第12章TheWaterofLife

第12章thewateroflife

therewasonceakingwhohadanillness,andnoonebelievedthathewouldcomeoutofitwithhislife.hehadthreesonswhoweremuchdistressedaboutit,andwentdownintothepalacegardenandwept.theretheymetanoldmanwhoinquiredastothecauseoftheirgrief.theytoldhimthattheirfatherwassoillthathewouldmostcertainlydie,fornothingseemedtocurehim.thentheoldmansaid:“iknowofonemoreremedy,andthatisthewateroflife;ifhedrinksofithewillbecomewellagain;butitishardtofind.”theeldestsaid:“iwillmanagetofindit,”andwenttothesickking,andedtobeallowedtogoforthinsearchofthewateroflife,forthatalonecouldsavehim.“no,”saidtheking,“thedangerofitistoogreat.iwouldratherdie.”butheedsolongthatthekingconsented.theprincethoughtinhisheart:“ifibringthewater,thenishallbebestbelovedofmyfather,andshallinheritthekingdom.”sohesetout,andwhenhehadriddenforthalittledistance,adwarfstoodthereintheroadwhocalledtohimandsaid:“whitherawaysofast?”“sillyshrimp,”saidtheprince,veryhaughtily,“itisnothingtodowithyou,”androdeon.butthelittledwarfhadgrownangry,andhadwishedanevilwish.soonafterthistheprinceenteredaravine,andthefurtherherodethecloserthemountainsdrewtogether,andatlasttheroadbecamesonarrowthathecouldnotadvanceastepfurther;itwasimpossibleeithertoturnhishorseortodismountfromthesaddle,andhewasshutinthereasifinprison.thesickkingwaitedlongforhim,buthecamenot.thenthesecondsonsaid:“father,letmegoforthtoseekthewater,”andthoughttohimself:“ifmybrotherisdead,thenthekingdomwillfalltome.”atfirstthekingwouldnotallowhimtogoeither,butatlastheyielded,sotheprincesetoutonthesameroadthathisbrotherhadtaken,andhetoometthedwarf,whostoppedhimtoask,whitherhewasgoinginsuchhaste.“littleshrimp,”saidtheprince,“thatisnothingtodowithyou,”androdeonwithoutgivinghimanotherlook.butthedwarfbewitchedhim,andhe,liketheother,rodeintoaravine,andcouldneithergoforwardsnorbackwards.sofarehaughtypeople.

asthesecondsonalsoremainedaway,theyoungestedtobeallowedtogoforthtofetchthewater,andatlastthekingwasobligedtolethimgo.whenhemetthedwarfandthelatteraskedhimwhitherhewasgoinginsuchhaste,hestopped,gavehimanexplanation,andsaid:“iamseekingthewateroflife,formyfatherissickuntodeath.”“doyouknow,then,wherethatistobefound?”“no,”saidtheprince.“asyouhaveborneyourselfasisseemly,andnothaughtilylikeyourfalsebrothers,iwillgiveyoutheinformationandtellyouhowyoumayobtainthewateroflife.itspringsfromafountaininthecourtyardofanenchantedcastle,butyouwillnotbeabletomakeyourwaytoit,ifidonotgiveyouanironwandandtwosmallloavesofbread.strikethricewiththewandontheirondoorofthecastle,anditwillspringopen:insidelietwolionswithgapingjaws,butifyouthrowaloaftoeachofthem,theywillbequieted.thenhastentofetchsomeofthewateroflifebeforetheclockstrikestwelve,elsethedoorwillshutagain,andyouwillbeimprisoned.”theprincethankedhim,tookthewandandthebread,andsetoutonhisway.whenhearrived,everythingwasasthedwarfhadsaid.thedoorsprangopenatthethirdstrokeofthewand,andwhenhehadappeasedthelionswiththebread,heenteredthecastle,andcametoalargeandsplendidhall,whereinsatsomeenchantedprinceswhoseringshedrewofftheirfingers.aswordandaloafofbreadwerelyingthere,whichhecarriedaway.afterthis,heenteredachamber,inwhichwasabeautifulmaidenwhorejoicedwhenshesawhim,kissedhim,andtoldhimthathehadsetherfree,andshouldhavethewholeofherkingdom,andthatifhewouldreturninayeartheirweddingshouldbecelebrated;likewiseshetoldhimwherethespringofthewateroflifewas,andthathewastohastenanddrawsomeofitbeforetheclockstrucktwelve.thenhewentonwards,andatlastenteredaroomwheretherewasabeautifulnewly-madebed,andashewasveryweary,hefeltinclinedtorestalittle.sohelaydownandfellasleep.whenheawoke,itwasstrikingaquartertotwelve.hesprangupinafright,rantothespring,drewsomewaterinacupwhichstoodnear,andhastenedaway.butjustashewaspassingthroughtheirondoor,theclockstrucktwelve,andthedoorfelltowithsuchviolencethatitcarriedawayapieceofhisheel.

