The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales

by Jacob Grimm

  The huntsman, however, was sad at heart, and traveled about the world, and made his animals dance before people. It came to pass that precisely at the end of one year he came back to the same town where he had rescued the King’s daughter from the dragon, and this time the town was gaily hung with red cloth. Then he said to the host: “What does this mean? Last year the town was all hung with black crape, what means the red cloth to-day?” The host answered: “Last year our King’s daughter was to have been delivered over to the dragon, but the marshal fought with it and killed it, and so to-morrow their wedding is to be solemnized, and that is why the town was then hung with black crape for mourning, and is to-day covered with red cloth for joy.”

  Next day when the wedding was to take place, the huntsman said at mid-day to the inn-keeper: “Do you believe, sir host, that I while with you here to-day shall eat bread from the King’s own table?” “Nay,” said the host, “I would bet a hundred pieces of gold that that will not come true.” The huntsman accepted the wager, and set against it a purse with just the same number of gold pieces. Then he called the hare and said: “Go, my dear runner, and fetch me some of the bread which the King is eating.” Now the little hare was the lowest of the animals, and could not transfer this order to any of the others, but had to get on his legs himself. “Alas!” thought he, “if I bound through the streets thus alone, the butchers’ dogs will all be after me.” It happened as he expected, and the dogs came after him and wanted to make holes in his good skin. But he sprang away, you have never seen the like, and sheltered himself in a sentry-box without the soldier being aware of it. Then the dogs came and wanted to have him out, but the soldier did not understand a jest, and struck them with the butt-end of his gun, till they ran away yelling and howling. As soon as the hare saw that the way was clear, he ran into the palace and straight to the King’s daughter, sat down under her chair, and scratched at her foot. Then she said: “Will you get away?” and thought it was her dog. The hare scratched her foot for the second time, and she again said: “Will you get away?” and thought it was her dog. But the hare did not let itself be turned from its purpose, and scratched her for the third time. Then she peeped down, and knew the hare by its collar. She took him on her lap, carried him into her chamber, and said: “Dear Hare, what do you want?” He answered: “My master, who killed the dragon, is here, and has sent me to ask for a loaf of bread like that which the King eats.” Then she was full of joy and had the baker summoned, and ordered him to bring a loaf such as was eaten by the King. The little hare said: “But the baker must likewise carry it thither for me, that the butchers’ dogs may do no harm to me.” The baker carried it for him as far as the door of the inn, and then the hare got on his hind legs, took the loaf in his front paws, and carried it to his master. Then said the huntsman: “Behold, sir host, the hundred pieces of gold are mine.” The host was astonished, but the huntsman went on to say: “Yes, sir host, I have the bread, but now I will likewise have some of the King’s roast meat.”

  The host said: “I should indeed like to see that,” but he would make no more wagers. The huntsman called the fox and said: “My little fox, go and fetch me some roast meat, such as the King eats.” The red fox knew the byways better, and went by holes and corners without any dog seeing him, seated himself under the chair of the King’s daughter, and scratched her foot. Then she looked down and recognized the fox by its collar, took him into her chamber with her, and said: “Dear Fox, what do you want?” He answered: “My master, who killed the dragon, is here, and has sent me. I am to ask for some roast meat such as the King is eating.” Then she made the cook come, who was obliged to prepare a roast joint, the same as was eaten by the King, and to carry it for the fox as far as the door. Then the fox took the dish, waved away with his tail the flies which had settled on the meat, and then carried it to his master. “Behold, sir host,” said the huntsman, “bread and meat are here, but now I will also have proper vegetables with it, such as are eaten by the King.” Then he called the wolf, and said: “Dear Wolf, go thither and fetch me vegetables such as the King eats.” Then the wolf went straight to the palace, as he feared no one, and when he got to the King’s daughter’s parlor, he tugged at the back of her dress, so that she was forced to look round. She recognized him by his collar, and took him into her chamber with her, and said: “Dear Wolf, what do you want?” He answered: “My master, who killed the dragon, is here, I am to ask for some vegetables, such as the King eats.” Then she made the cook come, and he had to make ready a dish of vegetables, such as the King ate, and had to carry it for the wolf as far as the door, and then the wolf took the dish from him, and carried it to his master. “Behold, sir host,” said the huntsman, “now I have bread and meat and vegetables, but I will also have some pastry to eat like that which the King eats.” He called the bear, and said: “Dear Bear, you are fond of licking anything sweet; go and bring me some confectionery, such as the King eats.” Then the bear trotted to the palace, and everyone got out of his way, but when he went to the guard, they presented their muskets, and would not let him go into the royal palace. But he got up on his hind legs, and gave them a few boxes on the ears, right and left, with his paws, so that the whole watch broke up, and then he went straight to the King’s daughter, placed himself behind her, and growled a little. Then she looked behind her, knew the bear, and bade him go into her room with her, and said: “Dear Bear, what do you want?” He answered: “My master, who killed the dragon, is here, and I am to ask for some confectionery such as the King eats.” Then she summoned her confectioner, who had to bake confectionery such as the King ate, and carry it to the door for the bear; then the bear first licked up the comfits which had rolled down, and then he stood upright, took the dish, and carried it to his master. “Behold, sir host,” said the huntsman, “now I have bread, meat, vegetables and confectionery, but I will drink wine also, and such as the King drinks.” He called his lion to him and said: “Dear Lion, you yourself like to drink till you are tipsy, go and fetch me some wine, such as is drunk by the King.” Then the lion strode through the streets, and the people fled from him, and when he came to the watch, they wanted to bar the way against him, but he did but roar once, and they all ran away. Then the lion went to the royal apartment, and knocked at the door with his tail. Then the King’s daughter came forth, and was almost afraid of the lion, but she knew him by the golden clasp of her necklace, and bade him go with her into her chamber, and said: “Dear Lion, what will you have?” He answered: “My master, who killed the dragon, is here, and I am to ask for some wine such as is drunk by the King.” Then she bade the cup-bearer be called, who was to give the lion some wine like that which was drunk by the King. The lion said: “I will go with him, and see that I get the right wine.” Then he went down with the cup-bearer, and when they were below, the cup-bearer wanted to draw him some of the common wine that was drunk by the King’s servants; but the lion said: “Stop, I will taste the wine first,” and he drew half a measure, and swallowed it down at one draught. “No,” said he, “that is not right.” The cup-bearer looked at him askance, but went on, and was about to give him some out of another barrel which was for the King’s marshal. The lion said: “Stop, let me taste the wine first,” and drew half a measure and drank it. “That is better, but still not right,” said he. Then the cup-bearer grew angry and said: “How can a stupid animal like you understand wine?” But the lion gave him a blow behind the ears, which made him fall down by no means gently, and when he had got up again, he conducted the lion quite silently into a little cellar apart, where the King’s wine lay, from which no one ever drank. The lion first drew half a measure and tried the wine, and then he said: “That may possibly be the right sort,” and bade the cup-bearer fill six bottles of it. And now they went upstairs again, but when the lion came out of the cellar into the open air, he reeled here and there, and was rather drunk, and the cup-bearer was forced to carry the wine as far as the door for him, and then the lion took the handle of
the basket in his mouth, and took it to his master. The huntsman said: “Behold, sir host, here have I bread, meat, vegetables, confectionery and wine such as the King has, and now I will dine with my animals,” and he sat down and ate and drank, and gave the hare, the fox, the wolf, the bear, and the lion also to eat and to drink, and was joyful, for he saw that the King’s daughter still loved him. And when he had finished his dinner, he said: “Sir host, now have I eaten and drunk, as the King eats and drinks, and now I will go to the King’s court and marry the King’s daughter.” Said the host: “How can that be, when she already has a betrothed husband, and when the wedding is to be solemnized to-day?” Then the huntsman drew forth the handkerchief which the King’s daughter had given him on the dragon’s hill, and in which were folded the monster’s seven tongues, and said: “That which I hold in my hand shall help me to do it.” Then the innkeeper looked at the handkerchief, and said: “Whatever I believe, I do not believe that, and I am willing to stake my house and courtyard on it.” The huntsman, however, took a bag with a thousand gold pieces, put it on the table, and said: “I stake that on it.”

  Now the King said to his daughter, at the royal table: “What did all the wild animals want, which have been coming to you, and going in and out of my palace?” She replied: “I may not tell you, but send and have the master of these animals brought, and you will do well.” The King sent a servant to the inn, and invited the stranger, and the servant came just as the huntsman had laid his wager with the innkeeper. Then said he: “Behold, sir host, now the King sends his servant and invites me, but I do not go in this way.” And he said to the servant: “I request the Lord King to send me royal clothing, and a carriage with six horses, and servants to attend me.” When the King heard the answer, he said to his daughter: “What shall I do?” She said: “Cause him to be fetched as he desires to be, and you will do well.” Then the King sent royal apparel, a carriage with six horses, and servants to wait on him. When the huntsman saw them coming, he said: “Behold, sir host, now I am fetched as I desired to be,” and he put on the royal garments, took the handkerchief with the dragon’s tongues with him, and drove off to the King. When the King saw him coming, he said to his daughter: “How shall I receive him?” She answered: “Go to meet him and you will do well.” Then the King went to meet him and led him in, and his animals followed. The King gave him a seat near himself and his daughter, and the marshal, as bridegroom, sat on the other side, but no longer knew the huntsman. And now at this very moment, the seven heads of the dragon were brought in as a spectacle, and the King said: “The seven heads were cut off the dragon by the marshal, wherefore to-day I give him my daughter to wife.” Then the huntsman stood up, opened the seven mouths, and said: “Where are the seven tongues of the dragon?” Then was the marshal terrified, and grew pale and knew not what answer he should make, and at length in his anguish he said: “Dragons have no tongues.” The huntsman said: “Liars ought to have none, but the dragon’s tongues are the tokens of the victor,” and he unfolded the handkerchief, and there lay all seven inside it. And he put each tongue in the mouth to which it belonged, and it fitted exactly. Then he took the handkerchief on which the name of the princess was embroidered, and showed it to the maiden, and asked to whom she had given it, and she replied: “To him who killed the dragon.” And then he called his animals, and took the collar off each of them and the golden clasp from the lion, and showed them to the maiden and asked to whom they belonged. She answered: “The necklace and golden clasp were mine, but I divided them among the animals who helped to conquer the dragon.” Then spoke the huntsman: “When I, tired of the fight, was resting and sleeping, the marshal came and cut off my head. Then he carried away the King’s daughter, and gave out that it was he who had killed the dragon, but that he lied I prove with the tongues, the handkerchief, and the necklace.”

