• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 2280 0

more distinctly still, and so it went on, until the twelfth, from which she saw everything above the earth and under the earth, and nothing at all could be kept secret from her. Moreover, as she was haughty, and would be subject to no one, but wished to keep the dominion for herself alone, she caused it to be proclaimed that no one should ever be her husband who could not conceal himself from her so effectively, that it should be quite impossible for her to find him. He who tried this, however, and was discovered by her, was to have his head struck off, and stuck on a post. Ninety-seven posts with the heads of dead men were already standing before the castle, and no one had come forward for a long time. The princess was delighted, and thought to herself: “Now I shall be free as long as I live.” Then three brothers appeared before her, and announced to her that they were desirous of trying their luck. The eldest believed he would be quite safe if he crept into a lime-pit, but she saw him from the first window, made him come out, and had his head cut off. The second crept into the cellar of the palace, but she perceived him also from the first window, and his fate was sealed. His head was placed on the nine and ninetieth post. Then the youngest came to her and entreated her to give him a day for consideration, and also to be so gracious as to overlook it if she should happen to discover him twice, but if he failed the third time, he would look on his life as over. As he was so handsome, and begged so earnestly, she said: “Yes, I will grant you that, but you will not succeed.”

Next day he meditated for a long time how he should hide himself, but all in vain. Then he seized his gun and went out hunting. He saw a raven, took a good aim at him, and was just going to fire, when the bird cried, “Don’t shoot; I will reward you!” He put his gun down, went on, and came to a lake where he surprised a large fish which had come up from the depths below to the surface of the water. When he had aimed at it, the fish cried: “Don’t shoot, and I will reward you!” He allowed it to dive down again, went onwards, and met a fox which was lame. He fired and missed it, and the fox cried: “You had much better come here and draw the thorn out of my foot for me.” He did this; but when he wanted to kill the fox and skin it, the fox said: “Stop, and I will reward you!” The youth let him go, and then as it was evening, returned home.

Next day he was to hide himself; but no matter how he puzzled his brains over it, he did not know where. He went into the forest to the raven and said: “I let you live on, so now tell me where I am to hide myself, so that the King’s daughter shall not see me.” The raven hung his head and thought it over for a long time. At length he croaked: “I have it.” He fetched an egg out of his nest, cut it into two parts, and shut the youth inside it; then made it whole again, and seated himself on it. When the King’s daughter went to the first window she could not discover him, nor could she from the others, and she began to be uneasy, but from the eleventh she saw him. She ordered the raven to be shot, and the egg to be brought and broken, and the youth was forced to come out. She said: “For once you are excused, but if you do not better than this, you are lost!”

Next day he went to the lake, called the fish to him and said: “I suffered you to live, now tell me where to hide myself so that the King’s daughter may not see me.” The fish thought for a while, and at last cried: “I have it! I will shut you up in my stomach.” He swallowed him, and went down to the bottom of the lake. The King’s daughter looked through her windows, and even from the eleventh did not see him, and was alarmed; but at length from the twelfth she saw him. She ordered the fish to be caught and killed, and then the youth appeared. It is easy to imagine the state of mind he was in. She said: “Twice you are forgiven, but be sure that your head will be set on the hundredth post.”

On the last day, he went with a heavy heart into the country, and met the fox.