“Oh, I will promise you all,” said she, “if you will only get me my ball.” But she thought to herself, “What is the silly Frog chattering about? Let him remain in the water with his equals; he cannot mix in society.” But the Frog, as soon as he had received her promise, drew his head under the water and dived down. Presently he swam up again with the ball in his mouth, and threw it on the grass. The King’s daughter was full of joy when she again saw her beautiful plaything; and taking it up, she ran off immediately. “Stop! stop!” cried the Frog; “take me with thee. I cannot run as thou canst.” But all his croaking was useless; although it was loud enough, the King’s daughter did not hear it, but, hastening home, soon forgot the poor Frog, who was obliged to leap back into the fountain.
The next day, when the King’s daughter was sitting at table with her father and all his courtiers, and was eating from her own little golden plate, something was heard coming up the marble stairs, splish-splash, splish-splash; and when it arrived at the top, it knocked at the door, and a voice said, “Open the door, thou youngest daughter of the King!” So she rose and went to see who it was that called her; but when she had opened the door, she perceived the Frog before her; then she shut the door with great vehemence, and sat down at the table, looking very pale. But the King perceived that her heart was beating violently, and asked her whether it was a giant who had come to fetch her away who stood at the door. “Oh no!” answered she; “it is no giant, but an ugly Frog.”
“What does the Frog want with you?” said the King.
“Oh, dear father, when I was sitting yesterday playing by the brook, my golden ball fell into the water, and this Frog fetched it up again because I cried so much: but first, I must tell you, he pressed me so much that I promised him that he should be my companion. I never thought that he could come out of the water, but somehow he has jumped out, and now he wants to come in here.”
At that moment there was another knock, and a voice said,
“King’s daughter youngest,
Open the door.
Hast thou forgotten
Thy promises made
By the banks of the streamlet,
Beneath the beech-shade!
King’s daughter, youngest,
Open the door.”
Then the King said, “What you have promised, that you must perform; go and let him in.” So the King’s daughter went and opened the door, and the Frog hopped in after her right up to her chair: and as soon as she was seated, the Frog said, “Take me up;” but she hesitated so long, that at last the King ordered her to obey. And as soon as the Frog sat on the chair he jumped on to the table and said, “Now push thy plate near me, that we may eat together.” And she did so, but, as every one saw, very unwillingly. The Frog seemed to relish his dinner much, but every bit that the King’s daughter ate nearly choked her, till at last the Frog said, “I have satisfied my hunger and feel very tired; wilt thou carry me up-stairs now into thy chamber, and make thy bed ready that we may sleep together?” At this speech the King’s daughter began to cry, for she was afraid of the cold Frog, and dared not touch him; and besides, he actually wanted to sleep in her own beautiful, clean bed.
But her tears only made the King very angry, and he said, “He who helped you in the time of your trouble must not now be despised.” So she took the Frog up with two fingers and put him in a corner of her chamber. But, as she lay in her bed, he crept up to it and said, “I am so very tired that I shall sleep well; do take me up or I will tell thy father.” This speech put the King’s daughter in a terrible passion, and, catching the Frog up, she threw him with all her strength against the wall, saying, “Now, will you be quiet, you ugly Frog!”
But as he fell he was changed from a frog into a handsome Prince with beautiful eyes, who after a little while became, with her father’s consent, her dear companion and betrothed. Then he told her how he had been transformed by an evil witch, and that no one but herself would have had the power to take him out of the fountain; and that on the morrow they would go together into his own kingdom. Then they went to sleep.
The next morning, as soon as the sun rose, a carriage, drawn by eight white horses, with ostrich feathers on their heads, and golden bridles, drove up to the door of the palace, and behind the carriage stood the trusty Henry, the servant of the young Prince. When his master was changed into a frog, trusty Henry had grieved so much that he had bound three iron bands round his heart, for fear it would break with grief and sorrow. But now that the carriage was ready to carry the young Prince to his own country, the faithful Henry helped in the bride and bridegroom, and placed himself on the seat behind, full of joy at his master’s release. They had not proceeded far when the Prince heard a crack as if something had broken behind the carriage; so he put his head out of the window and asked Henry what was broken, and Henry answered “It was not the carriage, my master, but a band which I bound round my heart when it was in such grief because you were changed into a frog.”
