Household Tales, Jacob Grimm [the unexpected everything txt] 📗

to go to such and such an inn when they got to the town. They went to it, and the innkeeper came to meet them, and asked if they wished for anything to eat?

The first replied, “All three of us.”

“Yes,” said the host, “that is what I mean.”

The second said, “For money.”

“Of course,” said the host.

The third said, “And quite right too!”

“Certainly it is right,” said the host.

Good meat and drink were now brought to them, and they were well waited on. After the dinner came the payment, and the innkeeper gave the bill to the one who said, “All three of us,” the second said, “For money,” and the third, “and quite right too!”

“Indeed it is right,” said the host, “all three pay, and without money I can give nothing.” They, however, paid still more than he had asked.

The lodgers, who were looking on, said, “These people must be mad.”

“Yes, indeed they are,” said the host, “they are not very wise.”

So they stayed some time in the inn, and said nothing else but, “All three of us,” “For money,” and “And quite right too!” But they saw and knew all that was going on.

It so happened that a great merchant came with a large sum of money, and said, “Sir host, take care of my money for me, here are three crazy apprentices who might steal it from me.” The host did as he was asked. As he was carrying the trunk into his room, he felt that it was heavy with gold. Thereupon he gave the three apprentices a lodging below, but the merchant came upstairs into a separate apartment. When it was midnight, and the host thought that all were asleep, he came with his wife, and they had an axe and struck the rich merchant dead; and after they had murdered him they went to bed again. When it was day there was a great outcry; the merchant lay dead in bed bathed in blood.

All the guests ran at once but the host said, “The three crazy apprentices have done this;” the lodgers confirmed it, and said, “It can have been no one else.”

The innkeeper, however, had them called, and said to them, “Have you killed the merchant?”

“All three of us,” said the first, “For money,” said the second; and the third added, “And quite right too!”

“There now, you hear,” said the host, “they confess it themselves.” They were taken to prison, therefore, and were to be tried.

When they saw that things were going so seriously, they were after all afraid, but at night the Devil came and said, “Bear it just one day longer, and do not play away your luck, not one hair of your head shall be hurt.”

The next morning they were led to the bar, and the judge said, “Are you the murderers?”

“All three of us.”

“Why did you kill the merchant?”

“For money.”

“You wicked wretches, you have no horror of your sins?”

“And quite right too!”

“They have confessed, and are still stubborn,” said the judge, “lead them to death instantly.” So they were taken out, and the host had to go with them into the circle. When they were taken hold of by the executioner’s men, and were just going to be led up to the scaffold where the headsman was standing with naked sword, a coach drawn by four blood-red chestnut horses came up suddenly, driving so fast that fire flashed from the stones, and someone made signs from the window with a white handkerchief.

Then said the headsman, “It is a pardon coming,” and “Pardon! pardon!” was called from the carriage also.

Then the Devil stepped out as a very noble gentleman, beautifully dressed, and said, “You three are innocent; you may now speak, make known what you have seen and heard.”

Then said the eldest, “We did not kill the merchant, the murderer is standing there in the circle,” and he pointed to the innkeeper. “In proof of this, go into his cellar, where many others whom he has killed are still hanging.” Then the judge sent the executioner’s men thither, and they found it was as the apprentices said, and when they had informed the judge of this, he caused the innkeeper to be led up, and his head was cut off.

Then said the Devil to the three, “Now I have got the soul which I wanted to have, and you are free, and have money for the rest of your lives.”

The King’s Son Who Feared Nothing

There was once a King’s son, who was no longer content to stay at home in his father’s house, and as he had no fear of anything, he thought, “I will go forth into the wide world, there the time will not seem long to me, and I shall see wonders enough.” So he took leave of his parents, and went forth, and on and on from morning till night, and whichever way his path led it was the same to him. It came to pass that he got to the house of a giant, and as he was so tired he sat down by the door and rested. And as he let his eyes roam here and there, he saw the giant’s playthings lying in the yard. These were a couple of enormous balls, and ninepins as tall as a man. After a while he had a fancy to set the ninepins up and then rolled the balls at them, and screamed and cried out when the ninepins fell, and had a merry time of it. The giant heard the noise, stretched his head out of the window, and saw a man who was not taller than other men, and yet played with his ninepins.

“Little worm,” cried he, “why art thou playing with my balls? Who gave thee strength to do it?”

The King’s son looked up, saw the giant, and said, “Oh, thou blockhead, thou thinkest indeed that thou only hast strong arms, I can do everything I want to do.”

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