There came from all parts of the world the princes and the dukes, the counts and the barons, and other fine folks, to show their mettle. Each went climbing. Each went as high as a couple of feet and then fell to the ground. One broke his arm; another broke his leg. Not one of them could climb the tree, not one of them brought down its fruit. And yet the king was loath to have the tree cut down.
One day a poor swineherd showed up at the court. He said he would climb the tree and bring some of its fruit. But he made a condition: the king must grant his requests. The king gave his promise that he could have what he wanted if only he would go and climb the tree and bring one of its fruit, or just a twig, or a leaf of it, so that he could see what kind of a tree it was.
Then the swineherd asked for fifty hooks and fifty small stools so that when he grew tired of climbing he could drive a hook into the three [sic?] and fix his small stool onto the hook and sit on it for a while and take a rest. And he also asked for provisions enough to last him for fifty days. The king let him have all the things he had asked for.
One day, in the morning before the sun was up, the boy started on his way. He climbed up and up till the day was drawing to a close, but he found nothing. When night came, he drove a hook into the tree, fixed a stool onto it, and took a night's rest. In the morning he had some food and drink and when the sun rose, he set out again. He was climbing well-nigh a whole day. When night closed in, he drove a hook into the tree and fixed a stool onto it. He ate and drank and had a night's rest. In the morning he went on climbing. It was the same on the third day. When it grew dark, he drove a hook into the tree, fixed a stool onto the hook; he ate and drank and took a night's rest. When the sun was up, he went climbing. He climbed up and up till nightfall, but there was no trace of a single bough to be seen. For seven days he was climbing. On the eighth day he drove a hook into the tree, fixed a stool onto it, and ate his supper. In the morning he climbed further. On the evening of the ninth day he reached a spot where the tree branched out. But he saw only two branches. One pointed east; the other pointed west. He ate and drank and rested there. In the morning he set off on the branch which pointed eastward. It was a thick branch, and he could walk on it as safely as if he were walking on the ground. He took only his food and his stool with him. He was walking all day, and night was closing in when he came to a small cottage. He knocked at the door and then walked in. Inside the cottage he found an old woman.
"Good evening, mother"
"Good evening, son. What has brought you here?"
"I have come here at the command of his majesty the king to bring him some fruit of this tree so that he may see what sort of tree this is. For ten days I have been climbing this tree, but I have not see anything whatever. Now I've just caught sight of this cottage, so I came in to find out who is living here and to ask you if you could tell me whether the tree bears any fruit or not."
"All right, son. But you must have grown tired after a day's climbing. You had better take a rest here. In the morning I will tell you which way you should take if you want to find the fruit ! "
The boy thanked her for her suggestion.
In the morning when he woke, the old woman gave him breakfast. The boy asked her, "Well, dear mother, pray tell me now, which way shall I go to find the fruit of the tree?"
"Listen, son, I've been living here for a hundred and twenty years or so, but I've never eaten of its fruit, nor have I set eyes on any. Now find your way back to the spot where you set out from. And then go straight ahead on the branch which points westward. You will come to a small cottage. Go into the cottage. There lives my aunt. She will tell you all you wish to know. And she'll take you into her service. Three days will count for a year. In the stable she keeps her horses. And you will look after her horses. After three days she'll ask you what you want for a year's service. Then tell her that in the hen coop there is a saddle and a bridle, all covered with droppings. It is these two things you want her to give you. And beside the dung pit you'll see a five-legged horse. You must ask her for that horse too. Then she will try to argue you out of your requests. She'll say that the saddle and bridle are just worthless junk and that the horse is too weak to raise its feet. And that it wouldn't be any good to you to get either. Instead of them she'll ofler you gold and jewels and all the treasures of the world. But you must stick to your requests and accept nothing else. And if she sees that you are firm and won't budge, she'll give in and let you have them."
"Then the horse will take you to a beautiful castle. Opposite the castle you'll see a stable. Tie up your horse in the stable. You'll find three horses there. With yours there will be four of them. But none of them will be five-legged like yours. You must look after the horses; feed them and water them and curry them. But don't go into the castle unless you're called for. And then a servant girl will come to the stableand ask you in. She'll say that you've deserved to get a good supper in the castle for having looked after the horses so well."
The boy went to the hen coop, took the mucky saddle and bridle from the perch, and then went to take a look at the pit which was full of dung. Then he took his small stool and went into the house.
"Good evening," he said.
"Good evening, son, What has brought you here, beyond the beyond, where no bird would fly?"