Twice afterwards on the journey there was the same noise, and each time the Prince thought that it was some part of the carriage that had given way; but it was only the breaking of the bands which bound the heart of the trusty Henry, who was now free and happy.
A Tale of One Who Traveled to Learn What Shivering Meant
A father had two sons, the elder of whom was forward and clever enough to do almost any thing; but the younger was so stupid that he could learn nothing, and when the people saw him they said, “Will thy father still keep thee as a burden to him?” So if any thing was to be done, the elder had at all times to do it; but sometimes the father would call him to fetch something in the dead of night, and perhaps the way led through the churchyard or by a dismal place, and then he used to answer, “No, father, I cannot go there, I am afraid,” for he was a coward. Or sometimes, of an evening, tales were told by the fireside which made one shudder, and the listeners exclaimed, “Oh, it makes us shiver!” In a corner, meanwhile, sat the younger son listening, but he could not comprehend what was said, and he thought, “They say continually, ‘Oh, it makes us shiver, it makes us shiver!’ but perhaps shivering is an art which I cannot comprehend.” One day, however, his father said to him, “Do you hear, you there in the corner? You are growing stout and big; you must learn some trade to get your living by. Do you see how your brother works? But as for you, you are not worth malt and hops.”
“Ah, father!” answered he, “I would willingly learn something. What shall I begin? I want to know what shivering means, for of that I can understand nothing.”
The elder brother laughed when he heard this speech, and thought to himself, “Ah! my brother is such a simpleton that he cannot earn his own living. He who would be a woodcutter must stoop betimes.” But the father sighed and said, “What shivering means you may learn soon enough, but you will never get your bread by that.”
Soon after the parish sextonb came in for a gossip, so the father told him his troubles, and how that his younger son was such a simpleton that he knew nothing, and could learn nothing. “Just fancy, when I asked him how he intended to earn his bread, he desired to learn what shivering meant.” “Oh, if that be all,” answered the sexton, “he can learn that soon enough with me; just send him to my place, and I will soon teach him.” The father was very glad, because he thought that it would do the boy good; so the sexton took him home to ring the bells. About two days afterwards he called him up at midnight to go into the church tower to toll the bell. “You shall soon learn what shivering means,” thought the sexton, and getting up he went out. As soon as the boy reached the belfry, and turned himself round to seize the rope, he saw upon the stairs, near the sounding hole, a white figure. “Who’s there?” he called out; but the figure gave no answer, and neither stirred nor spoke. “Answer,” said the boy, “or make haste off; you have no business here to-night.” But the sexton did not stir, so that the boy might think that it was a ghost.
The boy called out a second time, “What are you doing here? Speak, if yo
u are an honest fellow, or else I will throw you down stairs.”
The sexton said to himself, “That is not a bad thought,” but he remained quiet as if he were a stone. Then the boy called out for the third time, but it produced no effect; so, making a spring, he threw the ghost down the stairs, so that it rolled ten steps and then lay motionless in a corner. Thereupon he rang the bell, and then going home he lay down without saying a word, and fell fast asleep. The sexton’s wife waited some time for her husband, but he did not come; so at last she became anxious, woke the boy, and asked him if he knew where her husband was, who had gone before him to the tower.
“No,” answered the boy; “but there was some one standing on the steps, who would not give any answer, nor go away, so I took him for a thief and threw him downstairs. Go now, and see where he is; perhaps it may be he, but I should be sorry for it.” The wife ran off, and found her husband lying in a corner, groaning, with one of his ribs broken.
She took him up and ran with loud outcries to the boy’s father, and told him, “Your son has brought a great misfortune on us; he has thrown my husband down and broken his bones. Take the good-for-nothing fellow from our house.”
The terrified father came in haste and scolded the boy. “What do these wicked tricks mean? They will only bring misfortune upon you.”
“Father,” answered the lad, “hear me! I am quite innocent. He stood there at midnight, like one who had done some evil; I did not know who it was, and cried three times, ‘Speak, or be off!’ ”
“Ah!” said the father, “every thing goes badly with you. Get out of my sight; I do not wish to see you again.”
