The Red Fairy Book - Andrew Lang (best novels for beginners TXT) 📗
- Author: Andrew Lang
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they stuck tight; then she added the other bones, till she had two
long poles the height of the house; these she placed against the wall,
at a distance of a yard from one another. Across them she placed
the other bones, piece by piece, like the steps of a ladder. As soon
as one step was finished she stood upon it and made the next one,
and then the next, till she was close to the door. But just as she got
near the top she noticed that there were no bones left for the last
rung of the ladder. What was she to do? Without that last step
the whole ladder was useless. She must have lost one of the bones.
Then suddenly an idea came to her. Taking a knife she chopped
off her little finger, and placing it on the last step, it stuck as the
bones had done. The ladder was complete, and with her child on
her arm she entered the door of the house. Here she found everything
in perfect order. Having taken some food, she laid the child
down to sleep in a trough that was on the floor, and sat down
herself to rest.
When her husband, the Pig, came back to his house, he was
startled by what he saw. At first he could not believe his eyes,
and stared at the ladder of bones, and at the little finger on the top
of it. He felt that some fresh magic must be at work, and in his
terror he almost turned away from the house; but then a better
idea came to him, and he changed himself into a dove, so that no
witchcraft could have power over him, and flew into the room
without touching the ladder. Here he found a woman rocking a
child. At the sight of her, looking so changed by all that she had
suffered for his sake, his heart was moved by such love and longing
and by so great a pity that he suddenly became a man.
The Princess stood up when she saw him. and her heart beat
with fear, for she did not know him. But when he had told her
who he was, in her great joy she forgot all her sufferings, and they
seemed as nothing to her. He was a very handsome man, as
straight as a fir tree. They sat down together and she told
him all her adventures, and he wept with pity at the tale. And
then he told her his own history.
`I am a King’s son. Once when my father was fighting against
some dragons, who were the scourge of our country, I slew the
youngest dragon. His mother, who was a witch, cast a spell over me
and changed me into a Pig. It was she who in the disguise of an
old woman gave you the thread to bind round my foot. So that
instead of the three days that had to run before the spell was broken,
I was forced to remain a Pig for three more years. Now that we
have suffered for each other, and have found each other again, let
us forget the past.’
And in their joy they kissed one another.
Next morning they set out early to return to his father’s
kingdom. Great was the rejoicing of all the people when they saw him
and his wife; his father and his mother embraced them both, and
there was feasting in the palace for three days and three nights.
Then they set out to see her father. The old King nearly went
out of his mind with joy at beholding his daughter again. When
she had told him all her adventures, he said to her:
`Did not I tell you that I was quite sure that that creature who
wooed and won you as his wife had not been born a Pig? You see,
my child, how wise you were in doing what I told you.’
And as the King was old and had no heirs, he put them on the
throne in his place. And they ruled as only kings rule who have
suffered many things. And if they are not dead they are still living
and ruling happily.[8]
[8] Rumanische Marchen ubersetzt von Nite Kremnitz.
THE NORKAONCE upon a time there lived a King and Queen. They had three
sons, two of them with their wits about them, but the third a
simpleton. Now the King had a deer park in which were quantities
of wild animals of different kinds. Into that park there used to
come a huge beast—Norka was its name—and do fearful mischief,
devouring some of the animals every night. The King did all he
could, but he was unable to destroy it. So at last he called his
sons together and said, `Whoever will destroy the Norka, to him
will I give the half of my kingdom.’
Well, the eldest son undertook the task. As soon as it was night,
he took his weapons and set out. But before he reached the park,
he went into a traktir (or tavern), and there he spent the whole
night in revelry. When he came to his senses it was too late; the
day had already dawned. He felt himself disgraced in the eyes of
his father, but there was no help for it. The next day the second
son went, and did just the same. Their father scolded them both
soundly, and there was an end of it.
Well, on the third day the youngest son undertook the task.
They all laughed him to scorn, because he was so stupid, feeling
sure he wouldn’t do anything. But he took his arms, and went
straight into the park, and sat down on the grass in such a position
that the moment he went asleep his weapons would prick him, and
he would awake.
Presently the midnight hour sounded. The earth began to
shake, and the Norka came rushing up, and burst right through
the fence into the park, so huge was it. The Prince pulled himself
together, leapt to his feet, crossed himself, and went straight at the
beast. It fled back, and the Prince ran after it. But he soon saw
that he couldn’t catch it on foot, so he hastened to the stable, laid
his hands on the best horse there, and set off in pursuit. Presently
he came up with the beast, and they began a fight. They fought
and fought; the Prince gave the beast three wounds. At last they
were both utterly exhausted, so they lay down to take a short rest.
But the moment the Prince closed his eyes, up jumped the beast
and took to flight. The Prince’s horse awoke him; up he jumped
in a moment, and set off again in pursuit, caught up the beast, and
again began fighting with it. Again the Prince gave the beast
three wounds, and then he and the beast lay down again to rest.
Thereupon away fled the beast as before. The Prince caught it up,
and again gave it three wounds. But all of a sudden, just as the
Prince began chasing it for the fourth time, the beast fled to a great
white stone, tilted it up, and escaped into the other world, crying
out to the Prince: `Then only will you overcome me, when you
enter here.’
The Prince went home, told his father all that had happened,
and asked him to have a leather rope plaited, long enough to reach
to the other world. His father ordered this to be done. When the
rope was made, the Prince called for his brothers, and he and they,
having taken servants with them, and everything that was needed
for a whole year, set out for the place where the beast had disappeared
under the stone. When they got there, they built a palace
on the spot, and lived in it for some time. But when everything
was ready, the youngest brother said to the others: `Now, brothers,
who is going to lift this stone?’
Neither of them could so much as stir it, but as soon as he
touched it, away it flew to a distance, though it was ever so big—
big as a hill. And when he had flung the stone aside, he spoke a
second time to his brothers, saying:
`Who is going into the other world, to overcome the Norka?’
Neither of them offered to do so. Then he laughed at them for
being such cowards, and said:
`Well, brothers, farewell! Lower me into the other world, and
don’t go away from here, but as soon as the cord is jerked, pull it
up.’
His brothers lowered him accordingly, and when he had
reached the other world, underneath the earth, he went on his way.
He walked and walked. Presently he espied a horse with rich
trappings, and it said to him:
`Hail, Prince Ivan! Long have I awaited thee!’
He mounted the horse and rode on—rode and rode, until he saw
standing before him a palace made of copper. He entered the
courtyard, tied up his horse, and went indoors. In one of the rooms
a dinner was laid out. He sat down and dined, and then went into
a bedroom. There he found a bed, on which he lay down to rest.
Presently there came in a lady, more beautiful than can be imagined
anywhere but in a fairy tale, who said:
`Thou who art in my house, name thyself! If thou art an old
man, thou shalt be my father; if a middle-aged man, my brother;
but if a young man, thou shalt be my husband dear. And if thou
art a woman, and an old one, thou shalt be my grandmother; if
middle-aged, my mother; and if a girl, thou shalt be my own
sister.’
Thereupon he came forth. And when she saw him she was
delighted with him, and said:
`Wherefore, O Prince Ivan—my husband dear shalt thou be!—
wherefore hast thou come hither?’
Then he told her all that had happened, and she said:
`That beast which thou wishest to overcome is my brother.
He is staying just now with my second sister, who lives not far from
here in a silver palace. I bound up three of the wounds which thou
didst give him.’
Well, after this they drank, and enjoyed themselves, and held
sweet converse together, and then the Prince took leave of her, and
went on to the second sister, the one who lived in the silver palace,
and with her also he stayed awhile. She told him that her brother
Norka was then at her youngest sister’s. So he went on to the
youngest sister, who lived in a golden palace. She told him that
her brother was at that time asleep on the blue sea, and she gave
him a sword of steel and a draught of the Water of Strength, and
she told him to cut off her brother’s head at a single stroke. And
when he had heard these things, he went his way.
And when the Prince came to the blue sea, he looked—there
slept the Norka on a stone in the middle of the sea; and when it
snored, the water was agitated for seven miles around. The Prince
crossed himself, went up to it, and smote it on the head with his
sword. The head jumped off, saying the while, `Well, I’m done
for now!’ and rolled far away into the sea.
After killing the beast, the Prince went back again, picking up
all the three sisters by the way, with the intention of taking them
out into the
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