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Once upon
a time...
There lived a king who was so fond of wine that he could not
go to sleep unless he knew he had a great flaskful tied to his
bed-post. All day long he drank till he was too stupid to attend to
his business, and everything in the kingdom went to rack and ruin.
But one day an accident happened to him, and he was struck on the
head by a falling bough, so that he fell from his horse and lay dead
upon the ground.
His wife and son mourned his loss bitterly, for, in spite of his
faults, he had always been kind to them. So they abandoned the crown
and forsook their country, not knowing or caring where they went.
At length they wandered into a forest, and being very tired, sat
down under a tree to eat some bread that they had brought with them.
When they had finished the queen said: 'My son, I am thirsty; fetch
me some water.'
The prince got up at once and went to a brook which he heard
gurgling near at hand. He stooped and filled his hat with the water,
which he brought to his mother; then he turned and followed the
stream up to its source in a rock, where it bubbled out clear and
fresh and cold. He knelt down to take a draught from the deep pool
below the rock, when he saw the reflection of a sword hanging from
the branch of a tree over his head. The young man drew back with a
start; but in a moment he climbed the tree, cutting the rope which
held the sword, and carried the weapon to his mother.
The queen was greatly surprised at the sight of anything so splendid
in such a lonely place, and took it in her hands to examine it
closely. It was of curious workmanship, wrought with gold, and on
its handle was written: 'The man who can buckle on this sword will
become stronger than other men.' The queen's heart swelled with joy
as she read these words, and she bade her son lose no time in
testing their truth. So he fastened it round his waist, and
instantly a glow of strength seemed to run through his veins. He
took hold of a thick oak tree and rooted it up as easily as if it
had been a weed.
This discovery put new life into the queen and her son, and they
continued their walk through the forest. But night was drawing on,
and the darkness grew so thick that it seemed as if it could be cut
with a knife. They did not want to sleep in the wood, for they were
afraid of wolves and other wild beasts, so they groped their way
along, hand in hand, till the prince tripped over something which
lay across the path. He could not see what it was, but stooped down
and tried to lift it. The thing was very heavy, and he thought his
back would break under the strain. At last with a great heave he
moved it out of the road, and as it fell he knew it was a huge rock.
Behind the rock was a cave which it was quite clear was the home of
some robbers, though not one of the band was there.
Hastily putting out the fire which burned brightly at the back, and
bidding his mother come in and keep very still, the prince began to
pace up and down, listening for the return of the robbers. But he
was very sleepy, and in spite of all his efforts he felt he could
not keep awake much longer, when he heard the sound of the robbers
returning, shouting and singing as they marched along. Soon the
singing ceased, and straining his ears he heard them discussing
anxiously what had become of their cave, and why they could not see
the fire as usual. 'This must be the place,' said a voice, which the
prince took to be that of the captain. 'Yes, I feel the ditch before
the entrance. Someone forgot to pile up the fire before we left and
it has burnt itself out! But it is all right. Let every man jump
across, and as he does so cry out "Hop! I am here." I will go last.
Now begin.'
The man who stood nearest jumped across, but he had no time to give
the call which the captain had ordered, for with one swift, silent
stroke of the prince's sword, his head rolled into a corner. Then
the young man cried instead, 'Hop! I am here.'
The second man, hearing the signal, leapt the ditch in confidence,
and was met by the same fate, and in a few minutes eleven of the
robbers lay dead, and there remained only the captain.
Now the captain had wound round his neck the shawl of his lost wife,
and the stroke of the prince's sword fell harmless. Being very
cunning, however, he made no resistance, and rolled over as if he
were as dead as the other men. Still, the prince was no fool, and
wondered if indeed he was as dead as he seemed to be; but the
captain lay so stiff and stark, that at last he was taken in.
The prince next dragged the headless bodies into a chamber in the
cave, and locked the door. Then he and his mother ransacked the
place for some food, and when they had eaten it they lay down and
slept in peace.
With the dawn they were both awake again, and found that, instead of
the cave which they had come to the night before, they now were in a
splendid castle, full of beautiful rooms. The prince went round all
these and carefully locked them up, bidding his mother take care of
the keys while he was hunting.
