’s foot. But before you cure the king’s foot, you must ask him fir two promises!’
‘Yes, Mother,’ he said, ‘I’ll do that, I’ll do it, Mother, yes! What is the first promise?’
‘The first promise is, you must ask him to come back and touch my face!’
‘That’s simple, said the boy. ‘If I get to the king an can cure his foot, I’m sure he’ll be willin to do this fir me, if he’s suffering as what you say.’
‘But wait a minute,’ said the old woman, ‘he mus make another promise: he must leave you to be king while he goes an walks among his people as a tramp, an works an labours an toils in the fields fir two hunderd days. An you must become king, take his place while he is gone.’
‘But, Mother,’ said the boy, ‘there’s no way in the world the king is gaunnae let me, a hunchback as I’m known to be, take his place an be king – I’m not qualified to be a king!’
She says, ‘You’re qualified to be a king – you are the king’s son – and the sooner he knows it the better. But don’t ever tell him who you are, you must promise me, you must never tell him who you are! Just tell him you hev come to cure his foot, an before you took the thorn from his foot he must make these two promises to you!’
‘Right,’ says the boy, ‘it shall be done!’
So, he sat and had his lovely evening meal, and went to bed. But he lay and worried about this till morning. He hated to part from his old mother in the forest, he had never been away from her all his life. He hated to have a walk among strange people – oh, he had seen many hunters and he’d seen people, he’d been in the village with her two–three times, but he just hurried on – she’d done her little bit o’ shopping and she’d hurried back to the forest with the little boy, the hunchback by her side. Nobody paid very much attention, nobody ever knew they were seeing the king’s son, he was just another traveller going about their business. So the next morning he had a little breakfast and said ‘good-bye’ to his mother, the old woman in the forest.
And she said, ‘Don’t worry, my son, everythin’ll work out the way it shall be.’
He bade her ‘good-bye’ and said, ‘Luik, I am not leavin you fir long, I’ll be back.’
She said, ‘I know you will, I know you will!’
‘I’ll be back,’ he said,’ an when I come back I will fetch the king. If you’re worried about that face of yours, I’m not worried; but if that makes ye happy, I’ll bring back the king.’ And he put his arms round her, cuddled her and walked away towards the village.
He travelled on for a long distance, it was maybe fifteen miles to the village over paths, through forests, over hills, right down till he came to the town and the palace. And he made his way through the town, he knew the way – but he’d never been back at the palace – he made his way. Everybody looked at the ragged youth with the humpback walking up towards the palace. When he came up he was stopped by the guards.
They said, ‘Where you goin, ragged youth?’
He said, ‘I want to see the king.’
They said, ‘You can’t see the king, he’s in terrible agony.’
He said, ‘I have come to cure the king and let me pass!’<
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People said, ‘He’s come to cure the king!’ Everybody’d give their life if the king was cured of this terrible thing that happened to him, so word spread from one to the other, ‘He’s come to cure the king! This is ae young man who’s come to cure the king, mebbe he knows something, mebbe this is hit, mebbe he’s come!’
Before there was anything else could happen, he was rushed forward into the palace into the king’s chamber. He walked into his great hall, his great bedroom, and there was the king lying with his foot up on a cushion through the window. And the young man walked up, he stood in front of the king – knowing he was looking at his father for the first time. And the king turned round, he looked very sad and his beard was long, his face was thin from many years o’ suffering. But the boy felt no sorrow for him.
The king looked round, said, ‘Who are you? They tell me you’ve come to cure my foot.’
And the boy said, ‘Yes, I hev come to cure yir foot, Ir Majesty, I’ve come to cure yir foot.’
The king said, ‘It’s not possible. Many have tried it, there’s nothing fir me, I must go on sufferin fir many many years.’
The boy said, ‘No, that is wrong! You shall not go on sufferin fir many years. I will cure yir foot.’
