Part 4
They now journeyed on until they came to another castle where they hoped to spend the night. Here they were made welcome, and bidden to feast with the noble lady who was the mistress there. This lady was, indeed, the very one of whom the Prince was in search, but he did not know her, and she did not know him because of the spell of enchantment that was upon her.
After the lady, the Prince, and Jack had feasted together the lady drew out a precious handkerchief and passed it over her lips. “To-morrow,” said she, “you shall tell me to whom I have given this handkerchief in the night. If you cannot tell me this, you shall never leave this castle alive.”
The Prince was greatly troubled when he heard these words, but Jack bade him have no fear. He waited until the lady left them, and then he put the cap of darkness on his head and followed her, and she could not see him because of the cap. She did not know that anyone followed her, and she went out from the castle and along a path to the edge of a wood. There she was met by a tall dark man, and because of the cloak of wisdom which he wore, Jack knew this man at once as a magician.
The lady gave him the handkerchief. “That is well,” said the magician. “To-morrow I will change this bold Prince into another marble statue to adorn my hall. As to his servant I will change him into a dog, a fox, or a deer as the fancy strikes me.”
“That you shall not!” cried Jack, and drawing the sword of sharpness he struck the magician’s head from his shoulders with one blow.
At once the lady was freed from the enchantment, and she looked about her like one wakening from a dream. She did not know where she was nor how she came there.
Jack led her back to the castle and no sooner did the Prince and she meet than they knew each other. They were filled with joy, and the Prince made ready to take her back with him to his father’s court. He wished Jack to come with him, and promised that if he would he should be made a great nobleman, but to this the giant-killer would not consent. He still had work to do in his own country, and he would never leave Wales until it was freed entirely from the pest of giants.
So the Prince and his lady bade Jack farewell, and rode away together, while Jack set out in search of further adventures.
He had traveled a long distance, and night was falling when he heard doleful cries sounding from a wood near by. A moment later a giant came breaking out from the wood dragging a knight and a lady with him. He had captured them and was taking them with him to his cave.
Without a moment’s pause, Jack put on his cap of darkness, and running up close to the giant he cut him down with one single blow of his sword. The lady and the knight were amazed. They had seen no one, and yet the giant had suddenly fallen dead, cleft through with a sword. They were still more amazed when Jack lifted the cap from his head and appeared before them. He then explained to them who he was, and how he had been able to kill the giant so strangely.
“This is a wonderful story,” said the knight, “and you have saved us from worse than death.” He and his lady then begged Jack to come back with them to their castle, and to this he agreed, for he was weary with all his adventures.
When they reached the castle, a great feast was made ready, and Jack was treated with the greatest honor. He sat at the knight’s right hand, and all the best in the castle was none too good for him.
But while they were still in the midst of their feasting, a messenger arrived in great haste. His face was pale, and his teeth chattered with fear.
“What is it?” cried the knight. “What is the news you bring?”
“The giant! The great giant Thundel!” cried the messenger. “He has heard that Jack-the-Giant-Killer is here, and he is coming to destroy this castle and all who are in it.”
Even the knight turned pale at this news, but Jack bade him have no fear. “I had intended to set out in search of this giant,” said he, “but now he has saved me the trouble.” He then asked the knight to send for a dozen stout workmen. This was done and Jack at once led the workmen out to the bridge that crossed the moat, and bade them cut the timbers almost through so that they would only bear the weight of one man, or of two at most. This bridge was the only way of entrance, and unless the giant crossed it he could not get to the castle.
While the workmen were still busy over their task, the giant appeared, striding along toward the castle. At once Jack slipped on his cap of darkness and hurried out to meet him.
The giant could not see Jack because of his cap of darkness, but his sense of smell was very keen. He stopped short, and began to snuff about him like a hound.
“Fee, fi, fo, fum! I smell the blood of an Englishman; Be he alive or be he dead, I’ll grind his bones to make my bread!”
cried the giant.
“That is all very well,” said Jack, “but first you will have to catch him.” He then jumped about from one side of the giant to the other. “Here! Here I am!” he cried. “Here to the right of you! No, to the left. Quick, quick, if you would catch me.”
The giant turned first one way and then the other, clutching at the empty air, for Jack was invisible and so was easily able to keep out of his reach.