Unfortunately, the queen, like all women, could not bear to think
that there was anything which she did not know. So the moment that
her son had turned his back, she opened the doors of all the rooms,
and peeped in, till she came to the one where the robbers lay. But
if the sight of the blood on the ground turned her faint, the sight
of the robber captain walking up and down was a greater shock still.
She quickly turned the key in the lock, and ran back to the chamber
she had slept in.
Soon after her son came in, bringing with him a large bear, which he
had killed for supper. As there was enough food to last them for
many days, the prince did not hunt the next morning, but, instead,
began to explore the castle. He found that a secret way led from it
into the forest; and following the path, he reached another castle
larger and more splendid than the one belonging to the robbers. He
knocked at the door with his fist, and said that he wanted to enter;
but the giant, to whom the castle belonged, only answered: 'I know
who you are. I have nothing to do with robbers.'
'I am no robber,' answered the prince. 'I am the son of a king, and
I have killed all the band. If you do not open to me at once I will
break in the door, and your head shall go to join the others.'
He waited a little, but the door remained shut as tightly as before.
Then he just put his shoulder to it, and immediately the wood began
to crack. When the giant found that it was no use keeping it shut,
he opened it, saying: 'I see you are a brave youth. Let there be
peace between us.'
And the prince was glad to make peace, for he had caught a glimpse
of the giant's beautiful daughter, and from that day he often sought
the giant's house.
Now the queen led a dull life all alone in the castle, and to amuse
herself she paid visits to the robber captain, who flattered her
till at last she agreed to marry him. But as she was much afraid of
her son, she told the robber that the next time the prince went to
bathe in the river, he was to steal the sword from its place above
the bed, for without it the young man would have no power to punish
him for his boldness.
The robber captain thought this good counsel, and the next morning,
when the young man went to bathe, he unhooked the sword from its
nail and buckled it round his waist. On his return to the castle,
the prince found the robber waiting for him on the steps, waving the
sword above his head, and knowing that some horrible fate was in
store, fell on his knees and begged for mercy. But he might as well
have tried to squeeze blood out of a stone. The robber, indeed,
granted him his life, but took out both his eyes, which he thrust
into the prince's hand, saying brutally:
'Here, you had better keep them! You may find them useful!'
Weeping, the blind youth felt his way to the giant's house, and told
him all the story.
The giant was full of pity for the poor young man, but inquired
anxiously what he had done with the eyes. The prince drew them out
of his pocket, and silently handed them to the giant, who washed
them well, and then put them back in the prince's head. For three
days he lay in utter darkness; then the light began to come back,
till soon he saw as well as ever.
But though he could not rejoice enough over the recovery of his
eyes, he bewailed bitterly the loss of his sword, and that it should
have fallen to the lot of his bitter enemy.
'Never mind, my friend,' said the giant, 'I will get it back for
you.' And he sent for the monkey who was his head servant.
'Tell the fox and the squirrel that they are to go with you, and
fetch me back the prince's sword,' ordered he.
The three servants set out at once, one seated on the back of the
others, the ape, who disliked walking, being generally on top.
Directly they came to the window of the robber captain's room, the
monkey sprang from the backs of the fox and the squirrel, and
climbed in. The room was empty, and the sword hanging from a nail.
He took it down, and buckling it round his waist, as he had seen the
prince do, swung himself down again, and mounting on the backs of
his two companions, hastened to his master. The giant bade him give
the sword to the prince, who girded himself with it, and returned
with all speed to the castle.
'Come out, you rascal! come out, you villain!' cried he, 'and answer
to me for the wrong you have done. I will show you who is the master
in this house!'
The noise he made brought the robber into the room. He glanced up to
where the sword usually hung, but it was gone; and instinctively he
looked at the prince's hand, where he saw it gleaming brightly. In
his turn he fell on his knees to beg for mercy, but it was too late.
As he had done to the prince, so the prince did to him, and,
blinded, he was thrust forth, and fell down a deep hole, where he is
to this day. His mother the prince sent back to her father, and
never would see her again. After this he returned to the giant, and
said to him:
'My friend, add one more kindness to those you have already heaped
on me. Give me your daughter as my wife.'
So they were married, and the wedding feast was so splendid that
there was not a kingdom in the world that did not hear of it. And
the prince never went back to his father's throne, but lived
peacefully with his wife in the forest, where, if they are not dead,
they are living still.
The Strong Prince
from the Crimson Fairy Book
Story Edited
by Andrew Lang |
