Some time passed before the King went out again, but during his absence a child was born, and this time it was a little Girl, which the false Sisters also threw into the river, and the little Bird instantly flew up, singing,
“Ready to die
And for ever to quit
These lilies and flowers,
Little maid, are you fit!”
Afterwards, when the King returned, he was told the same tale as before, and this made him so angry that he caused the Queen to be put in prison, where she was kept for many years.
During that time the Children grew up; but, when the eldest went out to fish, the other boys would not let him come near, and said, “Go your own way, you foundling!” This made him very sad, and he asked the Fisherman who he was, and the Fisherman told him how he had fished him and his brother and sister all out of the water in his net. The eldest Boy resolved, thereupon that he would go in search of their Father; but the Fisherman was very unwilling to part with him. At length he consented, and the Boy set out, and after travelling for several days came to an immense piece of water, by which stood a Woman fishing.
“Good day, mother,” said the Boy.
“Thank you, my lad,” she replied.
“You will sit there a good long time before you catch any fish,” said the Boy.
“And you will seek a long while before you find your Father,” returned the Woman. “And pray how do you mean to cross this water?” “Heaven alone knows!” he replied; and thereupon the old Woman took him on her back and carried him across, and there he searched everywhere, but could never find his Father.
A year after his departure his Brother made up his mind to go in search of him, and he also, coming to the great water, found the old Woman, with whom he held the same conversation, and was likewise carried across as his Brother had been. The Sister was now left alone at home, but she became so restless and dispirited at her Brothers’ absence that she set out herself in search of them. On her way she came, as they had done, to the great piece of water, and found there the same old Woman, to whom she said, “Good day, mother.” “Thank you my child,” was the reply. “God bless your fishing!” said the Girl. As soon as the old Woman heard this she became very friendly, and after carrying the maiden across the water she gave her a staff, and said, “Now, go straight along on this path, my daughter, and when you come to a great black Dog you must take care neither to laugh at it nor kick it, but pass it by quietly. Then you will come to a large castle, upon whose threshold you must let the staff fall, and then go straight through it to a fountain on the other side of the castle. This fountain will be in a stream, wherein stands also a tree, on which there will hang a bird in a cage, which you must take off. Then take also a glass of water from the fountain, and return with these the same way exactly as you came. On the threshold pick up your staff again, and when you pass the Dog the second time hit it in the face, and then come straight back to me.” The maiden found every thing just as the old Woman said, and at the back of the castle she found also her two Brothers, who had been seeking half through the world. So they went together and came to the place where the black Dog lay, whose face they knocked, and immediately the Dog became a handsome Prince, and accompanied them to the great water. There still stood the old Woman, who was very glad to see them return, and carried them all across the water. This done, she disappeared, for she was now released from her labours. The Brothers and Sister, however, returned to the Fisherman, and all were made happy on seeing each other again; but the Bird they hung upon the wall in his cage. The second Brother, however, could not rest at home, and soon he took his cross-bow and went to the hunt. When he got tired he took out his flute and played a tune which the King, who was also hunting, heard, and, coming up to the youth, inquired who had given him leave to hunt there. “Nobody,” he replied.
“To whom do you belong then?” asked the King.
“I am the fisherman’s son,” was the reply.
“But he has no children,” said the King.
“If you will not believe me,” said the Youth, “come and see.” So the King went to the Fisherman, who told him all that had taken place; and the Bird on the wall began to sing,
“The mother sits lonely
In prison fast kept,
But there are her children
Torn away while she slept
By the false-hearted sisters,
Who, the children to kill,
In the deep waters threw them,
By the side of the Mill.
This frightened them all, and the King took the Bird, the Fisherman, and the three Children with him to the castle, and ordered the prison to be opened, and brought his Wife out, who at first was very ill and weak after her long confinement. So her Daughter gave her some of the water she had procured at the fountain, and that made her quite well again as soon as she had drunk it. Afterwards the two false Sisters were burnt, and the Daughter of the King married the handsome Prince; and so all were happy and lived to a good old age.