"Well, mother, this is how I've fared. This big tree stands right in front of a window of the king's castle. But never has the king seen or tasted its fruit. So one day he sent word to all barons and counts and dukes, and to the rich and the poor, all over the world, that he would give his kingdom and his daughter in marriage to any man who would bring him some fruit of the tree. And they all came and tried. And all of them have come to grief. Many of them broke their arms and legs, and many more of them broke their necks and died when they fell from the tree. I was the last to come and offer to bring the king some fruit of the tree. And the king granted all my requests. To be sure, I had a rough time getting here. But all the way I haven't seen anything except this cottage here. And I've run out of my provisions and wouldn't mind taking service with you, if you'd care to take me on."
"All right, son. There are three horses in my stable. You can look after the horses and see that they are fed and watered and curried properly. Three days count for a year here. And when your service is up, I shall give you whatever you would be asking for in payment."
"That's right, mother. I am quite used to doing a bit of work."
The boy had his supper. Then he went to feed and water the horses. But as they were covered with muck, it was close to day break when he finished currying and rubbing them clean. When the old woman came, she found the horses spotlessly clean, their hair gleaming as bright as the stars.
"I dare say, son, never before had I a servant boy who would have taken such good care of my horses."
"You see, mother, I had a horse of my own at home, and I always went to great pains to keep it well groomed."
"Well done, son. Now let us go into the house, and you'll have your breakfast."
The woman gave him a square meal, and when he finished his breakfast, he went back to the stable and sat down on his stool. In the evening the old woman came again. This time the horses looked seven times as beautiful as in the morning. She called the boy into the house and gave him a good supper. When he had his supper, she gave him a glass of wine. The boy then went back to the stable and sat down on his stool. Suddenly he felt very drowsy, so much so that he nearly dropped off to sleep.
One of the horses then said, "Do not go to sleep, my dear master, because if the old woman came into the stable and found you asleep she'd push you off the tree and you'd crack up on the ground and be reduced to a pulp."
The boy opened his eyes wide on hearing this warning. He drew forth his pipe and lit it. But the old woman noticed that he was smoking and made for the stable. The boy saw her and pocketed his pipe before she entered.
"I see you are looking after the horses with great care. I have come in to find out whether you could keep awake. It would have been the end of you had I found you asleep here."
The old woman went back to her cottage and went to bed. And the boy went on currying the three horses till their hair shone brighter than candlelight.
In the morning the old woman came again to have a look at her horses. When she saw how well groomed they were, she invited the boy into the cottage and gave him breakfast. Again she gave him a glass of wine. And when he had his breakfast, the boy went back to his horses to feed and water them. Then he sat down on his stool. Suddenly his eyes went heavy with sleep.
Says the second horse, "Do not go to sleep, my dear master, or it will be the end of you. If the old woman, that old hag, came in and found you asleep, she'd push you off the stool. And you'd go down, down with such a crash that your whole body would get smashed up and not a scrap of it would be left there to show that it had belonged to you."
The boy lit his pipe and began smoking it. When the old woman noticed that he was smoking, she made for the stable. The boy saw her, cupped his pipe with his hand, and slipped it quickly into his pocket.
"I see that you are taking great care of my horses. But isn't it smoke I smell in here? Don't you ever dare smoke a pipe inside the stable; it might catch fire, you know."
The boy said he would not dream of smoking his pipe inside the stable and that he would always go outside if he wanted to smoke.
The old woman left him. Anger was growing in her at the thought that the boy would have acquitted himself so well by the day his time was up that she would be compelled to give him whatever he would ask in payment.
In the evening the boy had his supper in the cottage. Again the old woman gave him a glass of wine. He drank it and then went back to the stable. He fed and watered the horses and rubbed them down. When he finished currying them, he sat down on his stool.
The third horse then said, "Do not go to sleep, my dear master, or you are done for. If the old hag found you asleep, she'd push you off the tree. And down you would go, right to the bottom of a dried-up well. And never again could you get out of it, not as long as you live."
The boy lit his pipe and began smoking it. The old woman noticed that he was smoking and in great anger rushed into the stable.
"Don't you remember that I did not give you leave to smoke while you were in the stable?"
"Oh, mother, but I did not smoke my pipe inside the stable. I went out to have a smoke."
The old woman took a look at the horses, and when she saw that they were clean and well groomed she went back to her house, and soon she was sleeping.
The boy kept himself busy with the horses. It was the third day of his service, and in the evening his time would be up.
On the morning of the fourth day the old woman went to the stable and called the boy into the house. "Come in, son. To be sure, you've taken good care of my horses. Not one of the ninety-nine servant boys that served before you made them look so clean. Now, take your breakfast and do well for yourself. And then you must tell me what you wish in payment."
"Oh mother, you know that I have come here for one thing only: to get some fruit of this tree, to see what kind of fruit it bears."
"Well then, listen, son. I have been living in this cottage over the last two hundred years or so, but I have never eaten or set eyes on the fruit of this tree. Whatever else you may ask for, I will give it to you. Be it gold or anything else you can decide on, you shall have it."
"All right, mother. But then show me that you are as good as your word. In the hen coop there is a saddle and a bridle, all in muck. I want to have them. And on the dung heap there is lying a poor nag. I saw him there when I was carrying the dung from the stable. He was in poor shape, scarcely able to move his head. He may have given up the ghost since then. But if you give me that horse, mother, I will not bother you with any more requests."
"Oh, son, what would you gain by having a soiled saddle and bridle, and a decrepit nap which is on its last legs? He could not carry you as far as a mile. In fact, I'm quite sure it can't even get on its legs again."
"Never mind, mother. Just leave it to me. I'll manage to drag him along somehow."
The old woman was still loath to let him have his request. She offered him gold, as much as he would take; she offered him the finest castles in the world; and if he wanted a horse, she offered him the best horse from her stable, with the finest saddle and bridle to go with it. But the boy was stubborn; he would not change his mind.
"Well, son, as you are so persistent, you shall have what you want. A lot of good it will do you though."
"Never mind, mother. I'll get along with them as well as I can."
The boy then went to the hen coop; he took the mucky saddle and bridle from the perch. Then he went to the dung pit. The five-legged horse was lying there quite near the pit. It called for some effort to get the bridle on its neck. But as soon as it was there, the nag shook itself and got up on its feet. It whispered into the boy's ears, "My dear master, put the saddle on my back. But do not get into the saddle because for a while I am just going to stagger along somehow, even toppling over every now and then, until we get safely out of sight of this cottage here."
And unsteady on its legs and toppling over more than once, the nag made for the gate. The old woman came and fell to lamenting again. "Didn't I tell you, son, that the nag won't be any good to you? Just wait and see how far you get with it before it will give up the ghost. And then all your labor will have been in vain, and you'll have come off with nothing."
The boy did not budge.
"Oh, mother, there's no need to worry about it. We'll manage to drag along somehow and get somewhere."
And when there was a good distance between them and the cottage, the horse shook itself.
"Now, my dear master, get into the saddle and off we go."
The boy got on its back and the horse asked him, "Shall I go like the wind or as quick as thought?"
"Whichever you like, but neither of us must come to any harm."
Then they went fiying with the wind, and soon they caught sight of a beautiful palace. When they were only a little distance from the palace, the horse came down to the ground and from there on it proceeded at a trot.
Then it said to the boy, "Listen, dear master. We are going to that palace over yonder. But before you go in, you'll have to take me into the stable. You'll find three horses there. And you must not forget to look after us. Feed us and water us and curry us properly. And when you're called into the palace, keep a watch on your tongue. Say no more than necessary. Don't say from where you've come and what business has brought you here. Say that as you are here, you would like to look after the horses and that you'll feed them and groom them with proper care."
The boy took his horse to the stable and tied him there. The three horses seemed to recognize their companion at once. Then the five-legged horse said, "Now let us have our food and drink. In the corner you'll find a rag, the remains of an old sheepskin coat; with that rag rub us clean."
The boy fed and watered the horses and rubbed them down with the rag. And into what beautiful horses did they turn! There was no need to put on a light in the stable because the hair of his five-legged horse gleamed with the brightness of a lamp. When the day was drawing to a close and he had finished grooming the horses, he saw a beautiful maid. She was coming through the palace garden, making for the stable. With a leap he was at the stable door and the maid called in, "Come along, Janos! You are to have supper in the palace! It is by the order of the king's daughter."
The boy followed her. While he was having his supper the Princess came into the kitchen and said to him, "Listen, Janos I Look after the horses with great care, and when the king comes home you'll get a rich reward."
The boy thanked her for the supper and went back to the table. He fed and watered the horses and then sat down on his tool, smoking his pipe.
Three days went by and the horses were getting impatient. How they would have enjoyed a long run !
On the third eve of the third day, Janos was called into the Palace to have his supper there. Again the king's daughter came out to him. A great love she felt for him. And so did Janos for her.
