第21章HanstheHedgehog

第21章hansthehedgehog

therewasonceacountrymanwhohadmoneyandlandinplenty,buthoweverrichhewas,hishappinesswasstilllackinginonerespect—hehadnochildren.oftenwhenhewentintothetownwiththeotherpeasantstheymockedhimandaskedwhyhehadnochildren.atlasthebecameangry,andwhenhegothomehesaid:“iwillhaveachild,evenifitbeahedgehog.”thenhiswifehadachildthatwasahedgehogintheupperpartofhisbodyandaboyinthelower,andwhenshesawthechild,shewasterrified,andsaid:“see,thereyouhavebroughtill-luckonus.”thensaidtheman:“whatcanbedonenow?theboymustbechristened,butweshallnotbeabletogetagodfatherforhim.”thewomansaid:“andwecannotcallhimanythingelsebuthansthehedgehog.”  whenhewaschristened,theparsonsaid:“hecannotgointoanyordinarybedbecauseofhisspikes.”soalittlestrawwasputbehindthestove,andhansthehedgehogwaslaidonit.hismothercouldnotsucklehim,forhewouldhaveprickedherwithhisquills.

sohelaytherebehindthestoveforeightyears,andhisfatherwastiredofhimandthought:“ifhewouldbutdie!”hedidnotdie,however,butremainedlyingthere.nowithappenedthattherewasafairinthetown,andthepeasantwasabouttogotoit,andaskedhiswifewhatheshouldbringbackwithhimforher.“alittlemeatandacoupleofwhiterollswhicharewantedforthehouse,”saidshe.thenheaskedtheservant,andshewantedapairofslippersandsomestockingswithclocks.atlasthesaidalso:“andwhatwillyouhave,hansmyhedgehog?”“dearfather,”hesaid,“dobringmebagpipes.”when,therefore,thefathercamehomeagain,hegavehiswifewhathehadboughtforher,meatandwhiterolls;andthenhegavethemaidtheslippers,andthestockingswithclocks;and,lastly,hewentbehindthestove,andgavehansthehedgehogthebagpipes.andwhenhansthehedgehoghadthebagpipes,hesaid:“dearfather,dogototheforgeandgetthecockshod,andtheniwillrideaway,andnevercomebackagain.”atthis,thefatherwasdelightedtothinkthathewasgoingtogetridofhim,andhadthecockshodforhim,andwhenitwasdone,hansthehedgehoggotonit,androdeaway,buttookswineandasseswithhimwhichheintendedtokeepintheforest.whentheygottherehemadethecockflyontoahightreewithhim,andtherehesatformanyalongyear,andwatchedhisassesandswineuntiltheherdwasquitelarge,andhisfatherknewnothingabouthim.andwhilehewassittinginthetree,heplayedhisbagpipes,andmademusicwhichwasverybeautiful.onceakingcametravellingbywhohadlosthiswayandheardthemusic.hewasastonishedatit,andsenthisservantforthtolookallroundandseefromwhencethismusiccame.hespiedabout,butsawnothingbutalittleanimalsittingupaloftonthetree,whichlookedlikeacockwithahedgehogonitwhichmadethismusic.thenthekingtoldtheservanthewastoaskwhyhesatthere,andifheknewtheroadwhichledtohiskingdom.sohansthehedgehogdescendedfromthetree,andsaidhewouldshowthewayifthekingwouldwriteabondandpromisehimwhateverhefirstmetintheroyalcourtyardassoonashearrivedathome.thenthekingthought:“icaneasilydothat,hansthehedgehogunderstandsnothing,andicanwritewhatilike.”sothekingtookpenandinkandwrotesomething,andwhenhehaddoneit,hansthehedgehogshowedhimtheway,andhegotsafelyhome.buthisdaughter,whenshesawhimfromafar,wassooverjoyedthatsherantomeethim,andkissedhim.thenherememberedhansthehedgehog,andtoldherwhathadhappened,andthathehadbeenforcedtopromisewhatsoeverfirstmethimwhenhegothome,toaverystrangeanimalwhichsatonacockasifitwereahorse,andmadebeautifulmusic,butthatinsteadofwritingthatheshouldhavewhathewanted,hehadwrittenthatheshouldnothaveit.thereupontheprincesswasglad,andsaidhehaddonewell,forsheneverwouldhavegoneawaywiththehedgehog.

hansthehedgehog,however,lookedafterhisassesandpigs,andwasalwaysmerryandsatonthetreeandplayedhisbagpipes.

nowitcametopassthatanotherkingcamejourneyingbywithhisattendantsandrunners,andhealsohadlosthisway,anddidnotknowhowtogethomeagainbecausetheforestwassolarge.helikewiseheardthebeautifulmusicfromadistance,andaskedhisrunnerwhatthatcouldbe,andtoldhimtogoandsee.thentherunnerwentunderthetree,andsawthecocksittingatthetopofit,andhansthehedgehogonthecock.therunneraskedhimwhathewasdoingupthere.“iamkeepingmyassesandmypigs;butwhatisyourdesire?”themessengersaidthattheyhadlosttheirway,andcouldnotgetbackintotheirownkingdom,andaskedifhewouldnotshowthemtheway.thenhansthehedgehogdescendedthetreewiththecock,andtoldtheagedkingthathewouldshowhimtheway,ifhewouldgivehimforhisownwhatsoeverfirstmethiminfrontofhisroyalpalace.thekingsaid:“yes”andwroteapromisetohansthehedgehogthatheshouldhavethis.thatdone,hansrodeonbeforehimonthecock,andpointedouttheway,andthekingreachedhiskingdomagaininsafety.whenhegottothecourtyard,thereweregreatrejoicings.nowhehadanonlydaughterwhowasverybeautiful;sherantomeethim,threwherarmsroundhisneck,andwasdelightedtohaveheroldfatherbackagain.sheaskedhimwhereintheworldhehadbeensolong.sohetoldherhowhehadlosthisway,andhadverynearlynotcomebackatall,butthatashewastravellingthroughagreatforest,acreature,halfhedgehog,halfman,whowassittingastrideacockinahightree,andmakingmusic,hadshownhimthewayandhelpedhimtogetout,butthatinreturnhehadpromisedhimwhatsoeverfirstmethimintheroyalcourt-yard,andhowthatwassheherself,whichmadehimunhappynow.butonthisshepromisedthat,forloveofherfather,shewouldwillinglygowiththishansifhecame.

