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Once upon
a time...
There lived an old man who had only one son, whom he loved
dearly; but they were very poor, and often had scarcely enough to
eat. Then the old man fell ill, and things grew worse than ever, so
he called his son and said to him:
'My dear boy, I have no longer any food to give you, and you must go
into the world and get it for yourself. It does not matter what work
you do, but remember if you do it well and are faithful to your
master, you will always have your reward.'
So Peter put a piece of black bread in his knapsack, and strapping
it on his back, took a stout stick in his hand, and set out to seek
his fortune. For a long while he travelled on and on, and nobody
seemed to want him; but one day he met an old man, and being a
polite youth, he took off his hat and said: 'Good morning,' in a
pleasant voice. 'Good morning,' answered the old man; 'and where are
you going?'
'I am wandering through the country trying to get work,' replied
Peter.
'Then stay with me, for I can give you plenty,' said the old man,
and Peter stayed.
His work did not seem hard, for he had only two horses and a cow to
see after, and though he had been hired for a year, the year
consisted of but three days, so that it was not long before he
received his wages. In payment the old man gave him a nut, and
offered to keep him for another year; but Peter was home-sick; and,
besides, he would rather have been paid ever so small a piece of
money than a nut; for, thought he, nuts grow on every tree, and I
can gather as many as I like. However, he did not say this to the
old man, who had been kind to him, but just bade him farewell.
The nearer Peter drew to his father's house the more ashamed he felt
at having brought back such poor wages. What could one nut do for
him? Why, it would not buy even a slice of bacon. It was no use
taking it home, he might as well eat it. So he sat down on a stone
and cracked it with his teeth, and then took it out of his mouth to
break off the shell. But who could ever guess what came out of that
nut? Why, horses and oxen and sheep stepped out in such numbers that
they seemed as if they would stretch to the world's end! The sight
gave Peter such a shock that he wrung his hands in dismay. What was
he to do with all these creatures, where was he to put them? He
stood and gazed in terror, and at this moment Eisenkopf came by.
'What is the matter, young man?' asked he.
'Oh, my friend, there is plenty the matter,' answered Peter. 'I have
gained a nut as my wages, and when I cracked it this crowd of beasts
came out, and I don't know what to do with them all!'
'Listen to me, my son,' said Eisenkopf. 'If you will promise never
to marry I will drive them all back into the nut again.'
In his trouble Peter would have promised far harder things than
this, so he gladly gave the promise Eisenkopf asked for; and at a
whistle from the stranger the animals all began crowding into the
nut again, nearly tumbling over each other in their haste. When the
last foot had got inside, the two halves of the shell shut close.
Then Peter put it in his pocket and went on to the house.
No sooner had he reached it than he cracked his nut for the second
time, and out came the horses, sheep, and oxen again. Indeed Peter
thought that there were even more of them than before. The old man
could not believe his eyes when he saw the multitudes of horses,
oxen and sheep standing before his door.
'How did you come by all these?' he gasped, as soon as he could
speak; and the son told him the whole story, and of the promise he
had given Eisenkopf.
The next day some of the cattle were driven to market and sold, and
with the money the old man was able to buy some of the fields and
gardens round his house, and in a few months had grown the richest
and most prosperous man in the whole village. Everything seemed to
turn to gold in his hands, till one day, when he and his son were
sitting in the orchard watching their herds of cattle grazing in the
meadows, he suddenly said: ' Peter, my boy, it is time that you were
thinking of marrying.'
'But, my dear father, I told you I can never marry, because of the
promise I gave to Eisenkopf.'
'Oh, one promises here and promises there, but no one ever thinks of
keeping such promises. If Eisenkopf does not like your marrying, he
will have to put up with it all the same! Besides, there stands in
the stable a grey horse which is saddled night and day; and if
Eisenkopf should show his face, you have only got to jump on the
horse's back and ride away, and nobody on earth can catch you. When
all is safe you will come back again, and we shall live as happily
as two fish in the sea.'
And so it all happened. The young man found a pretty, brown-skinned
girl who was willing to have him for a husband, and the whole
village came to the wedding feast. The music was at its gayest, and
the dance at its merriest, when Eisenkopf looked in at the window.
'Oh, ho, my brother! what is going on here? It has the air of being
a wedding feast. Yet I fancied--was I mistaken?--that you had given
me a promise that you never would marry.' But Peter had not waited
for the end of this speech. Scarcely had he seen Eisenkopf than he
darted like the wind to the stable and flung himself on the horse's
back. In another moment he was away over the mountain, with
Eisenkopf running fast behind him.