King said, ‘How can a youth like you, especially a hunchback …’ But he ignored what the king said, he never said a word. ‘A hunchback!’ he said, ‘have you any powers in medicine?’
‘Oh,’ the boy said, ‘I’ve no powers in medicine.’
‘Well, why do you come here an annoy me?’ said the king.
He said, ‘I have come to cure your foot.’
The king said, ‘Well, please, I’m in terrible agony – don’t torture me any longer – cure my foot!’
‘Not yet,’ said the boy, ‘just a minute. First, you must gie me two promises!’
The king said, ‘Luik, get on with it, I’m in pain, in agony, I can’t talk! I’m in pain an agony.’
‘First, you must give me two promises,’ said the boy.
‘Yes,’ said the king, ‘yes, please, I’ll give ye two promises. What is it you want – money, gold, jewels, anything – please, please get on with what you’re gaunna do! Get my foot – take this pain from my foot!’
And the boy said, ‘Just take yir time, you’ve suffert fir many years an a little time longer is not gaunna make any difference.’ And the king was in agony.
‘What is it you want?’ said the king.
He said, ‘I want you, bifore I cure yir foot, tae give me two promises!’
The king said, ‘Luik, get on with it; I’ll make yir promises, what is it you want?’
He said, ‘You’ll come with me to the forest an see my auld mother, an touch her face!’
The king said, ‘That’s a … I’ll go anywhere!’
‘Next,’ said the boy, ‘you mus let me rule yir kingdom fir two hundred days!’
The king said, ‘You rule my kingdom fir two hundred days?’
‘Yes,’ said the boy, ‘rule yir kingdom fir two hunderd days!’
‘An what am I supposed to do,’ he said, ‘while you rule my kingdom?’
The boy said, ‘You shall walk among the peasants in the village, among the peasants in the town, an you shall toil, you shall wurk, you shall help them an you shall see what like is to life among the puir!’
The king said, ‘Look, it’s not very much to do, but if you will take this pain from my foot, I’ll swear I’ll give you my promise!’
And the boy walked up, he walked up and he walked round the window. He lifted the king’s foot up, he rubbed his hand around the king’s foot and he did that – he catcht the thorn and he pulled it out – he threw it through the window. And he rubbed the king’s foot with his hand like that, and lo and behold the king’s foot … the pain was gone, the agony was gone from the king’s foot! ‘Now,’ he said, ‘Ir Majesty, stand up!’
The king stood up – no more pain, no more nothing – no thorn, no nothing. King was as free as if it never happened! The king stood up, excited that the pain was gone, he felt like he never felt before for years, said, ‘Where in the world do you come from?’
The boy said, ‘I came from the forest tae help you. An you made yir promise.’
The king said, ‘I am the king an I gev you ma promise, I won’t break my word. I’ll come with you right away, lead the way!’ And the king walked out – as free and fit and happy as ever he’d been in his life – he danced a wee jig with his foot to see was it really true! And there was no more pain, no more nothing, there was no thorn in the king’s foot anymore. The king was just like a lark, happy as could be, and he was so excited he said to the boy, ‘This is magic!’
The boy said, ‘No, it’s no magic, no magic in any way.’
‘Lead on!’ says the king. The king called for horses immediately. Everyone was happy, ‘The king is better, the king is better, the king is better, the king’s foot is healed! This magic youth has worked wonders.’ They made way for the king. The king ordered for two horses – the young boy, one, the king got another – and they rode to the forest. They rode on and rode on till they came to the little cottage in the forest.
And lo and behold the boy said, ‘Stop!’ there at the little house.
‘Where have you brought me,’ said the king, ‘what place is this?’
The boy said, ‘There’s someone here I want you to see, someone who’s been good to me an took care of me fir a long long time.’
The king felt very humble because the boy had done so much for him, and he wanted to show his kindness towards the boy. He stepped off his horse, he said, ‘Lead the way.’ And the boy led the way into the little house, and there sitting in an old chair was the old woman. The king said to the boy, ‘What is it you want me to do, who do you want me to see?’