At last the lad tired of the game. He looked behind him and saw that the workmen had finished their task and had retreated to the castle. He then caught the cap of darkness from his head and ran across the bridge. “Now, you miller-giant, who would grind my bones, catch me if you can,” he cried.
The giant gave a bellow of rage and ran after Jack, who had already reached the other side. The timbers held till the giant was in the middle of the bridge; then, with a great crash, they gave way beneath him, and down he fell into the moat and was drowned. So Jack saved the lives of the knight and his lady for the second time, and freed the land of still another giant.
But now came the most dangerous of all of Jack’s adventures.
Gargantua was the greatest and most powerful of all the giants, and he was a magician as well. He lived on the top of a high mountain, and from there he would come down to rob and steal and carry off prisoners. These prisoners he changed into various sorts of wild animals, and he kept them in the gardens that surrounded his palace. He had carried off a duke’s only daughter in this way, and had changed her into a doe.
The duke had been in despair over the loss of his daughter for she was his only child and he loved her dearly. He promised that anyone who brought her back to him should have her for his bride, and because she was very beautiful many princes and brave heroes had gone in search of her, but of them all none had ever returned.
It was this dangerous giant that Jack determined to seek out and destroy.
He girded the sword of sharpness at his side and took his cap of darkness and his cloak of wisdom and set out.
He journeyed on and journeyed on, and after awhile he came to a high and rocky mountain, and at the very top of it he could see a great castle with gardens around it and high walls.
Jack climbed up and up over rock and brier, stump and stone, until he came to the gate of the garden. There he stopped to put the cap of darkness on his head; then he ventured in.
The gardens were very fine, as he saw at once, and many animals were grazing on the grass, or resting in the shadows. One of them, a beautiful doe, raised its head and looked toward him, then at once came over to him and rested its head on his arm, and looked up at him with its great dark eyes.
Jack was very much troubled at this. He feared there was some enchantment about the place that made him visible in spite of his cap of darkness. However, none of the other animals paid any attention to him, so he hoped it was only the doe that could see him.
He went on through the gardens until he came to the door of the castle, and there hanging beside it was a golden horn, and on the horn were these words:
“Whoever doth this trumpet blow Shall soon the giant overthrow, And break the black enchantment straight, So all shall be in happy state.”
Jack raised the horn to his lips and blew a blast so loud and clear that the castle echoed with it.
At once a wonderful change came over the garden. The doe beside him changed into a maiden more beautiful than any Jack had ever dreamed of. The wild animals became princes and heroes and noble ladies.
As for the castle itself, it fell into ruins; a great chasm yawned under it, and into this chasm it crumbled with a dreadful noise, carrying the giant with it. Then the ground closed over the ruins and not a single stone was left to mark the place where the castle had stood.
So ended the last of Jack’s adventures, and so perished the last and most wicked of all his giant foes. From then on the land was at peace.
Jack was married to the beautiful maiden who had followed him as a doe, and as she was the duke’s daughter the poor lad became very rich and powerful. He and the duke’s daughter loved each other dearly, and so they lived in great happiness all their lives, honored by everyone about them.
[Illustration]
THE THREE WISHES
Once upon a time a poor man took his ax and went out into the forest to cut wood. He was a lazy fellow, so as soon as he was in the forest he began to look about to see which tree would be the easiest to cut down. At last he found one that was hollow inside, as he could tell by knocking upon it with his ax. “It ought not to take long to cut this down,” said he to himself. He raised his ax and struck the tree such a blow that the splinters flew.
At once the bark opened and a little old fairy with a long beard came running out of the tree.
“What do you mean by chopping into my house?” he cried; and his eyes shone like red hot sparks, he was so angry.
“I did not know it was your house,” said the man.
“Well, it is my house, and I’ll thank you to let it alone,” cried the fairy.
“Very well,” said the man. “I’d just as lieve cut down some other tree. I’ll chop down the one over yonder.”
“That is well,” said the fairy. “I see that you are an obliging fellow, after all. I have it in my mind to reward you for sparing my house, so the next three wishes you and your wife make shall come true, whatever they are; and that is your reward.”
Then the fairy went back into the tree again and pulled the bark together behind him.