he,however,rejoicingathavingobtainedthewateroflife,wenthomewards,andagainpassedthedwarf.whenthelattersawtheswordandtheloaf,hesaid:“withtheseyouhavewongreatwealth;withtheswordyoucanslaywholearmies,andthebreadwillnevercometoanend.”buttheprincewouldnotgohometohisfatherwithouthisbrothers,andsaid:“deardwarf,canyounottellmewheremytwobrothersare?theywentoutbeforeididinsearchofthewateroflife,andhavenotreturned.”“theyareimprisonedbetweentwomountains,”saidthedwarf,“ihavecondemnedthemtostaythere,becausetheyweresohaughty.”thentheprinceeduntilthedwarfreleasedthem,buthewarnedhimandsaid:“bewareofthem,fortheyhavebadhearts.”whenhisbrotherscame,herejoiced,andtoldthemhowthingshadgonewithhimthathehadfoundthewateroflife,andhadbroughtacupfulawaywithhimandhadrescuedabeautifulprincess,whowaswillingtowaitayearforhimandthentheirweddingwastobecelebrated,andhewouldobtainagreatkingdom,afterthattheyrodeontogether,andchanceduponalandwherewarandfaminereigned,andthekingalreadythoughthemustperish,forthescarcitywassogreat.thentheprincewenttohimandgavehimtheloaf,wherewithhefedandsatisfiedthewholeofhiskingdom,andthentheprincegavehimtheswordalso,wherewithheslewthehostsofhisenemies,andcouldnowliveinrestandpeace.theprincethentookbackhisloafandhissword,andthethreebrothersrodeon.butafterthistheyenteredtwomorecountrieswherewarandfaminereigned,andeachtimetheprincegavehisloafandhisswordtothekings,andhadnowdeliveredthreekingdoms,andafterthattheywentonboardashipandsailedoverthesea.duringthepassage,thetwoeldestconversedapartandsaid:“theyoungesthasfoundthewateroflifeandnotwe,forthatourfatherwillgivehimthekingdom,—thekingdomwhichbelongstous,andhewillrobusofallourfortune.”theythenbegantoseekrevenge,andplottedwitheachothertodestroyhim.theywaiteduntiltheyfoundhimfastasleep,thentheypouredthewateroflifeoutofthecup,andtookitforthemselves,butintothecuptheypouredsaltsea-water.

