The Old Griffin

THERE was once a king, but where he reigned and how he was called I know nothing about. He had no son, only a daughter, who was always ill, and no doctor could cure her; but it was prophesied to the King that his daughter would eat herself well with an apple. So he made it known all over the kingdom that whoever brought his daughter some apples with which she could eat herself well should marry her and be King. Now a peasant who had three sons heard of it; and he said to the eldest: “Go to the garden, take a basketful of those beautiful apples with the red cheeks, and carry them to the court. Perhaps the King’s daughter will be able to eat herself well with them, and then you can marry her and be King.” The chap did as he was bid and took to the road. When he had walked a little while he met quite a little iron man, who asked him what he had in his basket. So Hele, for that was his name, said, “Frogs’ legs!” The Little Man then said, “Well, so it shall be and remain”; and then went on. At last Hele came to the castle, and had it announced that he had some apples which would cure the Princess if she ate them. At that the King was mightily pleased, and received Hele in court. Oh, dear! when he opened it, instead of apples he had frogs’ legs in the basket, and they were kicking about still. The King flew into a great rage, and had him kicked out of the castle. When he got home he told his father how he had fared. Then the father sent his next son, whose name was Saeme, but it went just the same with him as with Hele. The little Iron Man met him very soon, and asked him what he had in the basket, and Saeme said, “Sow-thistles”; and the Little Man said, “Well, so it shall be and remain.” When he arrived at the King’s castle, and said he had apples with which the King’s daughter could eat herself well, they would not let him in, and told him there had already been one who had made fools of them. But Saeme insisted he had really such apples; they should only let him in. At last they believed him and took him before the King; but when he opened the basket he had nothing but sow-thistles. That annoyed the King most dreadfully, so that he had Saeme whipped out of the castle. When he got home he told them what had happened to him, and then came the youngest boy, whom they had always called Stupid Jack, and asked the father whether he, too, might go with apples. “Yes,” said the father, “you are just the right sort of fellow; if the clever ones can’t succeed, what will you be able to do?” The boy did not believe it. “Well, father, I will go too.” “Get away, you stupid chap!” said the father; “you must wait till you grow wiser”; and then he turned his back upon him; but the boy tugged at his smock frock behind and said, “Now, father, I will go too.” “Well, just as you like; go—you will be sure to come back,” he answered in a spiteful way. The boy was beyond measure delighted, and jumped for joy. “Aye, there! act like a fool! You get stupider from one day to the next,” said the father. That did not affect Jack a bit, who would not be disturbed in his joy. As night soon came on, he thought he would wait till the next morning; anyhow, he would not be able to get to court that day. He could not sleep that night in bed, and when he only slumbered a little he dreamed of beautiful maidens, of castles, gold, silver, and all that sort of thing. Early next morning he went his way, and soon the Little Man in his iron dress met him and asked him what he had in the basket. “Apples,” he answered, “with which the King’s daughter can eat herself well.” “Well,” said the Little Man, “such it shall be and remain.” But at court they would not let Jack in at all; for that there had been two who had said they brought apples, and one had frogs’ legs and the other sow-thistles. But Jack insisted tremendously he had no frogs’ legs, but the most beautiful apples that grew in the kingdom. As he spoke so nicely the doorkeeper thought he could not be telling a lie, and let him in; and they did quite right, too, for when Jack uncovered the basket before the King, apples as yellow as gold came tumbling out. The King was delighted, and had some of them taken to his daughter at once, and waited in anxious expectation until they should bring him word what effect they had. Not long after news was brought him; but what think you it was? It was the daughter herself! As soon as she had eaten of those apples she had jumped out of bed quite well. What the King’s delight was cannot be described.