第9章ThePeasant’sWiseDaughter

第9章thepeasant’swisedaughter

therewasonceapoorpeasantwhohadnoland,butonlyasmallhouse,andonedaughter.thensaidthedaughter:“weoughttoaskourlordthekingforabitofnewlyclearedland.”whenthekingheardoftheirpoverty,hepresentedthemwithapieceofland,whichsheandherfatherdugup,andintendedtosowwithalittlecornandgrainofthatkind.whentheyhaddugnearlythewholeofthefield,theyfoundintheearthamortarmadeofpuregold.

“listen,”saidthefathertothegirl,“asourlordthekinghasbeensograciousandpresenteduswiththefield,weoughttogivehimthismortarinreturnforit.”thedaughter,however,wouldnotconsenttothis,andsaid:“father,ifwehavethemortarwithouthavingthepestleaswell,weshallhavetogetthepestle,soyouhadmuchbettersaynothingaboutit.”buthewouldnotobeyher,andtookthemortarandcarriedittotheking,saidthathehadfounditintheclearedland,andaskedifhewouldacceptitasapresent.thekingtookthemortar,andaskedifhehadfoundnothingbesidesthat?“no,”answeredthecountryman.thenthekingsaidthathemustnowbringhimthepestle.thepeasantsaidtheyhadnotfoundthat,buthemightjustaswellhavespokentothewind;hewasputinprison,andwastostaythereuntilheproducedthepestle.theservantshaddailytocarryhimbreadandwater,whichiswhatpeoplegetinprison,andtheyheardhowthemancriedoutcontinually:“ah!ifihadbutlistenedtomydaughter!alas,alas,ifihadbutlistenedtomydaughter!”thentheservantswenttothekingandtoldhimhowtheprisonerwasalwayscrying:“ah!ifihadbutlistenedtomydaughter!”andwouldneithereatnordrink.sohecommandedtheservantstobringtheprisonerbeforehim,andthenthekingaskedthepeasantwhyhewasalwayscrying:“ah!ifihadbutlistenedtomydaughter!”andwhatitwasthathisdaughterhadsaid.“shetoldmethatioughtnottotakethemortartoyou,forishouldhavetoproducethepestleaswell.”“ifyouhaveadaughterwhoisaswiseasthat,lethercomehere.”shewasthereforeobligedtoappearbeforetheking,whoaskedherifshereallywassowise,andsaidhewouldsetherariddle,andifshecouldguessthat,hewouldmarryher.sheatoncesaidyes,shewouldguessit.thensaidtheking:“cometomenotclothed,notnaked,notriding,notwalking,notintheroad,andnotofftheroad,andifyoucandothatiwillmarryyou.”soshewentaway,putoffeverythingshehadon,andthenshewasnotclothed,andtookagreatfishingnet,andseatedherselfinitandwrappeditentirelyroundandroundher,sothatshewasnotnaked,andshehiredanass,andtiedthefisherman'snettoitstail,sothatitwasforcedtodragheralong,andthatwasneitherridingnorwalking.theasshadalsotodragherintheruts,sothatsheonlytouchedthegroundwithherbigtoe,andthatwasneitherbeingintheroadnorofftheroad.andwhenshearrivedinthatfashion,thekingsaidshehadguessedtheriddleandfulfilledalltheconditions.thenheorderedherfathertobereleasedfromtheprison,tookhertowife,andgaveintohercarealltheroyalpossessions.

nowwhensomeyearshadpassed,thekingwasoncereviewinghistroopsonparade,whenithappenedthatsomepeasantswhohadbeensellingwoodstoppedwiththeironsbeforethepalace;someofthemhadoxenyokedtothem,andsomehorses.therewasonepeasantwhohadthreehorses,oneofwhichwasdeliveredofayoungfoal,anditranawayandlaydownbetweentwooxenwhichwereinfrontoftheon.whenthepeasantscametogether,theybegantodispute,tobeateachotherandmakeadisturbance,andthepeasantwiththeoxenwantedtokeepthefoal,andsaidoneoftheoxenhadgivenbirthtoit,andtheothersaidhishorsehadhadit,andthatitwashis.thequarrelcamebeforetheking,andhegavetheverdictthatthefoalshouldstaywhereithadbeenfound,andsothepeasantwiththeoxen,towhomitdidnotbelong,gotit.thentheotherwentaway,andweptandlamentedoverhisfoal.nowhehadheardhowgracioushisladythequeenwasbecausesheherselfhadsprungfrompoorpeasantfolks,sohewenttoherandedhertoseeifshecouldnothelphimtogethisfoalbackagain.saidshe:“yes,iwilltellyouwhattodo,ifyouwillpromisemenottobetrayme.earlytomorrowmorning,whenthekingparadestheguard,placeyourselfthereinthemiddleoftheroadbywhichhemustpass,takeagreatfishing-netandpretendtobefishing;goonfishing,andemptyoutthenetasifyouhadgotitfull”—andthenshetoldhimalsowhathewastosayifhewasquestionedbytheking.thenextday,therefore,thepeasantstoodthere,andfishedondryground.whenthekingpassedby,andsawthat,hesenthismessengertoaskwhatthestupidmanwasabout.heanswered:“iamfishing.”themessengeraskedhowhecouldfishwhentherewasnowaterthere.thepeasantsaid:“itisaseasyformetofishondrylandasitisforanoxtohaveafoal.”themessengerwentbackandtooktheanswertotheking,whoorderedthepeasanttobebroughttohimandtoldhimthatthiswasnothisownidea,andhewantedtoknowwhoseitwas.thepeasant,saidtheking,mustconfessthisatonce.thepeasant,however,wouldnotdoso,andsaidalways,godforbidheshould!theideawashisown.sotheylaidhimonaheapofstraw,andbeathimandtormentedhimsolongthatatlastheadmittedthathehadgottheideafromthequeen.

whenthekingreachedhomeagain,hesaidtohiswife:“whyhaveyoubehavedsofalselytome?iwillnothaveyouanylongerforawife;yourtimeisup,gobacktotheplacefromwhenceyoucame—toyourpeasant'shut.”onefavour,however,hegrantedher;shemighttakewithhertheonethingthatwasdearestandbestinhereyes;andthushowshedismissed.shesaid:“yes,mydearhusband,ifyoucommandthis,iwilldoit,”andsheembracedhimandkissedhim,andsaidshewouldtakeleaveofhim.thensheorderedapowerfulsleepingdraughttobebrought,todrinkfarewelltohim;thekingtookalongdraught,butshetookonlyalittle.hesoonfellintoadeepsleep,andwhensheperceivedthenshecalledaservantandtookafairwhitelinenclothandwrappedthekinginit,andtheservantwasforcedtocarryhimintoacarriagethatstoodbeforethedoor,andshedrovewithhimtoherownlittlehouse.shelaidhiminherownlittlebed,andhesleptonedayandonenightwithoutawakening,andwhenheawokehelookedroundandsaid:“goodgod!whereami?”hecalledhisattendants,butnoneofthemwerethere.atlengthhiswifecametohisbedsideandsaid:“mydearlordandking,youtoldmeimightbringawaywithmefromthepalacethatwhichwasdearestandmostpreciousinmyeyes—ihavenothingmorepreciousanddearthanyourself,soihavebroughtyouwithme.”tearsrosetotheking'seyesandhesaid:“dearwife,youshallbemineandiwillbeyours,”andhetookherbackwithhimtotheroyalpalaceandwasmarriedagaintoher,andatthepresenttimetheyareverylikelystillliving.