On they went through thick forests where the sun never shone, over
rivers so wide that it took a whole day to sail across them, up
hills whose sides were all of glass; on they went through seven
times seven countries till Peter reined in his horse before the
house of an old woman.
'Good day, mother,' said he, jumping down and opening the door.
'Good day, my son,' answered she, 'and what are you doing here, at
the world's end?'
'I am flying for my life, mother, flying to the world which is
beyond all worlds; for Eisenkopf is at my heels.'
'Come in and rest then, and have some food, for I have a little dog
who will begin to howl when Eisenkopf is still seven miles off.'
So Peter went in and warmed himself and ate and drank, till suddenly
the dog began to howl.
'Quick, my son, quick, you must go,' cried the old woman. And the
lightning itself was not quicker than Peter.
'Stop a moment,' cried the old woman again, just as he was mounting
his horse, 'take this napkin and this cake, and put them in your bag
where you can get hold of them easily.' Peter took them and put them
into his bag, and waving his thanks for her kindness, he was off
like the wind.
Round and round he rode, through seven times seven countries,
through forests still thicker, and rivers still wider, and mountains
still more slippery than the others he had passed, till at length he
reached a house where dwelt another old woman.
'Good day, mother,' said he.
'Good day, my son! What are you seeking here at the world's end?'
'I am flying for my life, mother, flying to the world that is beyond
all worlds, for Eisenkopf is at my heels.'
'Come in, my son, and have some food. I have a little dog who will
begin to howl when Eisenkopf is still seven miles off; so lie on
this bed and rest yourself in peace.'
Then she went to the kitchen and baked a number of cakes, more than
Peter could have eaten in a whole month. He had not finished a
quarter of them, when the dog began to howl.
'Now, my son, you must go,' cried the old woman 'but first put these
cakes and this napkin in your bag, where you can easily get at
them.' So Peter thanked her and was off like the wind.
On he rode, through seven times seven countries, till he came to the
house of a third old woman, who welcomed him as the others had done.
But when the dog howled, and Peter sprang up to go, she said, as she
gave him the same gifts for his journey: 'You have now three cakes
and three napkins, for I know that my sisters have each given you
one. Listen to me, and do what I tell you. Ride seven days and
nights straight before you, and on the eighth morning you will see a
great fire. Strike it three times with the three napkins and it will
part in two. Then ride into the opening, and when you are in the
middle of the opening, throw the three cakes behind your back with
your left hand.'
Peter thanked her for her counsel, and was careful to do exactly all
the old woman had told him. On the eighth morning he reached a fire
so large that he could see nothing else on either side, but when he
struck it with the napkins it parted, and stood on each hand like a
wall. As he rode through the opening he threw the cakes behind him.
From each cake there sprang a huge dog, and he gave them the names
of World's-weight, Ironstrong, and Quick-ear. They bayed with joy at
the sight of him, and as Peter turned to pat them, he beheld
Eisenkopf at the edge of the fire, but the opening had closed up
behind Peter, and he could not get through.
'Stop, you promise-breaker,' shrieked he; 'you have slipped through
my hands once, but wait till I catch you again!'
Then he lay down by the fire and watched to see what would happen.
When Peter knew that he had nothing more to fear from Eisenkopf, he
rode on slowly till he came to a small white house. Here he entered
and found himself in a room where a gray-haired woman was spinning
and a beautiful girl was sitting in the window combing her golden
hair. 'What brings you here, my son?' asked the old woman.
'I am seeking for a place, mother,' answered Peter.
'Stay with me, then, for I need a servant,' said the old woman.
'With pleasure, mother,' replied he.
After that Peter's life was a very happy one. He sowed and ploughed
all day, except now and then when he took his dogs and went to hunt.
And whatever game he brought back the maiden with the golden hair
knew how to dress it.
One day the old woman had gone to the town to buy some flour, and
Peter and the maiden were left alone in the house. They fell into
talk, and she asked him where his home was, and how he had managed
to come through the fire. Peter then told her the whole story, and
of his striking the flames with the three napkins as he had been
told to do. The maiden listened attentively and wondered in herself
whether what he said was true. So after Peter had gone out to the
fields, she crept up to his room and stole the napkins and then set
off as fast as she could to the fire by a path she knew of over the
hill.