And the boy said, ‘My mother.’
And the king looked: her face had got ten times worse since the boy left, and the king looked, he said, ‘What kind o’ person is that you have fir a mother?’
The boy said, ‘That’s my mother who’s been guid tome.’
And the king said, ‘What do you want me to do?’
He said, ‘I want you to go over an touch her face with yir finger, because you are the king an she is sufferin from King’s Evil. The only thing that can cure her is the touch of the king.’
The king said, ‘No!’
The boy said, ‘Remember yir promise!’
And the king thought again, ‘Well,’ he said, ‘you’ve done so much fir me, it’s little that I cuid do fir you.’ And he walked forward, he touched one o’ the wicked scabs on the old woman’s face with his finger. She stood there and looked straight into his eyes, and lo and behold after the king had touched … an amazing thing happened to the old woman. Her skin became wrinkled but beautiful, all the marks and everything were gone. And lo and behold, there was a beautiful old woman, old and wrinkled but beautiful, there wasn’t a mark on her face or a mark on her skin. And the boy was happy, he ran forward, he put his arms round her neck and kissed her. And the king was so happy and pleased that he had done something worthwhile for the first time in his life. They sat and they had a lunch together.
And the king said, ‘I mus be on ma way, I have tae go home to my people. I’ve done something …’
The boy said, ‘Wait, you must fulfil yir second promise!’
And the king said, ‘Yes.’
And the woman turned round to the king, she said, ‘Ir Majesty, luik, I know it’s a hard request to ask fir.’
He said, ‘Woman, is this yir son?’
‘Well,’ she said, ‘he’s believed to be my son!’
‘Well,’ he said, ‘he might be a hunchback, but he’s a wonderful boy.’
The boy said, ‘I’m gaun back with you because you made the promise to me.’
King said, ‘Well, be it so.’ They bade ‘farewell’ to the old woman, they got on their horses and they rode back to the palace. They rode back, the king ordered everyth
ing – meals, a room for the boy and everything in the palace.
‘Now,’ says the boy, ‘tomorrow morning you make yir promise good to me an everything will be well.’
The king said, ‘It is very hard for me, I’ve lived as a king fir so many years I don’t know what to do.’
The boy said, ‘Jist do it! Go on yir way, meet the people, walk among them, work among them.’
‘But,’ the king said, ‘I can’t go as a king.’
The boy said, ‘You’re not goin as a king, you’re gaun as a tramp.’ He called for the most dirty old coat and the most worn shoes in the palace that anyone could find, and told the king he must dress in the rags and go among the people.
The king said, ‘Well, so be it! You’ve cleared me frae all my pain an I feel wonderful, I feel great.’ And the king wanted to go among the people. He felt he should, because he wanted to see this: he had taxed them, he had taken half o’ their grain, he’d taken half o’ their cattle, taken everything and he thought he’d want to go among the people, but he felt kind o’ queer … that, as if a great change was coming over him. He didn’t want to tax them anymore, he didn’t want nothing from them, he jist wanted to be among them and be with them, talk to them and work in the fields. The great change came over him, he felt so queer he couldn’t wait to be gone!
And the boy said, ‘Look, I’ll be here, I’ll see that nothing goes wrong in the palace till you come back. You give orders that I’ve to take your place while you go out among yir peasants an among your people as a tramp. But only tell it tae the people in the castle, not to the peasants in the land.’
So early next morning true to his word the king put on his old scruffy shoes, ragged coat, the old ragged hat, scarf round his neck and walked away from the palace. And no one seemed to recognise him. Before he had left he had given orders that all orders in the palace were to be passed through to the young hunchback who would rule while he was gone for two hundred days. Only the people in the palace knew the difference, that the king was gone. And the king walked away, just a beggar.
The King and the Lamp Page 29