  And then he related how his animals had healed him by means of a wonderful root, and how he had traveled about with them for one year, and had at length again come there and had learnt the treachery of the marshal by the inn-keeper’s story. Then the King asked his daughter: “Is it true that this man killed the dragon?” And she answered: “Yes, it is true. Now can I reveal the wicked deed of the marshal, as it has come to light without my connivance, for he wrung from me a promise to be silent. For this reason, however, did I make the condition that the marriage should not be solemnized for a year and a day.” Then the King bade twelve councillors be summoned who were to pronounce judgment on the marshal, and they sentenced him to be torn to pieces by four bulls. The marshal was therefore executed, but the King gave his daughter to the huntsman, and named him his viceroy over the whole kingdom. The wedding was celebrated with great joy, and the young King caused his father and his foster-father to be brought, and loaded them with treasures. Neither did he forget the innkeeper, but sent for him and said: “Behold, sir host, I have married the King’s daughter, and your house and yard are mine.” The host said: “Yes, according to justice it is so.” But the young King said: “It shall be done according to mercy,” and told him that he should keep his house and yard, and gave him the thousand pieces of gold as well.

  And now the young King and Queen were thoroughly happy, and lived in gladness together. He often went out hunting because it was a delight to him, and the faithful animals had to accompany him. In the neighborhood, however, there was a forest of which it was reported that it was haunted, and that whosoever did but enter it did not easily get out again. But the young King had a great inclination to hunt in it, and let the old King have no peace until he allowed him to do so. So he rode forth with a great following, and when he came to the forest, he saw a snow-white hind, and said to his men: “Wait here until I return, I want to hunt that beautiful creature,” and he rode into the forest after it, followed only by his animals. The attendants halted and waited until evening, but he did not return, so they rode home, and told the young Queen that the young King had followed a white hind into the enchanted forest, and had not come back again. Then she was in the greatest concern about him. He, however, had still continued to ride on and on after the beautiful wild animal, and had never been able to overtake it; when he thought he was near enough to aim, he instantly saw it bound away into the far distance, and at length it vanished altogether. And now he perceived that he had penetrated deep into the forest, and blew his horn but he received no answer, for his attendants could not hear it. And as night was falling, he saw that he could not get home that day, so he dismounted from his horse, lighted himself a fire near a tree, and resolved to spend the night by it. While he was sitting by the fire, and his animals also were lying down beside him, it seemed to him that he heard a human voice. He looked round, but could perceive nothing. Soon afterwards, he again heard a groan as if from above, and then he looked up, and saw an old woman sitting in the tree, who wailed unceasingly: “Oh, oh, oh, how cold I am!” Said he: “Come down, and warm yourself if you are cold.” But she said: “No, your animals will bite me.” He answered: “They will do you no harm, old mother, do come down.” She, however, was a witch, and said: “I will throw down a wand from the tree, and if you strike them on the back with it, they will do me no harm.” Then she threw him a small wand, and he struck them with it, and instantly they lay still and were turned into stone. And when the witch was safe from the animals, she leapt down and touched him also with a wand, and changed him to stone. Thereupon she laughed, and dragged him and the animals into a vault, where many more such stones already lay.

  As the young King did not come back at all, the Queen’s anguish and care grew constantly greater. And it so happened that at this very time the other brother who had turned to the east when they separated, came into the kingdom. He had sought a situation, and had found none, and had then traveled about here and there, and had made his animals dance. Then it came into his mind that he would just go and look at the knife that they had thrust in the trunk of a tree at their parting, that he might learn how his brother was. Wh
en he got there his brother’s side of the knife was half rusted, and half bright. Then he was alarmed and thought: “A great misfortune must have befallen my brother, but perhaps I can still save him, for half the knife is still bright.” He and his animals traveled towards the west, and when he entered the gate of the town, the guard came to meet him, and asked if he was to announce him to his consort the young Queen, who had for a couple of days been in the greatest sorrow about his staying away, and was afraid he had been killed in the enchanted forest. The sentries, indeed, thought no otherwise than that he was the young King himself, for he looked so like him, and had wild animals running behind him. Then he saw that they were speaking of his brother, and thought: “It will be better if I pass myself off for him, and then I can rescue him more easily.” So he allowed himself to be escorted into the castle by the guard, and was received with the greatest joy. The young Queen indeed thought that he was her husband, and asked him why he had stayed away so long. He answered: “I had lost myself in a forest, and could not find my way out again any sooner.” At night he was taken to the royal bed, but he laid a two-edged sword between him and the young Queen; she did not know what that could mean, but did not venture to ask.