On the morning of the fourth day-eight o'clock it was- a coach drawn by two horses drove up before the palace. Janos ould hardly take his eyes off the horses and the fine coach. Then the king's daughter came out of the palace and rode off in the coach. Off they went in less than a wink; you could not tell which way they went.
When she was gone Janos went back to the stable in deep sorrow.
Said one of the four horses, "What is eating your heart, dear master? Are you unhappy because the princess rode off in her coach? She went to church, and if you'd like to see her I will take you there. We'll be there when the priest appears. But when you go in, don't walk up to the first pew to sit there. Stay behind and take a scat in the third pew but last. And when the priest has finished reading the Gospel and got halfway through the sermon, then you must leave the church. I'll be waiting for you right at the church door. Then jump on my back because the king's daughter will be getting up by then to leave."
"All right, my dear horse, I will do as you tell me."
"But before we go, bring me a bushel of oats, and I will eat it. Bring me a bushel of embers, and I will eat that too; then give me a bucketful of water. I will drink the water, and then we can set off."
The horse shook itself, and as he did so, everything there was on both of them turned into silver. There was Janos standing in clothes of silver. And the saddle and the bridle on the horse, they too turned into silver; and so did the horseshoes. Then Janos swung into the saddle, and such a handsome fellow he was, he did not look inferior to any prince. And then the horse rode off with him. And it did not stop until it came to the church door. Janos dismounted, went in, and seated himself in the third pew but last. All the time he kept his eyes on the princess who was sitting in the front pew. And the princess never took her eyes off him. She kept wondering to herself who that prince might be, as she had never seen him there before. When the priest got half- way through the sermon, Janos quickly left the church. He jumped into the saddle, and like a shot, the horse carried him home. Then he tied his horse up in the stable, and sat down on his stool. There he was sitting at the stable door, smoking his pipe.
As he was sitting there, the coach came driving up to the palace. The princess called out to him, "Tell me, Janos, haven't you seen a prince on horseback riding this way ?"
"Since your royal highness left I've been sitting here tending the horses and smoking my pipe. But I didn't see anyone."
The princess stepped out of the coach, and the two horses drove off as quick as lightning. The princess went in to take off her coat. Soon Janos was called into the palace to have his dinner. While he was eating the princess came out into the kitchen and pressed him with questions about the prince, because she imagined that he must have seen him pass. But he said that he had not seen him. And the other servants said that they had not seen Janos leave the palace.
Another week went by. Janos was still looking after the horses, feeding them and watering them with care. When Sunday came, a coach drawn by four horses drove up before the palace. The princess got into the coach and like the wind she was driven off to church. With a heavy heart, Janos went to the stable.
Said the second horse to Janus, "What is eating your heart out, my dear master? Are you unhappy because the princess has gone to church?"
"Oh, how I wish I could be there myself!"
"Well then, bring me two bushels of oats and two bushels of embers. I will eat them up, and then I will take you after the princess."
The horse ate the two bushels of oats and then swallowed the two bushels of embers; then it shook itself. And as it did so, everything there was on it turned into glistening gold. The bridle, the saddle, and even the horseshoes were of gold. And so it was with Janos: his sword, his shako, and everything he had on him. Then Janos jumped into the saddle. And in a wink the horse dashed off with him, quick as lightning, so that there was no one to see them go. The horse took him to church. This time Janos took his scat in the second pew but last, and he left as soon as the priest began his sermon. He swung into the saddle and, quick as thought, the horse took him home.
And when the coach turned up with the princess, Janos was already smoking his pipe, sitting at the stable door. The four horses drove up before the stable, and the princess called out to Janos, "Tell me, Janos, have you seen a prince, in such and such apparel, riding past the palace ?"
"Oh, princess, I've been sitting here all the time since your royal highness drove off, and I went into the stable only every now and then to tend the horses. But I haven't seen a prince pass by."
And faster than the wind the four horses drove off with the coach; not even a trail of dust could be seen in its wake.
After a bit of time, a maid came to call Janos into the palace. While he was having his dinner, the princess came out to him and pressed him with questions about the prince, because she thought that Janos must have seen him pass the palace.
But Janos said that he had not seen anyone pass the palace. The princess, however, still had great confidence that she would meet the prince.
When he finishod eating, Janos went back to the stable to feed and water the horses and to give them a currying.
Said the third horse to Janos, "Listen, dear master. There's still a whole week to go before Sunday next. Carry on just as usual, looking after us. But on Sunday when I take you to church, try to find yourself a seat in the last pew, so that the princess should not get near you. And there's something else. When you leave the church, take care that you should not step on the top stair as it will be smeared with pitch, and your golden boots would get stuck in it, and the princess would then get hold of you."
All this Janos kept well in mind. Throughout the week he was looking after the horses; he fed them and watered them and gave them a proper currying.
And on the third Sunday a coach drawn by six horses drove up before the palace to take the princess to church.
Janos was sitting again on his stool at the stable door. And when the princess drove off in the coach, he went into the stable with a heavy heart. He had no greater wish than to follow her.
Said the third horse to Janos, "Listen dear master. Bring me three bushels of oats and three bushels of embers. I will eat them up." Then the horse shook itself. And as he did so, everything there was on them turned into diamonds. The clothes on Janos, his sword, and the trappings on the horse, all were diamonds.
The horse then instructed Janos to seat himself in the very last pew in the church and to leave as soon as the priest began his sermon. And that on leaving the church he must step over the first stair or else his golden boots would get stuck on the pitch, and the princess would rush after him and get hold of him. And it happened like this.
Janos mounted his horse. In a wink he was carried to the church door. He went in. He sat down in the last pew, and when the priest got to the end of the mass and began his sermon, Janos rose and quickly left the church. The horse was waiting for him close by the church door so that when he came out he swung into the saddle at once.
They got home safely, and before long, he was sitting at the stable door smoking his pipe. And after a bit of time the coach drawn by six horses drove up to the stable. The princess asked Janos, "Tell me, Janos, have you seen such and such a prince, on such and such a horse, riding past?"
"Since your royal highness left, I've been sitting here, but I have seen no man pass the palace."
The princess did not stop to alight but drove off at such awful speed that all six horses dropped down dead on the way, one by one, and the coach was smashed to pieces.
The princess then walked back to the stable where Janos was sitting and said, "Well, my handsome and beloved one, whoever the gallant might have been who followed me to church, he must have come to remove the spell from me. To this day I have been living under a spell. But now that the spell is broken I am just like any other princess, and so I can declare my love to you."
Janos made evasions as best he could. He told her outright that he had been promised to be made a king and would get a princess in marriage when he returned to the kingdom down on the ground and brought the king some fruit of this very tree.
The princess said to him, "There is no way of getting the fruit of this tree unless you have a horse which can fly as fast as the wind. You must know that every fruit is guarded by a fairy; and only by flying past it could you snatch a piece of fruit or two."
Janos answered that he would go up and never stop, whatever trouble or pain it cost him, until he got some fruit of the tree.
The princess then persuaded Janos to stay rather than go, and to marry her. Janos became so enamored of her that he followed her to the palace, where they spent a couple of days together. He forgot completely about the horses in the stable. But after a while it came to his mind that the horses should be fed and watered and curried. So he made for the stable to look after them. But when he entered the stable, one horse gave him such a kick that he landed in the courtyard. But otherwise no harm came to him.
So he returned to the stable and said to the horses, "It's true, my dear horses, you had completely slipped my mind. But never again shall I forget to look after you."
Then he fed and watered them and gave them a proper currying. Three or four times a day he went to look after the horses, so that the princess asked, "What keeps you so long? Why must you always bother about the horses?"
Janos answered, "I dare say, the horses have to be tended. Can't you understand that if I did not look after them properly, they would not be fit to take us out when we wanted to drive in the coach or go hunting?"
The princess realized how right he was and approved of his conduct. Then they went into their room and had great fun together. They made up their minds that on the following Sunday they would go to church and get married.
Janos was still reluctant to have it this way, but the princess had taken a very great fancy to him. And with such finesse did she use her honeyed tongue that at last he made no further objection. On Sunday they went to church and were married. There was a big wedding feast, and there was great merriment, and the princess was the happiest of all because the enchantment had gone from her.
A week went by, and a second weck went by, and Janos was kept busy with the horses and was looking after them with great care. On the third Sunday and on the fourth, following their wedding day, Janos began to show signs of restlessness. He did not feel like going to church on Sunday morning. It was different with his young wife, who would not have stayed away for anything as she was used to spending her Sunday mornings in church. This being the state of affairs, the young queen took leave of her husband. But before she went, she gave eleven keys to the young king.
"Here. Take these eleven keys. True, there are twelve rooms in the palace, but there is no key to the twelfth room. I'm giving you these keys so that you may while away your time looking into the eleven rooms, as I see you have no mind to come to church with me."
Then the young queen drove off to church, and the young king took the eleven keys and made the rounds of the eleven rooms.
But how intrigued he was by the twelfth room. He was itching to have a peep into it, but he had no key to it. Then he took the eleven keys and tried every one of them to see whether he could find one to fit the lock One of them fitted and the door flew open. He stepped into the twelfth room, but there was nothing inside the room except a big tub. And there was no opening in the tub except a small hole in the lid. As he was going round the tub for better inspection, he heard a voice calling out, "Oh, oh ! I am going to perish with thirst."
"Who are you? And what are you doing inside the tub? And why must you perish with thirst?"
"I am the dragon with twelve heads," the voice said, "and I am kept prisoner in this tub with all my limbs in fetters. I am near dying with thirst. Give me a drink of water, and you will not regret it."
The young king went at once. Instead of water, he brought him a glass of wine. He poured it through the small hole in the lid so that the dragon, who kept his mouth close to it, could gulp it down. As soon as he drank the wine, three fetters burst on his limbs and three chains burst on the tub. Then the dragon asked for a second drink. The young king gave him a second glass. The dragon gulped it down and said, "One good turn deserves another," and he asked for another drink. The king brought him a third glass of wine. When he gave it to the dragon, he said, "For the third time now, I am giving you your life."
And once more the dragon asked for a drink. And again the young king gave it to him. Then all the fetters burst on the dragon, and all the chains burst on the tub. The tub fell to pieces, and the dragon stepped out of it.
"To be sure, you did a good turn to me, young king; in reward I will spare your life three times."
The young king paid little attention to these words, and the dragon went his way. As the dragon was going along he met the young queen who was on her way back from church. At once the dragon snatched her up and carried her away.
The young king was waiting for his queen. He waited for two hours, but the queen did not come.
"Where is the queen?" he asked the servants and the parlor maids.
"How should we know where the queen is ?" they said. "Maybe she was carried off by the dragon your majesty let out of the tub and set free."
I should not have gone into the twelfth room, the king thought to himself, and I should not have given the dragon wine which helped to revive him. But as there was nothing he could do now about it, he went to the stable to look after the horses. And he gave them food and drink and curried them, and there was great sorrow in his heart.
Says the five-legged horse to him, "The dragon has carried off your beautiful wife the queen, hasn't he, dear master ? Well, what is there to be done?"
Says one of the horses, "Listen, dear master, give me food and drink. And I will carry you, and you'll bring back the queen."
The young king fed and watered the horse. When he got into the saddle, the horse rode off with him to the castle of the dragon. When they were only a little distance from it, Janos dismounted and left his horse there. Then he walked up to the gate to inquire whether he would find the dragon home. He was told that the dragon was in the castle. As he was walking up to the door the young queen stepped out with a bucket to fetch water from the well.
Janos took her in his arms and said, "My fair and beloved queen, my horse is waiting there yonder. I have come after you to rescue you from the dragon."
"My fair and beloved one, it would be of no avail. The dragon would follow us and kill us both. You'd better go home now and look for a second wife. Before long I shall come to a miserable end here."
"Oh my fair and beloved queen, you must let me take you away."
So the queen left her bucket at the well and followed her husband. They mounted the horse and rode off. They were well on their way home when the dragon's horse began to paw furiously at the stable floor.
The dragon rose and went to the stable: "What the devil has come over you? Didn't you get enough oats and hay? Are you in want of food ? Have you not a beautiful mistress ? "
"I have plenty of oats and hay. I have enough to eat. But my beautiful mistress is gone."
"Tell me then if I shall have enough time to finish smoking a bushel of tobacco and to eat up a bushel of hazel nuts?"
"Indeed, you shall. And you can have a night's rest as well and yet we shall be there in good time to overtake them."
The dragon then took his time smoking the bushel of tobacco and eating up the hazel nuts. He went to sleep and when he rose he mounted his horse. The horse took three leaps, and another four leaps, and there they were, catching up with the young king and his wife. Suddenly the dragon lifted the queen from her saddle and then said to the king, "One life I have spared you. And now go about your business."
What else could he do but go home in great distress? He tied his horse up in the stable and then fed and watered the four horses. And great sorrow was eating his heart away.
Next day the second horse says to Janos, "Well, dear master, let me have my food and drink and off we go to bring back the young queen."
The horse was fed and watered, and the young king mounted him. They were riding for some time and before long they drew near the dragon's castle. When they were only a little distance from it, Janos dismounted and tied up the horse. As he was walking up to the castle whom does he see come out of it but his young queen making for the kitchen garden to get some greens .
When she saw him, she cried out to him, "Alas! Here you are again."
"Here I am, and I am going to take you away."
She said, "Oh, but the dragon with twelve heads brought me back to make me his wife. There is nothing now you could do for me."
"Do not worry about it. I am going to take you away."
She followed him and they both mounted the horse and rode off.
The dragon's horse was pawing furiously at the stable floor, kicking up a terrible shindy.
The dragon rose and went to the stable. "What the dickens has come over you ? Didn't you get enough oats and hay ? Are you in want of food ? Have you not a beautiful mistress ? "
"I get plenty of oats and hay. I have enough to eat. But my beautiful mistress is gone."
"Tell me then if I shall have enough time to finish smoking a bushel of tobacco and to eat up a bushel of walnuts?"
"Indeed, you will. And you can have a night's rest as well, and yet we'll be there in good time to overtake them."
He took his time smoking the bushel of tobacco and eating up the walnuts. He took a night's rest, and then rested for another night, and then he mounted his horse.
The young king and his wife were not quite halfway home when the dragon caught up with them. At once he got hold of the young queen, and then he said to the king, "Only once more shall I spare your life."
Janos rode home in great distress. He tied up his horse in the stable and then went about feeding and watering and currying the horses. Said the third horse next morning, "Well, dear master, give me food and drink and off we go to bring back the young queen."
The horse got his food and drink, and then the king
mounted him. They set off and came safely to their
destination.
"Alas! I cannot go with you. The dragon with twelve
heads would follow us, and he might kill us both."
The king said, "I do not care what he is going to do,
but I am not going to leave you here."
He led her to the horse and got into the saddle.
They rode off and were well on their way when the
dragon's horse began kicking up a terrible row in the
stable. The dragon rose and went into the stable. He
said, "Didn't you get enough oats and hay? Are you in
want of food? Have you not a beautiful mistress ? "
"I have plenty of oats and hay. I have enough to eat.
But my beautiful mistress is gone."
"Tell me then if I shall have enough time to eat and
drink ?"
"Indeed you shall have time enough to eat and
drink. And you can take a rest as well, and yet we
shall be there in good time to overtake them."
The dragon ate and drank and had a good sleep.
Then he mounted his horse and soon caught up with
the pair. He got hold of the queen and then said to the
king, "You shall not dare to come again. Three times I
spared your life. The fourth time I shall take it."
In great distress, the young king rode home. His
own horse, the five-legged nag, saw his despair and
said, "Dear master, I see that your heart is full of
grief. But you must not give way to despair because
your beautiful queen was carried off. Bring me now
five bushels of oats and five bushels of embers and
also five buckets of water. I am going to swallow all
of it. And when I have finished, get on my back and
we shall bring back the queen . "
On the morning of the following day the king
mounted his horse, and they set off. Then his horse
began blowing flames, blue and red and green
flames, and forthwith they rose into the air and went
flying. When they were only a little distance from the dragon's castle, the horse alighted in the garden before
the palace. The young queen saw through the window that
there was a horse in the garden. She did not recognize the
king's very own horse, because she had never set eyes on it
before. She went to have a look at it. As she left the room
she found the young king standing at the door.
He said, "My fair and beloved queen, I will take you
home. And we are going right away."
The queen said, "Alas! How could I go with you? Don't you
remember the dragon's threats? Didn't he warn you that if
you came again he would kill you?"
"Do not worry, my fair and beloved queen. Just let me
carry you away."
And he took the young queen into his arms and carried
her into the garden where the horse was waiting. They
mounted the horse and rode off.
They could not have gone more than just a few miles
when the dragon's horse started kicking up an infernal row.
The dragon went out to the stable. "What the hell has
come over you ? Didn't you get enough oats and hay ? Are
you in want of food or drink ? Have you not a beautiful
mistress ?"
"I've got plenty of oats and hay. I have enough to eat and
drink. But my beautiful mistress is gone."
"Tell me then if I shall have enough time to eat and drink
something ? "
"It is too late for that. There is not a minute to spare."
In great anger the dragon mounted his horse. When they
were drawing near the royal pair, the king's horse turned
his head and neighed to the other horse, "Has it never
occurred to you that I am carrying on my back two noble
souls while you are carrying a loathsome monster? Why
don't you spill him and crush him under your feet so that
not a scrap remains of him ?"