The man stood looking at the tree and scratching his head. “Now that is a curious thing,” said he. Then he sat down and began to wonder what he should wish for. He thought and he thought, but he could decide on nothing. “I’ll just go home and talk it over with my wife,” said he; so he shouldered his ax, and set off for home. As soon as he came in at the door he began to bawl for his wife, and she came in a hurry, for she did not know what had happened to him.
He told his story and his wife listened. “This is a fine thing to have happen to us,” said she. “Now we must be very careful what we wish for.”
They sat down one on each side of the fire to talk it over. They thought of ever so many things they would like to have—a bag of gold, and a coach and four, and a fine house to live in, and fine clothes to wear, but nothing seemed just the right thing to choose.
They talked so long that they grew hungry. “Well, here we sit,” said the man, “and not a thing cooked for dinner. I wish we had one of those fine black puddings you used to make.”
No sooner had he spoken than there was a great thumping and bumping in the chimney and a great black pudding fell down on the hearth before him.
“What is this?” cried the man staring.
“Oh, you oaf! you stupid!” shrieked his wife. “It’s the pudding you wished for. There’s one of our wishes wasted. I wish the pudding were stuck on the end of your nose! It would serve you right!”
The moment she said this the pudding flew up and stuck to the man’s nose, and there it was and he couldn’t get it off; the man pulled and tugged, and his wife pulled and tugged, but it was all of no use.
“Well, there’s no help for it,” said the husband; “we’ll have to wish it off again.”
His wife begun to cry and bawl. “No, no,” she cried. “We only have one wish left, and we can’t waste it that way. Let’s wish ourselves the richest people in the world.”
But to this the man would not agree. He wanted the pudding off his nose whatever it cost. So at last the wife was obliged to let him have his own way. “I wish the pudding was off my nose again,” said the man, and that was the third of their wishes. So all the good they had of the fairy’s gift was a black pudding for dinner; but then it was the best black pudding they had ever eaten. “And after all,” said the man, “there’s nothing much better in the world to wish for than a full stomach.”
[Illustration: The Goose Girl]
THE GOOSE GIRL
There was once a beautiful young Princess who had been promised in marriage to the Prince of a far country.
When the time for the marriage came she made ready to journey to his country, for it was there that the wedding was to be celebrated, and not in her own land.
Her mother furnished her with all sorts of grand jewels and beautiful clothes to carry with her, and furniture and linens, and she also made her a present of a wonderful horse named Falada, that could talk.
Just before the Princess was ready to set out, her mother called her to her, and made a little cut in her finger, and allowed three drops of blood to fall upon a handkerchief.
“Here, my child, take this with you,” said the Queen; “put it in the bosom of your dress, and guard it carefully. It is a charm, and as long as you have it no evil of any kind can have power over you.”
The Princess thanked her mother, and put the handkerchief in the bosom of her dress as she was told. Then she kissed the Queen tenderly, and bade her farewell, and set out upon the journey with her waiting-maid riding beside her.
Now this waiting-maid, who rode with the Princess, had a very bad heart. She was both sly and deceitful. She pretended to the Queen that she loved the Princess dearly, but all the while she hated and envied her, and would have been glad enough to do her an ill turn.
She and the Princess journeyed on together for some time, and the sun shone bright and hot and the road was dusty, so the Princess became very thirsty. Presently they came to a stream, and there the Princess drew rein, and said to the waiting-maid, “Light down, I pray of you, and fill my little golden cup that I may drink, for I am thirsty.”
But the waiting-maid scowled and answered rudely, “Light down yourself, and drink from the stream, if you are thirsty. I am tired of serving you.”
The Princess was very much surprised at being answered in such a manner. However, she was young and timid, and without more words she slipped from her horse, and as she was afraid to ask for the cup, which the waiting-maid carried, she stooped over and drank from the brook as it rippled over its stones.
As she did so the drops of blood upon the handkerchief said to her:—
“If thy mother knew thy fate Then her heart would surely break.”
The Princess made no answer, but having quenched her thirst she mounted her horse again and rode forward, and presently forgot her maid’s rudeness.
After awhile they reached another stream, and as the Princess was again thirsty, she said to the waiting-maid, “Light down, I pray you, and fill my cup with water, that I may drink.”