nowtherefore,whentheyarrivedhome,theyoungesttookhiscuptothesickkinginorderthathemightdrinkoutofit,andbecured.butscarcelyhadhedrunkaverylittleofthesaltseawaterthanhebecamestillworsethanbefore.andashewaslamentingoverthis,thetwoeldestbrotherscame,andaccusedtheyoungestofhavingintendedtopoisonhim,andsaidthattheyhadbroughthimthetruewateroflife,andhandedittohim.hehadscarcelytastedit,whenhefelthissicknessdeparting,andbecamestrongandhealthyasinthedaysofhisyouth.afterthattheybothwenttotheyoungest,mockedhim,andsaid:“youcertainlyfoundthewateroflife,butyouhavehadthepain,andwethegain;youshouldhavebeencleverer,andshouldhavekeptyoureyesopen.wetookitfromyouwhilstyouwereasleepatsea,andwhenayearisover,oneofuswillgoandfetchthebeautifulprincess.butbewarethatyoudonotdiscloseaughtofthistoourfather;indeedhedoesnottrustyou,andifyousayasingleword,youshallloseyourlifeintothebargain,butifyoukeepsilent,youshallhaveitasagift.”  theoldkingwasangrywithhisyoungestson,andthoughthehadplottedagainsthislife.sohesummonedthecourttogether,andhadsentencepronounceduponhisson,thatheshouldbesecretlyshot.andoncewhentheprincewasridingforthtothechase,suspectingnoevil,theking'shuntsmanwastoldtogowithhim,andwhentheywerequitealoneintheforest,thehuntsmanlookedsosorrowfulthattheprincesaidtohim:“dearhuntsman,whatailsyou?”thehuntsmansaid:“icannottellyou,andyetiought.”thentheprincesaid:“sayopenlywhatitis,iwillpardonyou.”“alas!”saidthehuntsman,“iamtoshootyoudead,thekinghasorderedmetodoit.”thentheprincewasshocked,andsaid:“dearhuntsman,letmelive;there,igiveyoumyroyalgarments;givemeyourcommononesintheirstead.”thehuntsmansaid:“iwillwillinglydothat,indeediwouldnothavebeenabletoshootyou.”thentheyexchangedclothes,andthehuntsmanreturnedhome,whiletheprincewentfurtherintotheforest.afteratimethreeonsofgoldandpreciousstonescametothekingforhisyoungestson,whichweresentbythethreekingswhohadslaintheirenemieswiththeprince'ssword,andmaintainedtheirpeoplewithhisbread,andwhowishedtoshowtheirgratitudeforit.theoldkingthenthought:“canmysonhavebeeninnocent?”andsaidtohispeople:“wouldthathewerestillalive,howitgrievesmethatihavesufferedhimtobekilled!”“hestilllives,”saidthehuntsman,“icouldnotfinditinmyhearttocarryoutyourcommand,”andtoldthekinghowithadhappened.thenastonefellfromtheking'sheart,andhehaditproclaimedineverycountrythathissonmightreturnandbetakenintofavouragain.

theprincess,however,hadaroadmadeuptoherpalacewhichwasquitebrightandgolden,andtoldherpeoplethatwhoevercameridingstraightalongittoher,wouldbetherightoneandwastobeadmitted,andwhoeverrodebythesideofit,wasnottherightone,andwasnottobeadmitted.asthetimewasnowcloseathand,theeldestthoughthewouldhastentogototheking'sdaughter,andgivehimselfoutasherrescuer,andthuswinherforhisbride,andthekingdomtoboot.thereforeherodeforth,andwhenhearrivedinfrontofthepalace,andsawthesplendidgoldenroad,hethought:“itwouldbeasinandashameifiweretorideoverthat,”andturnedaside,androdeontherightsideofit.butwhenhecametothedoor,theservantstoldhimthathewasnottherightone,andwastogoawayagain.soonafterthisthesecondprincesetout,andwhenhecametothegoldenroad,andhishorsehadputonefootonit,hethought:“itwouldbeasinandashame,apiecemightbetroddenoff,”andheturnedasideandrodeontheleftsideofit,andwhenhereachedthedoor,theattendantstoldhimhewasnottherightone,andhewastogoawayagain.whenatlasttheyearhadentirelyexpired,thethirdsonlikewisewishedtorideoutoftheforesttohisbeloved,andwithherforgethissorrows.sohesetoutandthoughtofhersoincessantly,andwishedtobewithhersomuch,thathenevernoticedthegoldenroadatall.sohishorserodeonwardsupthemiddleofit,andwhenhecametothedoor,itwasopenedandtheprincessreceivedhimwithjoy,andsaidhewashersaviour,andlordofthekingdom,andtheirweddingwascelebratedwithgreatrejoicing.whenitwasovershetoldhimthathisfatherinvitedhimtocometohim,andhadforgivenhim.soherodethither,andtoldhimeverything;howhisbrothershadbetrayedhim,andhowhehadneverthelesskeptsilence.theoldkingwishedtopunishthem,buttheyhadputtosea,andnevercamebackaslongastheylived.