The dragon's horse uttered a sharp whinny. He took a
leap and then rolled over. No sooner was the dragon thrown
from his saddle than his horse was all over him, trampling
and crushing him under his feet. Then with one leap he
shot ahead to the other horse who was waiting for him.
The two horses kissed each other. The queen then mounted
the dragon's horse, and the king remained on his own. Quietly, the two horses trotted
along, side by side, taking their riders home.
When they arrived, the king and the queen tied the
horses up in the stable. Now they had five horses there.
They fed and watered them. And then they went to the
palace and ate and drank and went to take a rest after the
many troubles they had gone through.
On the morning of the following day the king said to the
queen, "Well, my fair and beloved queen, we have come
safely out of all our troubles; now let us go and find what
sort of fruit this tree bears."
She said, "All right, let's go. But we can not go by
daylight. We must wait till midnight."
At midnight on the following day they mounted their
horses; she on the dragon's horse, and he on the five-legged
horse. Their horses rose with them and flew up to the
boughs where the fruit was hanging. On each bough there
was a fairy sitting to keep guard. But as they were flying
over the boughs both the king and the queen snatched off a
pair of apples. Each time they took hold of an apple a fairy
fell off the tree, and this way they always knew which
bough they had already relieved of its fruit. When they had
gotten the fruit, two apples each, they flew home to the
palace. And for many months they went on living there,
looking after their horses.
One day the young king said to the queen, "I guess I
should be leaving now and go back down to my own country
to show the old king the fruit of this tree."
The queen was of one mind with him. And so one day
they set off together, the queen on the dragon's horse, the
king on the five-legged horse, and the maid and the cook
and the scullery maid, each on the back of one of the three
other horses.
Their horses rose with them, and when they landed on
the ground they found the old king sleeping, as it was still
late at night.
Then they saw a forest. It was not very far from the
king's palace, about a mile and a half off. On the outskirts
of the forest they built themselves a beautiful palace. And
in that palace they made their abode.
On the morning of the following day the old king was
looking out of his window. His eyes fell on the magnificent
palace, which towered over there, on the edge of the forest.
A beautiful palace it was, indeed. It was so beautiful that
he was almost blinded by its splendor. And then his eyes
fell on a bridge. A bridge built of marble, spanning the air
between his own palace and the beautiful new one. And
around the palace there were a number of beautiful trees,
some laden with fruit, vying with one another only in their
excellence. And on each tree there sat a falcon. Suddenly
each falcon broke forth into song.
At once the old king gave an order to his footmen to drive
the coach before the door. He got into the coach to have a
look at that splendid palace over there. He took his
daughter with him. His heart was leaping with joy as he
saw the beautiful flowers in the garden and as he heard
the sweet song of the birds trilling on the trees around the
gate.
The coach stopped at the entrance and they stepped out.
As they were going up the fiight of steps leading to the door,
the doorkeeper and the footmen came to meet them and
inquired politely whom they wished to see.
"Oh, we really do not know," the old king said. "We have
come here to find out who is living in this fine castle.
Yesterday there was nothing in this place, and when I
looked out of my window this morning, the first thing I saw
was this beautiful palace, fit for a king to live in."
"Will your majesty and the princess please come this
way? It is a young king and a young queen who are living in
this palace."
"And are they at home?"
"Yes, they are. They are having a rest."
The visitors went in and knocked at the first door. It
woke the sleepers. And at once the young recognized the old
king and the princess. Great joy overcame them on seeing
each other, and the two men and the two women kissed
each other as if they had been sisters and brothers.
The young king then invited them to sit down and gave
an account of his wanderings and showed them the four
apples which they had brought from the tree. Two apples
he gave to the king and two he kept for himself and his
queen.
The old king then asked him if he would like to marry his
daughter.
The young king answered, "I cannot marry the princess
because I have a lawful wife, married to me by the priest."
He thanked the old king for this great honor and said
that he did not wish any reward for the fruit he had
brought him. The old king had a great desire to taste the
fruit and took a bite of the apple. No sooner had he
swallowed the first bite than he became as young as he
was at eighteen. And how great was his surprise to see
himself younger than his own daughter or young Janos, the
gallant youth who had brought him the apples.
He thanked the young king for doing him a good turn, and
then he ordered a great feast in honor of the young pair.
There was great merriment and a grand banquet.
I was there myself; can't you remember, we had a good
time of it.
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(Scanned, checked, and coded by Beth Epstein.)