But the waiting-maid answered even more rudely than before, “No, I will not; get down and get the water for yourself, for I will serve you no more.”
The Princess slipped from her horse, sighing deeply, and as she bent over the stream the three drops of blood said to her:
“If thy mother knew thy fate, Then her heart would surely break.”
The Princess made no answer, but as she stooped still lower to drink the handkerchief slipped from her bosom and floated away on the stream, but the Princess did not notice this because her eyes were full of tears. The waiting-maid noticed it, however, and her heart was filled with joy, because now the Princess had nothing to protect her, and the wicked servant could do with her as she chose.
When the Princess arose and was about to mount Falada the waiting-maid said to her, “Wait a bit! I am tired of acting as your servant. Now, we will try it the other way around. Give me your fine clothes, and you can dress yourself in these common things I am wearing.”
The Princess was afraid to refuse; she gave the waiting-maid her beautiful dress and her jewels, and dressed herself in the common clothes.
Again she was about to mount Falada, but again the waiting-maid bade her stay; “You shall ride my horse,” said she, “and I will ride Falada.” As she said so it was done. The waiting-maid also made the Princess swear that she would tell no living soul who she was. The Princess dared not refuse for fear of her life. But Falada made no such promise, and he had seen and heard all that had happened.
When they rode on again the waiting-maid was in front, dressed in the fine clothes and mounted on Falada, and the Princess came behind on the waiting-maid’s horse, and she was dressed in the common clothes, but even so she was far more beautiful than the servant.
They reached the palace, and the Prince came out to meet his bride. He lifted down the waiting-maid from Falada, for he thought she was the Princess, and he led her up the grand stairway and into the room where the King sat, but the Princess was left below in the courtyard, and no one paid any attention to her.
The King was surprised when he saw the waiting-maid, for he supposed her to be the Princess, and he had expected her to be much more beautiful. However, he said nothing about it to anyone, but made her welcome. Presently he happened to look out of the window, and there he saw the true Princess down below. “Who is that standing in the courtyard?” he asked, for he saw at once that she was very beautiful, and he was curious about it.
“Oh, that is only my waiting-maid,” answered the false bride carelessly. “I wish you would give her some work to do so that she may not be spoiled by idleness.”
“I do not know what she can do except take care of the geese,” answered the King. “Conrad, who is the goose-herd, is only a boy, and he would be glad of help in caring for them.”
“Very well; then let her be a goose-herd,” answered the false bride.
So the Princess went out in the field to help tend the geese, and the waiting-maid lived in the palace, and was treated to all that was best there. But the Prince was not happy, for his bride was rude and ill-tempered, and he could not love her.
One day the false bride said to the Prince, “I wish you would have Falada’s head cut off. I am weary of him, and besides he stumbles when I ride him.” But really she feared Falada might speak and tell all he had seen.
The Prince was shocked. “Why should you kill a horse that is so beautiful and gentle?” he asked.
“Because, as I tell you, I do not like him,” answered the waiting-maid. “Besides the horse is mine, and I can do as I like with him. If you refuse to have this done I shall know very well that it is because you do not love me.”
The Prince dared refuse no longer. He sent for a man and had Falada’s head cut off.
When the true Princess heard this she wept bitterly. She sent for the man and offered him a piece of gold if he would bring Falada’s head and nail it up over the gateway through which she passed every morning.
The man was anxious to have the gold. He took the money and nailed Falada’s head up over the gateway where the Princess wished it put.
The next morning as the Princess and Conrad drove the geese out to pasture she looked up at Falada and said:
“Ah, Falada, that thou shouldst hang there!”
And Falada answered:
“Ah, Princess, that thou shouldst pass here! If thy mother knew thy fate, Then her heart would surely break!”
The little goose-herd stared and wondered to hear this talk between the goose-girl and the horse’s head, but he said nothing. He and the Princess went on out to the meadows driving the geese before them, and when they were far off in the meadows where no one could see, the Princess sat down and unbound her golden hair, so that it fell all about her in a shower, and began to comb it.
Conrad had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life before, for her hair shone and glittered in the sunshine until it was enough to dazzle one. He longed to have just one thread of it to keep, so he crept up behind the Princess, meaning to steal one. But the Princess knew what he was about. Just as he reached out his hand she sang: