The Red Fairy Book - Andrew Lang (best novels for beginners TXT) 📗

impossible for them ever to

get the steed, as all that ever sought him perished in the attempt.

However, they could not retract the bargain, and the youngest

Prince was desired to tell what demand he had on the Queen, as he

had won his game.

 

`My brothers,’ says he, `are now going to travel, and, as I

understand, a perilous journey wherein they know not what road to take

or what may happen them. I am resolved, therefore, not to stay

here, but to go with them, let what will betide; and I request and

command, according to my bargain, that the Queen shall stand on

the highest tower of the palace until we come back (or find out that

we are certainly dead), with nothing but sheaf corn for her food and

cold water for her drink, if it should be for seven years and longer.’

 

All things being now fixed, the three princes departed the Court

in search of the Knight of the Glen’s palace, and travelling along

the road they came up with a man who was a little lame, and

seemed to be somewhat advanced in years; they soon fell into

discourse, and the youngest of the princes asked the stranger his

name, or what was the reason he wore so remarkable a black cap

as he saw on him.

 

`I am called,’ said he, `the Thief of Sloan, and sometimes the

Black Thief from my cap; `and so telling the prince the most of his

adventures, he asked him again where they were bound for, or

what they were about.

 

The prince, willing to gratify his request, told him their affairs

from the beginning to the end. `And now,’ said he, `we are travelling,

and do not know whether we are on the right road or not.’

 

`Ah! my brave fellows,’ says the Black Thief, `you little know

the danger you run. I am after that steed myself these seven

years, and can never steal him on account of a silk covering he has

on him in the stable, with sixty bells fixed to it, and whenever you

approach the place he quickly observes it and shakes himself;

which, by the sound of the bells, not only alarms the prince and his

guards, but the whole country round, so that it is impossible ever

to get him, and those that are so unfortunate as to be taken by the

Knight of the Glen are boiled in a red-hot fiery furnace.’

 

`Bless me,’ says the young prince, `what will we do? If we

return without the steed we will lose our heads, so I see we are ill

fixed on both sides.’

 

`Well,’ says the Thief of Sloan, `if it were my case I would

rather die by the Knight than by the wicked Queen; besides, I will

go with you myself and show you the road, and whatever fortune

you will have, I will take chance of the same.’

 

They returned him sincere thanks for his kindness, and he,

being well acquainted with the road, in a short time brought them

within view of the knight’s castle.

 

`Now,’ says he, `we must stay here till night comes; for I know

all the ways of the place, and if there be any chance for it, it is

when they are all at rest; for the steed is all the watch the knight

keeps there.’

 

Accordingly, in the dead hour of the night, the King’s three sons

and the Thief of Sloan attempted the Steed of Bells in order to

carry him away, but before they could reach the stables the steed

neighed most terribly and shook himself so, and the bells rung with

such noise, that the knight and all his men were up in a moment.

 

The Black Thief and the King’s sons thought to make their

escape, but they were suddenly surrounded by the knight’s guards

and taken prisoners; where they were brought into that dismal

part of the palace where the knight kept a furnace always boiling,

in which he threw all offenders that ever came in his way, which

in a few moments would entirely consume them.

 

`Audacious villains!’ says the Knight of the Glen, `how dare

you attempt so bold an action as to steal my steed? See, now, the

reward of your folly; for your greater punishment I will not boil

you all together, but one after the other, so that he that survives

may witness the dire afflictions of his unfortunate companions.’

 

So saying he ordered his servants to stir up the fire: `We will

boil the eldest-looking of these young men first,’ said he, `and so on

to the last, which will be this old champion with the black cap. He

seems to be the captain, and looks as if he had come through many

toils.’

 

`I was as near death once as the prince is yet,’ says the Black

Thief, `and escaped; and so will he too.’

 

`No, you never were,’ said the knight; `for he is within two or

three minutes of his latter end.’

 

`But,’ says the Black Thief, `I was within one moment of my

death, and I am here yet.’

 

`How was that?’ says the knight; `I would be glad to hear it,

for it seems impossible.’

 

`If you think, sir knight,’ says the Black Thief, `that the danger

I was in surpasses that of this young man, will you pardon him his

crime?’

 

`I will,’ says the knight, `so go on with your story.’

 

`I was, sir,’ says he, `a very wild boy in my youth, and came

through many distresses; once in particular, as I was on my

rambling, I was benighted and could find no lodging. At length I

came to an old kiln, and being much fatigued I went up and lay on

the ribs. I had not been long there when I saw three witches

coming in with three bags of gold. Each put their bags of gold

under their heads, as if to sleep. I heard one of them say to the

other that if the Black Thief came on them while they slept, he

would not leave them a penny. I found by their discourse that

everybody had got my name into their mouth, though I kept silent

as death during their discourse. At length they fell fast asleep, and

then I stole softly down, and seeing some turf convenient,

I placed one under each of their heads, and off I went, with their gold,

as fast as I could.

 

`I had not gone far,’ continued the Thief of Sloan, `until I saw a greyhound, a hare, and a hawk in pursuit of me, and began to think it must be the

witches that had taken the shapes in order that I might not escape them

unseen either by land or water. Seeing they did not appear in any formidable

shape, I was more than once resolved to attack them, thinking that with

my broad sword I could easily destroy them. But considering again

that it was perhaps still in their power to become alive again, I

gave over the attempt and climbed with difficulty up a tree, bringing

my sword in my hand and all the gold along with me. However,

when they came to the tree they found what I had done, and making

further use of their hellish art, one of them was changed into a

smith’s anvil and another into a piece of iron, of which the third

soon made a hatchet. Having the hatchet made, she fell to cutting

down the tree, and in the course of an hour it began to shake

with me. At length it began to bend, and I found that one or

two blows at the most would put it down. I then began to think

that my death was inevitable, considering that those who were

capable of doing so much would soon end my life; but just

as she had the stroke drawn that would terminate my fate, the

cock crew, and the witches disappeared, having resumed their

natural shapes for fear of being known, and I got safe off with my

bags of gold.

 

`Now, sir,’ says he to the Knight of the Glen, `if that be not as

great an adventure as ever you heard, to be within one blow of a

hatchet of my end, and that blow even drawn, and after all to

escape, I leave it to yourself.’

 

`Well, I cannot say but it is very extraordinary,’ says the Knight

of the Glen, `and on that account pardon this young man his crime;

so stir up the fire, till I boil this second one.’

 

`Indeed,’ says the Black Thief, `I would fain think he would not

die this time either.’

 

`How so?’ says the knight; `it is impossible for him to escape.’

 

`I escaped death more wonderfully myself,’ says the Thief of

Sloan, `than if you had him ready to throw into the furnace, and I

hope it will be the case with him likewise.’

 

`Why, have you been in another great danger?’ says the knight.

`I would be glad to hear the story too, and if it be as wonderful as

the last, I will pardon this young man as I did the other.’

 

`My way of living, sir,’ says the Black Thief, `was not good,

as I told you before; and being at a certain time fairly run out of

cash, and meeting with no enterprise worthy of notice, I was reduced

to great straits. At length a rich bishop died in the neighbourhood I

was then in, and I heard he was interred with a great deal of jewels

and rich robes upon him, all which I intended in a short time

to be master of. Accordingly that very night I set about it, and

coming to the place, I understood he was placed at the further end

of a long dark vault, which I slowly entered. I had not gone in

far until I heard a foot coming towards me with a quick pace, and

although naturally bold and daring, yet, thinking of the deceased

bishop and the crime I was engaged in, I lost courage, and ran

towards the entrance of the vault. I had retreated but a few paces

when I observed, between me and the light, the figure of a tall

black man standing in the entrance. Being in great fear and not

knowing how to pass, I fired a pistol at him, and he immediately

fell across the entrance. Perceiving he still retained the figure of

a mortal man, I began to imagine that it could not be the bishop’s

ghost; recovering myself therefore from the fear I was in, I

ventured to the upper end of the vault, where I found a large

bundle, and upon further examination I found that the corpse was

already rifled, and that which I had taken to be a ghost was no

more than one of his own clergy. I was then very sorry that I had

the misfortune to kill him, but it then could not be helped. I took

up the bundle that contained everything belonging to the corpse

that was valuable, intending to take my departure from this

melancholy abode; but just as I came to the mouth of the entrance

I saw the guards of the place coming towards me, and distinctly

heard them saying that they would look in the vault, for that the

Black Thief would think little of robbing the corpse if he was

anywhere in the place. I did not then know in what manner to act,

for if I was seen I would surely lose my life, as everybody had a

look-out at that time, and because