第7章TheKingoftheGoldenMountain

第7章thekingofthegoldenmountain

therewasacertainmerchantwhohadtwochildren,aboyandagirl;theywerebothyoungandcouldnotwalk.andtworichly-ladenshipsofhissailedforthtoseawithallhispropertyonboard,andjustashewasexpectingtowinmuchmoneybythem,newscamethattheyhadgonetothebottom,andnowinsteadofbeingarichmanhewasapoorone,andhadnothingleftbutonefieldoutsidethetown.inordertodrivehismisfortunealittleoutofhisthoughts,hewentouttothisfield,andashewaswalkingtoandfroinit,alittleblackmannikinstoodsuddenlybyhisside,andaskedwhyhewassosad,andwhathewastakingsomuchtoheart.thensaidthemerchant:“ifyoucouldhelpmeiwouldwillinglytellyou.”“whoknows?”repliedtheblackdwarf.“perhaps,icanhelpyou.”thenthemerchanttoldhimthatallhepossessedhadgonetothebottomofthesea,andthathehadnothingleftbutthisfield.“donottroubleyourself,”saidthedwarf.“ifyouwillpromisetogivemethefirstthingthatrubsitselfagainstyourlegwhenyouareathomeagain,andtobringitheretothisplaceintwelveyearstime,youshallhaveasmuchmoneyasyouwill.”themerchantthought:“whatcanthatbebutmydog?”anddidnotrememberhislittleboy,sohesaidyes,gavetheblackmanawrittenandsealedpromise,andwenthome.

whenhereachedhome,hislittleboywassodelightedthatheheldhimselfbyabench,trotteduptohimandseizedhimfastbythelegs.thefatherwasshocked,forherememberedhispromise,andnowknewwhathehadpledgedhimselftodo;ashowever,hestillfoundnomoneyinhischest,hethoughtthedwarfhadonlybeenjesting.amonthafterwardshewentuptothegarret,intendingtogathertogethersomeoldtinandtosellit,andsawlyingthereagreatheapofmoney.thenhewashappyagain,madepurchases,becameagreatermerchantthanbefore,andfeltthatgodwasgoodtohim.inthemeantimetheboygrewtall,andatthesametimebrightandclever.butthenearerthetwelfthyearapproachedthemoreanxiousgrewthemerchant,sothathisdistressmightbeseeninhisface.onedayhissonaskedwhatailedhim,butthefatherwouldnotsay.theboy,however,persistedsolong,thatatlasthetoldhimthatwithoutbeingawareofwhathewasdoing,hehadpromisedhimtoablackdwarf,andhadreceivedmuchmoneyfordoingso.hesaidlikewisethathehadsethishandandsealtothis,andthatnowwhentwelveyearshadgonebyhewouldhavetogivehimup.thensaidtheson:“oh,father,donotbeuneasy,allwillgowell.theblackmanhasnopoweroverme.”thesonhadhimselfblessedbythepriest,andwhenthetimecame,fatherandsonwenttogethertothefield,andthesonmadeacircleandplacedhimselfinsideitwithhisfather.thencametheblackdwarfandsaidtotheoldman:“haveyoubroughtwithyouthatwhichyouhavepromisedme?”hewassilent,butthesonasked:“whatdoyouwanthere?”thensaidtheblackdwarf:“ihavetospeakwithyourfather,andnotwithyou.”thesonreplied:“youhavebetrayedandmisledmyfather,givebackthewriting.”“no,”saidtheblackdwarf,“iwillnotgiveupmyrights.”theyspoketogetherforalongtimeafterthis,butatlasttheyagreedthattheson,ashedidnotbelongtotheenemyofmankind,noryettohisfather,shouldseathimselfinasmallboat,whichshouldlieonwaterwhichwasflowingawayfromthem,andthatthefathershouldpushitoffwithhisownfoot,andthenthesonshouldremaingivenuptothewater.sohetookleaveofhisfather,placedhimselfinalittleboat,andthefatherhadtopushitoffwithhisownfoot.theboatcapsizedsothatthekeelwasuppermostandthedeckunderwater,andthefatherbelievedhissonwaslost,andwenthomeandmournedforhim.

theboat,however,didnotsink,butfloatedquietlyaway,andtheboysatsafelyinsideit,anditfloatedthusforalongtime,untilatlastitranintoanunknownshore.thenhelandedandsawabeautifulcastlebeforehim,andsetouttogotoit.butwhenheenteredit,hefoundthatitwasbewitched.hewentthrougheveryroom,butallwereemptyuntilhereachedthelast,whereasnakelaycoiledinaring.thesnake,however,wasanenchantedmaiden,whorejoicedtoseehim,andsaid:“haveyoucome,oh,mydeliverer?ihavealreadywaitedtwelveyearsforyou;thiskingdomisbewitched,andyoumustsetitfree.”“howcanidothat?”heinquired.“tonightcometwelveblackmen,coveredwithchainswhowillaskwhatyouaredoinghere;butbesilent;givethemnoanswer,andletthemdowhattheywillwithyou;theywilltormentyou,beatyou,stabyou;leteverythingpass,onlydonotspeak;attwelveo'clock,theymustgoawayagain.onthesecondnighttwelveotherswillcome;onthethird,four-and-twenty,whowillcutoffyourhead,butattwelveo'clocktheirpowerwillbeover,andthenifyouhaveenduredall,andhavenotspokentheslightestword,ishallbereleased.iwillcometoyou,andwillhave,inabottle,someofthewateroflife.iwillrubyouwiththat,andthenyouwillcometolifeagain,andbeashealthyasbefore.”thensaidhe:“iwillgladlysetyoufree.”andeverythinghappenedjustasshehadsaid;theblackmencouldnotforceasinglewordfromhim,andonthethirdnightthesnakebecameabeautifulprincess,whocamewiththewateroflifeandbroughthimbacktolifeagain.soshethrewherselfintohisarmsandkissedhim,andtherewasjoyandgladnessinthewholecastle.afterthistheirmarriagewascelebrated,andhewasthegoldenmountain.

theylivedveryhappilytogether,andthequeenboreafineboy.eightyearshadalreadygoneby,whenthekingbethoughthimofhisfather;hisheartwasmoved,andhewishedtovisithim.thequeen,however,wouldnotlethimgoaway,andsaid:“iknowbeforehandthatitwillcausemyunhappiness;”buthesufferedhertohavenorestuntilsheconsented.attheirpartingshegavehimawishing-ring,andsaid:“takethisringandputitonyourfinger,andthenyouwillimmediatelybetransportedwhithersoeveryouwouldbe,onlyyoumustpromisemenottouseitinwishingmeawayfromthisplaceandwiththyfather.”thathepromisedher,puttheringonhisfinger,andwishedhimselfathome,justoutsidethetownwherehisfatherlived.instantlyhefoundhimselfthere,andmadeforthetown,butwhenhecametothegate,thesentrieswouldnotlethimin,becauseheworesuchstrangeandyetsuchrichandmagnificentclothing.thenhewenttoahillwhereashepherdwaswatchinghissheep,changedclotheswithhim,putonhisoldshepherd's-coat,andthenenteredthetownwithouthindrance.whenhecametohisfather,hemadehimselfknowntohim,buthedidnotatallbelievethattheshepherdwashisson,andsaidhecertainlyhadhadason,butthathewasdeadlongago;however,ashesawhewasapoor,needyshepherd,hewouldgivehimsomethingtoeat.thentheshepherdsaidtohisparents:“iamverilyyourson.doyouknowofnomarkonmybodybywhichyoucouldrecognizeme?”“yes,”saidhismother,“oursonhadaraspberrymarkunderhisrightarm.”heslippedbackhisshirt,andtheysawtheraspberryunderhisrightarm,andnolongerdoubtedthathewastheirson.thenhetoldthemthathewaskingofthegoldenmountain,andaking'sdaughterwashiswife,andthattheyhadafinesonofsevenyearsold.thensaidthefather:“thatiscertainlynottrue;itisafinekindofkingwhogoesaboutinaedshepherd's-coat.”onthisthesonfellinapassion,andwithoutthinkingofhispromise,turnedhisringround,andwishedbothhiswifeandchildwithhim.theywerethereinasecond,butthequeenwept,andreproachedhim,andsaidthathehadbrokenhisword,andhadbroughtmisfortuneuponher.hesaid:“ihavedoneitthoughtlessly,andnotwithevilintention,”andtriedtocalmher,andshepretendedtobelievethis;butshehadmischiefinhermind.