“Yes, father, willingly; wait but one day, then will I go out and learn what shivering means. I now understand one business which will support me.”
“Learn what you will,” replied the father; “all is the same to me. Here are fifty dollars; go forth with them into the world, and tell no man whence you came, or who your father is, for I am ashamed of you.”
“Yes, father, as you wish; if you desire nothing else, I shall esteem that very lightly.”
As soon as day broke, the youth put his fifty dollars into a knapsack, and went out upon the high road, saying continually, “Oh, if I could but shiver!”
Presently a man came up, who heard the boy talking to himself; and as they were just passing the place where the gallows stood, the man said, “Do you see? There is the tree where seven fellows have married the hempen maid, and now swing to and fro. Sit yourself down there and wait till midnight, and then you will know what it is to shiver.”
“Oh! if that be all,” answered the boy, “I can very easily do that. But if I learn so speedily what shivering is, then you shall have my fifty dollars if you come again in the morning.”
Then the boy went to the gallows, sat down, and waited for evening; and, as he felt cold, he made a fire. But about midnight the wind blew so sharp that, in spite of the fire, he could not keep himself warm. The wind blew the bodies against one another, so that they swung backwards and forwards, and he thought, “If I am cold here below by the fire, how must they freeze and tremble above!” So his compassion was excited, and contriving a ladder, he mounted, and unloosening them one after another, he brought down all seven. Then he poked and blew the fire, and sat them round that they might warm themselves; but, as they sat still without moving, their clothing caught fire. So he said, “Take care of yourselves, or I will hang all of you up again.” The dead heard not, and silently allowed their rags to burn. This made him so angry that he said, “If you will not hear, I cannot help you; but I will not burn with you!” So he hung them up again in a row, and sitting down by the fire he soon went to sleep. The next morning the man came, expecting to receive his fifty dollars, and asked, “Now do you know what shivering means?” “No,” he answered; “how should I know.” Those fellows up there have not opened their mouths, and were so stupid that they let the old rags on their bodies be burnt.” Then the man saw that he should not carry away the fifty dollars that day, so he went away saying, “I never met with such an one before.”
The boy also went on his way, and began again to say, “Ah, if only I could but shiver; if I could but shiver!” A wagonerc walking behind overheard him, and asked, “Who are you?”
“I do not know,” answered the boy.
The wagoner asked again, “What do you here?”
“I know not.”
“Who is your father?”
“I dare not say.”
“What is it you are continually grumbling about?”
“Oh,” replied the youth, “I wish to learn what shivering is, but nobody can teach me.”
“Cease your silly talk,” said the wagoner. “Come with me, and I will see what I can do for you.” So the boy went with the wagoner, and about evening time they arrived at an inn where they put up for the night, and while they were going into the parlour he said, quite aloud, “Oh, if I could but shiver, if I could but shiver!” The host overheard him, and said, laughingly, “Oh, if that is all you wish, you shall soon have the opportunity.” “Hold your tongue,” said his wife; “so many imprudent people have already lost their lives, it were a shame and sin to such beautiful eyes that they should not see the light again.” But the youth said, “If it were ever so difficult I would at once learn it; for that reason I left home;” and he never let the host have any peace till he told him that not far off stood an enchanted castle, where any one might soon learn to shiver if he would watch there three nights. The King had promised his daughter in marriage to whomever would venture, and she was the most beautiful young lady that the sun ever shone upon. And he further told him that inside the castle there was an immense amount of treasure, guarded by evil spirits; enough to make any one free, and turn a poor man into a very rich one. Many had, he added, already ventured into this castle, but no one had ever come out again.
The next morning this youth went to the King, and said, “If you will allow me, I wish to watch three nights in the enchanted castle.” The King looked at him, and because his appearance pleased him, he said, “You may make three requests, but they must be inanimate things you ask for, and such as you can take with you into the castle.” So the youth asked for a fire, a lathe, and a cutting-board.
The King let him take these things by day into the castle, and when it was evening the youth went in and made himself a bright fire in one of the rooms, and, placing his cutting-board and knife near it, he sat down upon his lathe. “Ah, if I could but shiver!” said he. “But even here I shall never learn.” At midnight he got up to stir the fire, and, as he poked it, there shrieked suddenly in one corner, “Miau, miau, how cold I am!” “You simpleton!” he exclaimed, “what are you shrieking for; if you are so cold, come and sit down by the fire and warm yourself!” As he was speaking two great black cats sprang up to him with an immense jump, and sat down one on each side, looking at him quite wildly with their fiery eyes. When they had warmed themselves for a little while they said, “Comrade, shall we have a game of cards?” “Certainly,” he replied; “but let me see your paws first.” So they stretched out their claws, and he said, “Ah, what long nails you have got; wait a bit, I must cut them off first;” and so saying, he caught them up by their necks and put them on his board and screwed their feet down. “Since I have seen what you are about I have lost my relish for a game at cards,” said he, and instantly killing them, threw them away into the water. But no sooner had he quieted these two, and thought of sitting down again by his fire, than there came out of every hole and corner black cats and black dogs, with glowing chains, continually more and more, so that he could not hide himself. They howled fearfully, and jumped upon his fire and scattered it about as if they would extinguish it. He looked on quietly for some time, but at last getting angry he took up his knife and called out, “Away with you, you vagabonds!” and chasing them about, a part ran off, and the rest he killed and threw into the pond. As soon as he returned he blew up the sparks of his fire again,
and warmed himself, and while he sat, his eyes began to feel very heavy and he wished to go to sleep. So looking round he saw a great bed in one corner in which he laid down; but no sooner had he closed his eyes, than the bed began to move of itself and traveled all around the castle. “Just so,” said he, “only better still;” whereupon the bed galloped away as if six horses pulled it up and down steps and stairs, until at last all at once it overset, bottom upwards, and laid upon him like a mountain; but up he got, threw pillows and mattresses into the air, and saying, “Now, he who wishes may travel,” laid himself down by the fire and slept till day broke. In the morning the King came, and seeing the youth lying on the ground, he thought that the spectres had killed him, and that he was dead; so he said, “It is a great misfortune that the finest men are thus killed;” but the youth, hearing this, sprang up, saying, “It is not come to that with me yet!” The King was much astonished, but still very glad, and asked him how he had fared. “Very well,” replied he; “as one night has passed, so also may the other two.” Soon after he met his landlord, who opened his eyes when he saw him. “I never thought to see you alive again,” said he; “have you learnt now what shivering means?” “No,” said he; “it is all of no use. Oh, if any one would but tell me!”
The second night he went up again into the castle, and sitting down by the fire began his old song, “If I could but shiver!” When midnight came, a ringing and rattling noise was heard, gentle at first, and louder and louder by degrees; then there was a pause, and presently with a loud outcry half a man’s body came down the chimney and fell at his feet. “Holloa!” he exclaimed, “only half a man answered that ringing; that is too little.” Then the ringing began afresh, and a roaring and howling was heard, and the other half fell down. “Wait a bit,” said he; “I will poke up the fire first.” When he had done so and looked round again, the two pieces had joined themselves together, and an ugly man was sitting in his place. “I did not bargain for that,” said the youth; “the bench is mine.” The man tried to push him away, but the youth would not let him, and giving him a violent push set himself down in his old place. Presently more men fell down the chimney, one after the other, who brought nine thigh bones and two skulls, which they set up, and then they began to play at ninepins.d At this the youth wished also to play, so he asked whether he might join them. “Yes, if you have money!” “Money enough,” he replied, “but your balls are not quite round;” so saying he took up the skulls, and, placing them on his lathe, turned them round. “Ah, now you will roll well,” said he. “Holloa! now we will go at it merrily.” So he played with them and lost some of his money, but as it struck twelve every thing disappeared. Then he laid down and went to sleep quietly. On the morrow the King came for news, and asked him how he had fared this time. “I have been playing ninepins,” he replied, “and lost a couple of dollars.” “Have you not shivered?” “No!” “I have enjoyed myself very much; but I wish some one would teach me that!”
Grimm's Fairy Tales (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) Page 5