The Raven
Once upon a time there was a Queen who had a daughter so small that she was carried about on people’s arms, and one day the child was so naughty that, in spite of all the mother said, she would not be quiet. At last the Queen lost all patience, and, because the ravens were then flying about the palace, she opened the window and said, “I wish you were a raven, and could fly away, and then I should have some peace!” Scarcely had she said the words when the child changed into a raven, and flew away off her arm out at the window, and away into a dark forest, where she remained a long time, and the parents heard nothing about her.
Some little time afterwards a man, while travelling along, found himself in this wood, and there he heard the Raven cry, and he went after the sound. As he came near, the Raven said to him, “I am a princess by birth, and am bewitched; but you can deliver me from the charm.”
“What can I do, then?” he asked.
“Go on further into the wood,” she replied, “and you will find a house wherein sits an old woman, who will offer you meat and drink; but do not venture to take anything, for if you do you will fall into a deep sleep, and fail to free me. In the garden behind this house is a large heap of tan,q whereon you must stand and wait for me. For three days I shall come at two o’clock, in a carriage drawn, the first time, by four white horses, then by four red, and lastly by four black; and if you are asleep when I come you will not rescue me; so you must mind to keep awake.”
The man promised to do all that she desired; but the Raven said, “Ah! but I know well you will not deliver me, for you will take something from the old woman.” The man promised again he would not touch either the meat or drink, and then he went on, and, when he came to the house and entered, the old woman met him, and said to him, “Poor man, how weary you look! come, and refresh yourself with these dishes.” But he said, “No, I will neither eat nor drink.” Still she pressed him, saying, “Well, if you will not eat, take a draught of wine; once is nothing at all.” So the man allowed himself to be persuaded, and drank a little, and by-and-by, when midnight came, he went out into the garden, on to the tan-heap, and waited for the Raven. But while he stood there he became all at once very tired, and could not shake off the feeling, so he laid down a bit, without venturing to sleep. However, he had scarcely stretched himself out when his eyes closed of themselves, and he soon began to snore, and was so very fast asleep, that nothing on earth could have awakened him. About two o’clock came the Raven, drawn by four white horses, and as she came along she felt assured she should find the man asleep; and so it was: as soon as she came into the garden, she saw him lying on the tan-heap fast asleep. She alighted from her carriage, went up to him, shook him, and shouted to him; but he did not awake. The next night, at twelve, the old woman came, and brought the man food and drink, but he would take nothing, till she pressed him so long and left him no rest till at last he took a long draught out of the glass of wine. About two o’clock he began again to watch up
on the heap of tan for the Raven, but, as before, he soon felt so weary that his legs would not support him, and he was forced to lie down, and he fell into a deep sleep. When the Raven, therefore, came with her four red horses, she was in great distress, for she had a presentiment of finding the man asleep, as she did, and all her efforts to awaken him were in vain. The next day the old woman scolded the man and said, “What will happen if you neither eat nor drink? you will die!” “I dare not, and will not, eat and drink,” replied the man. Nevertheless, the old woman set the dishes before him, and, the savour of them was so nice, he could not resist, and he made a hearty meal, and afterwards, when the time came, he went out into the garden, and there waited for the Princess upon the tan-heap. Soon he felt more weary than he had ever been before, and he laid down, and went as fast asleep as a stone. About two o’clock came the Raven, drawn by four black horses, and the coach also was black, and all the harness. She was already in tears, for she knew, as she drove along, she should find the man asleep; and so he was. She shook him and called to him, but in vain; she could not awaken him. So she laid by him a loaf of bread, a joint of meat, and a bottle of wine, of which he might take as much as he would, without lessening the quantity. Then she drew a golden ring off her finger, and put it on his finger, and on it her name was engraven. Lastly, she laid beside him a letter, wherein was stated what was given to him; and further it said, “I see well thou wilt never save me here; but, if thou yet desire to do so, come to the Golden Castle of Stromberg; it is in thy power.” And as soon as she had done all this she placed herself in her carriage again, and was driven to this castle.