At the third blow she gave the flames divided, and Eisenkopf, who
had been watching and hoping for a chance of this kind, ran down the
opening and stood before her. At this sight the maiden was almost
frightened to death, but with a great effort she recovered herself
and ran home as fast as her legs would carry her, closely pursued by
Eisenkopf. Panting for breath she rushed into the house and fell
fainting on the floor; but Eisenkopf entered behind her, and hid
himself in the kitchen under the hearth.
Not long after, Peter came in and picked up the three napkins which
the maiden had dropped on the threshold. He wondered how they got
there, for he knew he had left them in his room; but what was his
horror when he saw the form of the fainting girl lying where she had
dropped, as still and white as if she had been dead. He lifted her
up and carried her to her bed, where she soon revived, but she did
not tell Peter about Eisenkopf, who had been almost crushed to death
under the hearth-stone by the body of World's-weight.
The next morning Peter locked up his dogs and went out into the
forest alone. Eisenkopf, however, had seen him go, and followed so
closely at his heels that Peter had barely time to clamber up a tall
tree, where Eisenkopf could not reach him. 'Come down at once, you
gallows bird,' he cried. 'Have you forgotten your promise that you
never would marry?'
'Oh, I know it is all up with me,' answered Peter, 'but let me call
out three times.'
'You can call a hundred times if you like,' returned Eisenkopf, 'for
now I have got you in my power, and you shall pay for what you have
done.'
'Iron-strong, World's-weight, Quick-ear, fly to my help!' cried
Peter; and Quick-ear heard, and said to his brothers: 'Listen, our
master is calling us.'
'You are dreaming, fool,' answered World's-weight; 'why he has not
finished his breakfast.' And he gave Quick-ear a slap with his paw,
for he was young and needed to be taught sense.
'Iron-strong, World's-weight, Quick-ear, fly to my help!' cried
Peter again.
This time World's-weight heard also, and he said, 'Ah, now our
master is really calling.'
'How silly you are!' answered Iron-strong; 'you know that at this
hour he is always eating.' And he gave World's-weight a cuff,
because he was old enough to know better.
Peter sat trembling on the tree dreading lest his dogs had never
heard, or else that, having heard, they had refused to come. It was
his last chance, so making a mighty effort he shrieked once more:
'Iron-strong, World's-weight, Quick-ear, fly to my help, or I am a
dead man!'
And Iron-strong heard, and said: 'Yes, he is certainly calling, we
must go at once.' And in an instant he had burst open the door, and
all three were bounding away in the direction of the voice. When
they reached the foot of the tree Peter just said: 'At him!' And in
a few minutes there was nothing left of Eisenkopf.
As soon as his enemy was dead Peter got down and returned to the
house, where he bade farewell to the old woman and her daughter, who
gave him a beautiful ring, all set with diamonds. It was really a
magic ring, but neither Peter nor the maiden knew that.
Peter's heart was heavy as he set out for home. He had ceased to
love the wife whom he had left at his wedding feast, and his heart
had gone out to the golden-haired girl. However, it was no use
thinking of that, so he rode forward steadily.
The fire had to be passed through before he had gone very far, and
when he came to it, Peter shook the napkins three times in the
flames and a passage opened for trim. But then a curious thing
happened; the three dogs, who had followed at his heels all the way,
now became three cakes again, which Peter put into his bag with the
napkins. After that he stopped at the houses of the three old women,
and gave each one back her napkin and her cake.
'Where is my wife?' asked Peter, when he reached home.
'Oh, my dear son, why did you ever leave us? After you had vanished,
no one knew where, your poor wife grew more and more wretched, and
would neither eat nor drink. Little by little she faded away, and a
month ago we laid her in her grave, to hide her sorrows under the
earth.'
At this news Peter began to weep, for he had loved his wife before
he went away and had seen the golden-haired maiden.
He went sorrowfully about his work for the space of half a year,
when, one night, he dreamed that he moved the diamond ring given him
by the maiden from his right hand and put it on the wedding finger
of the left. The dream was so real that he awoke at once and changed
the ring from one hand to the other. And as he did so guess what he
saw? Why, the golden-haired girl standing before him. And he sprang
up and kissed her, and said: 'Now you are mine for ever and ever,
and when we die we will both be buried in one grave.'
And so they were
Eisenkopf
from the Crimson Fairy Book
Story Edited
by Andrew Lang |
