The Red Fairy Book, Andrew Lang [book club recommendations txt] 📗

two ends together. To her surprise

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 NORKA

ONCE 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