By-and-by the man awoke and saw what happened, and he was sad at heart, for he thought, “Now she has gone away, and I have not saved her.” Then his eyes lighted upon the things she had left, and he read the letter which contained the account of them. Soon he arose and marched off on his way to the Golden Castle of Stromberg, but he recollected he did not know where it was. For some time he wandered about the world, and at length he came to a large forest, wherein for fourteen days he walked to and fro, and could not get out. One day, as evening came on, he felt tired and lay down in a thicket and went to sleep. The next day he walked still further, and lay down at night beneath another thicket; but there he heard such a howling and groaning that he could not sleep. When the time came that people put out their lights he saw a lamp glimmering, towards which he made his way, and there he came to a house before which stood a Giant. But he thought to himself, “If I go in, and the Giant see me, my life is scarce worth counting on;” and with this idea he waited a long while before he entered. At last he ventured, and as soon as the Giant saw him, he cried, “It is well that you have come, for I have eaten nothing for a long time, and you will serve for my supper.”
“Let that be!” said the man; “I am not at all willing to be roasted; but, if you want to eat, I have enough here to satisfy you!”
“Well, if that is true,” said the Giant, “you may rest quietly: I only meant to eat you because I had nothing else!” Thereupon they went in and sat down to table, and the man produced bread and meat and wine. “This pleases me well enough,” said the Giant; and he ate to his heart’s content. By-and-by the man asked him, “Can you tell me where the Golden Castle of Stromberg is situated?”
“I will look at my map,” replied the Giant, “whereon are laid down all the cities, villages, and houses hereabouts.” So saying, he fetched the map, which he kept in another room, and looked for the castle, but it was nowhere to be found. “It does not matter,” said the Giant, “I have a still larger map upstairs in a closet;” but when they looked over that the name was not to be found there either. The man would then have proceeded further, but the Giant begged him to stop a couple of days, until his brother returned who was gone to seek for something to eat. As soon as the brother came home, they asked him after the Golden Castle of Stromberg; but he would not talk about anything till he had satisfied his hunger, and then he mounted with them to his chamber, and there they searched all over the map for the castle, without success; so then they fetched other maps, and did not leave off looking till at last they found the place; but it was many thousand miles away from where they were. “Now, how can I get there?” asked the man.
“I have two hours to spare,” said the Giant, “and in that time I will carry you near the castle, but I must then return at once and feed the child we have.” So the Giant took the man within about a hundred miles of the castle, and there set him down, and told him he could easily go the rest of the way by himself. So saying, he turned homewards; but the man journeyed on day and night, till at length he arrived in sight of the Golden Castle of Stromberg. Now, this castle stood upon a glass mountain, and he could see the Princess riding round in her carriage, and then go into the gate. At this sight he felt very glad and began to mount up to the place, but every step he took he slipped back again. When, therefore, he perceived he could not reach the Princess, he became very sorrowful, and said to himself, “I will stop here, and wait upon her.” So he built himself a hut, and for a whole year lived in it, every day seeing the Princess driving about up above while he was unable to reach her.
