The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales (Pantheon Books) - Jacob Grimm [257]
Then was she afraid, and thought: “Good Heavens! What can I do with an iron stove?” But as she much wished to get home to her father, she promised to do as he desired. But he said: “You shall return here, and bring a knife with you, and scrape a hole in the iron.” Then he gave her a companion who walked near her, but did not speak, and in two hours he took her home; there was great joy in the castle when the King’s daughter came home, and the old King fell on her neck, and kissed her. She, however, was sorely troubled, and said: “Dear father, what I have suffered! I should never have got home again from the great wild forest, if I had not come to an iron stove, but I have been forced to give my word that I will go back to it, set it free, and marry it.” Then the old King was so terrified that he all but fainted, for he had but this one daughter. They therefore resolved they would send, in her place, the miller’s daughter, who was very beautiful. They took her there, gave her a knife, and said she was to scrape at the iron stove. So she scraped at it for four-and-twenty hours, but could not bring off the least morsel of it. When day dawned, a voice in the stove said: “It seems to me it is day outside.” Then she answered: “It seems so to me too; I fancy I hear the noise of my father’s mill.”
“So you are a miller’s daughter! Then go your way at once, and let the King’s daughter come here.” Then she went away at once, and told the old King that the man outside there would have none of her—he wanted the King’s daughter. Then the old King grew frightened, and the daughter wept. But there was a swine-herd’s daughter, who was even prettier than the miller’s daughter, and they determined to give her a piece of gold to go to the iron stove instead of the King’s daughter. So she was taken thither, and she also had to scrape for four-and-twenty hours. She, however, was no better at it. When day broke, a voice inside the stove cried: “It seems to me it is day outside!” Then answered she: “So it seems to me also; I fancy I hear my father’s horn blowing.”
“Then you are a swineherd’s daughter! Go away at once, and tell the King’s daughter to come, and tell her all must be done as was promised, and if she does not come, everything in the kingdom shall be ruined and destroyed, and not one stone be left standing on another.” When the King’s daughter heard that she began to weep, but now there was nothing for it but to keep her promise. So she took leave of her father, put a knife in her pocket, and went forth to the iron stove in the forest. When she got there, she began to scrape, and the iron gave way, and when two hours were over, she had already scraped a small hole. Then she peeped in, and saw a youth so handsome, and so brilliant with gold and with precious jewels, that her very soul was delighted. So she went on scraping, and made the hole so large that he was able to get out. Then said he: “You are mine, and I am yours; you are my bride, and have released me.” He wanted to take her away with him to his kingdom, but she entreated him to let her go once again to her father, and the King’s son allowed her to do so, but she was not to say more to her father than three words, and then she was to come back again. So she went home, but she spoke more than three words, and instantly the iron stove disappeared, and was taken far away over glass mountains and piercing swords; but the King’s son was set free, and no longer shut up in it. After this she bade good-bye to her father, took some money with her, but not much, and went back to the great forest, and looked for the iron stove, but it