hansthehedgehog,however,tookcareofhispigs,andthepigsbecamemorepigsuntilthereweresomanyinnumberthatthewholeforestwasfilledwiththem.thenhansthehedgehogresolvednottoliveintheforestanylonger,andsentwordtohisfathertohaveeverystyeinthevillageemptied,forhewascomingwithsuchagreatherdthatallmightkillwhowishedtodoso.whenhisfatherheardthat,hewastroubled,forhethoughthansthehedgehoghaddiedlongago.hansthehedgehog,however,seatedhimselfonthecock,anddrovethepigsbeforehimintothevillage,andorderedtheslaughtertobegin.ha!—thentherewasabutcheryandachoppingthatmighthavebeenheardtwomilesoff!afterthishansthehedgehogsaid:“father,letmehavethecockshodoncemoreattheforge,andtheniwillrideawayandnevercomebackaslongasilive.”thenthefatherhadthecockshodoncemore,andwaspleasedthathansthehedgehogwouldneverreturnagain.

hansthehedgehogrodeawaytothefirstkingdom.therethekinghadcommandedthatwhosoevercamemountedonacockandhadbagpipeswithhimshouldbeshotat,cutdown,orstabbedbyeveryone,sothathemightnotenterthepalace.when,therefore,hansthehedgehogcameridingthither,theyallpressedforwardagainsthimwiththeirpikes,buthespurredthecockanditflewupoverthegateinfrontoftheking'swindowandlightedthere,andhanscriedthatthekingmustgivehimwhathehadpromised,orhewouldtakebothhislifeandhisdaughter's.thenthekingbegantospeaktohisdaughter,andtobeghertogoawaywithhansinordertosaveherownlifeandherfather's.soshedressedherselfinwhite.andherfathergaveheracarriagewithsixhorsesandmagnificentattendantstogetherwithgoldandpossessions.sheseatedherselfinthecarriage,andplacedhansthehedgehogbesideherwiththecockandthebagpipes,andthentheytookleaveanddroveaway,andthekingthoughtheshouldneverseeheragain.buthewasdeceivedinhisexpectation,forwhentheywereatashortdistancefromthetown,hansthehedgehogtookherprettyclothesoff,andpiercedherwithhishedgehog'sspikesuntilshebledallover.“thatistherewardofyourfalseness,”saidhe,“goyourway,iwillnothaveyou!”andonthathechasedherhomeagain,andshewasdisgracedfortherestofherlife.

hansthehedgehoghowever,rodeonfurtheronthecock,withhisbagpipes,tothedominionsofthesecondkingtowhomhehadshowntheway.butthisonehadarrangedthatifanyoneresemblinghansthehedgehogshouldcome,theyweretopresentarms,givehimsafeconduct,crylonglifetohim,andleadhimtotheroyalpalace.

butwhentheking'sdaughtersawhimshewasterrified,forhereallylookedtoostrange.thensherememberedthatshecouldnotchangehermind,forshehadgivenherpromisetoherfather.sohansthehedgehogwaswelcomedbyher,andmarriedtoher,andhadtogowithhertotheroyaltable,andsheseatedherselfbyhisside,andtheyateanddrank.whentheeveningcameandtheywantedtogotosleep,shewasafraidofhisquills,buthetoldhershewasnottofear,fornoharmwouldbefallher,andhetoldtheoldkingthathewastoappointfourmentowatchbythedoorofthechamber,andlightagreatfire,andwhenheenteredtheroomandwasabouttogetintobed,hewouldcreepoutofhishedgehog'sskinandleaveitlyingtherebythebedside,andthatthemenweretorunnimblytoit,throwitinthefire,andstaybyituntilitwasconsumed.whentheclockstruckeleven,hewentintothechamber,strippedoffthehedgehog'sskin,andleftitlyingbythebed.thencamethemenandfetcheditswiftly,andthrewitinthefire;andwhenthefirehadconsumedit,hewassaved,andlaythereinbedinhumanform,buthewascoalblackasifhehadbeenburnt.thekingsentforhisphysicianwhowashedhimwithprecioussalves,andanointedhim,andhebecamewhite,andwasahandsomeyoungman.whentheking'sdaughtersawthatshewasglad,andthenextmorningtheyarosejoyfully,ateanddrank,andthenthemarriagewasproperlysolemnized,andhansthehedgehogreceivedthekingdomfromtheagedking.

whenseveralyearshadpassedhewentwithhiswifetohisfather,andsaidthathewashisson.thefather,however,declaredhehadnoson—hehadneverhadbutone,andhehadbeenbornlikeahedgehogwithspikes,andhadgoneforthintotheworld.thenhansmadehimselfknown,andtheoldfatherrejoicedandwentwithhimtohiskingdom.

mytaleisdone,

andawayithasrun

tolittleaugusta'shouse.