One day he perceived from his hut three robbers beating one another, and he called to them, “God be with you!” They ceased at the voice, but when they saw nobody they began again to knock each other about, so that it was quite dangerous. Then he called to them a second time, “God be with you!” They ceased at the word, looked about, but saw nobody, and they began to beat each other again; and so the man exclaimed for the third time, “God be with you!” and went out and asked the three combatants what they wanted. The first said he had found a stick which opened every door against which it was struck; the second had found a cloak which rendered its wearer invisible; but the third had caught a horse upon which any one could ride up the glass mountain. Now, they could not agree whether they should keep company with one another, or should separate; so the man said, “These three things I will exchange with you; money certainly I have not, but other things which are more valuable. Still, I must first have a trial, that I may see if you have spoken the truth.” So they let him mount the horse, and hung the cloak around him, and put the stick into his hand, and when they had given him all he was invisible to them. Then he gave them heavy blows upon the shoulders, and exclaiming, “Now, you bear-hunters, now you have your deserts; be content therewith!” he rode up the glass mountain, and as he arrived before the castle door he found it closed. He, therefore, tapped upon it with his stick, and immediately it flew open, and he entered and mounted the stairs which led to the room where the Princess sat with a golden cup full of wine before her. She could not see him, because he wore the cloak, and as he came close to her chair he drew off the ring which she had given him, and threw it into the cup of wine, so that it rang against the side. Then she exclaimed, “That is my ring, and the man must also be here who will deliver me!” and she made a search for him all over the castle; but he had gone out meanwhile, and now sat on his horse outside the door with the cloak thrown off. As soon, therefore, as she went out at the door she saw him, and cried for joy, and the man, dismounting from his horse, took her in his arms, and the Princess kissed him and said, “Now you have indeed saved me, and to-morrow we will be married!”
Old Hildebrand
Once upon a time there lived an old Farmer, and his wife with him, whom the Parson of the village, having once seen, took a great fancy to; and he thought he should be very happy if he could manage one day to have a long talk with her alone. To this the wife had no objection, and the Parson one day said to her, “Oh! my dear, hear what I have to say: I will tell you how to manage, that we may have a whole day all to ourselves. About the middle of this week do you lie in bed one morning, and tell your husband you are very ill, and groan and sigh very badly, and keep that up all the week. Then, on Sunday, when I come to deliver my sermon, I will preach that whoever has at home a sick child, a sick husband, a sick wife, a sick
father or mother, a sick sister or brother, or any other relative, and shall make a journey to the Bell Mountain in Wales, such an one’s sick child, sick husband or wife, sick father or mother, sick sister or brother, or any other relative, shall become well on the instant.”
“Oh! that I will do for you,” said the wife; and thereupon, about the middle of the week, she lay a-bed, and, spite of all her husband brought or did for her, she groaned and sighed till the Sunday, as if she were full of pain. On Sunday the wife said to her husband, “Oh! I am really so miserably ill, I feel as if I should die; but once before my end I should like to hear the Parson again, and hear the sermon which he will deliver to-day.”
“Ah! my child,” replied the Farmer, “you must not do that; you would be all the worse for it if you got up. But never mind; I will go to church, and pay great attention to the sermon, and afterwards come and tell you all the Parson said.”
“Ah! very well,” said the wife, “but mind you are very attentive, and tell me everything.”
So away went the Farmer to church; and, after the Parson had chanted and read all the service, he got into the pulpit and began his sermon. In the course of it he said, “If any one here has a sick child, a sick husband or a sick wife, a sick father or mother, a sick brother or a sick sister, or any other relative, and shall go to the Bell Mountain in Wales, to such an one shall the sick child, sick husband or wife, sick father or mother, sick sister or brother, or any other relative, regain health immediately; especially if he take with him a cross and some laurel leaves which I will give him after service.” Then was nobody quicker than the Farmer in going to the Parson after service for his laurel leaves and cross; and as soon as he had received them he hurried home; and almost before he got to the door he called out, “Come, my dear wife, you will soon be well. The Parson has preached to-day that whosoever having a sick child, a sick husband or wife, a sick mother or father, a sick brother or a sick sister, or any other person, shall go to the Bell Mountain, with a cross and laurel leaves given him by the Parson, his sick child, sick husband or wife, sick father or mother, sick sister or brother, or any other relative, shall recover immediately. Now, the laurel leaves and cross I have received from the Parson, and I shall set out immediately on the journey, that you may be the earlier in good health.” So saying, he set out; but scarcely had he gone when the wife got up, and very soon afterwards in stepped the Parson. Here we will leave them a bit while we follow the Farmer in his wanderings. As we have said, he had set out at once, that he might reach the Bell Mountain the sooner; and on his way his Cousin met him, who was an egg-merchant, and was just come from market, having sold his eggs.
Grimm's Fairy Tales (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) Page 38