thenheledheroutofthetownintothefield,andshowedherthestreamwherethelittleboathadbeenpushedoff,andthenhesaid:“iamtired;sitdown,iwillsleepawhileonyourlap.”andhelaidhisheadonherlap,andshepickedhisliceforawhileuntilhefellasleep.whenhewasasleep,shefirstdrewtheringfromhisfinger,thenshedrewawaythefootwhichwasunderhimleavingonlytheslipperbehindher,andshetookherchildinherarms,andwishedherselfbackinherownkingdom.whenheawoke,therehelayquitedeserted,andhiswifeandchildweregone,andsowastheringfromhisfinger,theslipperonlywasstillthereasatoken.“hometoyourparentsyoucannotreturn,”thoughthe,“theywouldsaythatyouwereawizard;youmustbeoff,andwalkonuntilyouarriveinyourownkingdom.”sohewentawayandcameatlengthtoahillbywhichthreegiantswerestanding,disputingwitheachotherbecausetheydidnotknowhowtodividetheirfather'sproperty.whentheysawhimpassingby,theycalledtohimandsaidlittlemenhadquickwits,andthathewastodividetheirinheritanceforthem.theinheritance,however,consistedofasword,which,ifanyonetookitinhishand,andsaid:“allheadsoffbutmine,”everyheadwouldlieontheground;secondly,ofacloak,whichmadeanyonewhoputitoninvisible;thirdly,ofapairofbootswhichcouldtransportthewearertoanyplacehewishedinamoment.hesaid:“givemethethreethingsthatimayseeiftheyarestillingoodcondition.”theygavehimthecloak,andwhenhehadputiton,hewasinvisibleandchangedintoafly.thenheresumedhisownformandsaid:“thecloakisagoodone,nowgivemethesword.”theysaid:“no,wewillnotgiveyouthat;ifyouweretosay,‘allheadsoffbutmine,'allourheadswouldbeoff,andyoualonewouldbeleftwithyours.”neverthelesstheygaveittohimontheconditionthathewasonlytotryitagainstatree.thishedid,andtheswordcutintwothetrunkofatreeasifithadbeenabladeofstraw.thenhewantedtohavethebootslikewise,buttheysaid:“no,wewillnotgivethem;ifyouhadthemonyourfeetandweretowishyourselfatthetopofthehill,weshouldbeleftdownherewithnothing.”“oh,no,”saidhe,“iwillnotdothat.”sotheygavehimthebootsaswell.andnowwhenhehadgotallthesethings,hethoughtofnothingbuthiswifeandhischild,andsaidasthoughtohimself:“oh,ifiwerebutonthegoldenmountain,”andatthesamemomenthevanishedfromthesightofthegiants,andthustheirinheritancewasdivided.whenhewasnearhispalace,heheardsoundsofjoy,andfiddles,andflutes,andthepeopletoldhimthathiswifewascelebratingherweddingwithanother.thenhefellintoarage,andsaid:“falsewoman,shebetrayedanddesertedmewhilstiwasasleep!”soheputonhiscloak,andunseenbyallwentintothepalace.whenheenteredthedining-hallagreattablewasspreadwithdeliciousfood,andtheguestswereeatinganddrinking,andlaughing,andjesting.shesatonaroyalseatinthemidstoftheminsplendidapparel,withacrownonherhead.heplacedhimselfbehindher,andnoonesawhim.whensheputapieceofmeatonaplateforherself,hetookitawayandateit,andwhenshepouredoutaglassofwineforherself,hetookitawayanddrankit.shewasalwayshelpingherselftosomething,andyetshenevergotanything,forplateandglassdisappearedimmediately.thendismayedandashamed,shearoseandwenttoherchamberandwept,butbefollowedherthere.shesaid:“hasthedevilpoweroverme,ordidmydeliverernevercome?”thenhestruckherintheface,andsaid:“didyourdeliverernevercome?itishewhohasyouinhispower,youtraitor.haveideservedthisfromyou?”thenhemadehimselfvisible,wentintothehall,andcried:“theweddingisatanend,thetruekinghasreturned.”thekings,princes,andcouncillorswhowereassembledthere,ridiculedandmockedhim,buthedidnottroubletoanswerthem,andsaid:“willyougoaway,ornot?”onthistheytriedtoseizehimandpresseduponhim,buthedrewhisswordandsaid:“allheadsoffbutmine,”andalltheheadsrolledontheground,andhealonewasmaster,andoncemorekingofthegoldenmountain.