Like little flax blossoms in their hue.
Whoever chooses me to wed,
Will win as well both cloth and thread.”
The other girl didn’t sing but kept quiet. Every once in a while she would distract herself by playfully tossing a few seeds aside for the Lady of the Woods. She looked timidly up at the pretty, tall farm girl, who was as graceful as a doe and who managed to land only a small number of seeds in the furrows.
When the harvest had matured into a velvety yield, the two girls reappeared in the fields and began weeding. The pretty girl was like a purple rose. She spent much of her time standing up and gazing into the distance to see if her looks had succeeded in attracting a suitor. The bad-looking one worked hard, and she was so quick about her work that before long she had cleared the whole area of thistles and weeds. She did not forget to take a few stalks of flax for a little hut that she had built at the edge of the field. She called out:
“Lady of the Woods, the Woods, the Woods,
Here I’ve placed your share of the goods!
Give the flax a nice good start,
And let’s dress up so we look smart.”
The two girls went about their work in different ways, one up in the hills looking for suitors, the other with her eyes trained on the flax and the field. Hot weather and weeds killed off the flax in the higher regions, while the flax in the valley flourished and grew tall.
In the spring, after the young women had spun and woven the flax, they both took the linen out to the fields to bleach it in the sun. You could see right away that the pretty girl’s linen—and there was little of it—was rough, coarse, and uneven, while the plain girl had plenty of exquisite fabric, fine as silk. The pretty girl was upset, and she scolded the other one, saying: “I know just how you did this, you little night owl! You’re a witch and you were in cahoots with the Lady of the Woods. You’re just as plain as she is, and just like that forest spinster, you’ll never marry.”
Just then a golden carriage with four horses flew like the wind across a path in the woods. A handsome young man was riding in it, dressed like a prince. He stopped to greet the girls and took the hand of the pretty one and said: “I would like to marry you, but first I’d like to take a look at your handiwork. Is your linen bright?”
“No, it’s not!” a voice called out from the woods.
The prince let go of her hand and turned to the plain one. “I would like to marry you. Is this your work here?”
The voice in the woods called out: “Yes, it is!”
The prince hugged her and kissed her and told her he wanted to marry her. And just then the aroma of flowers enveloped the two of them, and the young woman became pretty and charming. And all at once she was wearing a dress with jewels, and the enthralled prince knelt before her. Voices whispered in the woods and carried the news up hill and down dale.
The pretty girl was overcome with envy, and she was suddenly as hideous and as unsightly as a toad.
A shining horse and carriage dashed off with the couple. The girl who had once been pretty returned to her village, weighed down by her own grief as well as by the scorn and contempt of the villagers.
Since then the young women who work in the fields no longer sing songs. And not a one forgets to bind together some of the flax stalks from the fields and make a little hut for the Lady of the Woods. They remain faithful to the customs from times past.
WOODPECKER
After a successful hunting expedition, a wealthy young count found an angelic-looking boy on his way back home. He was glad to have rescued the lost boy and decided to raise him at home, where he was put to work as a servant.
The boy grew up to be tall and strong, but he was also lazy, with no interest in doing any work at all. While the other servants were plowing, mowing, and threshing, he would be strolling in the woods or fields, singing and whistling like a bird. And that’s why everyone called him Woodpecker or, just for laughs, Prince Woodpecker.
The count was well disposed toward the boy, and one day he asked him what he hoped to do later in life. The answer was:
Woodpecker is my given name,
I chew things up, tasty and tame;
The hard stuff’s not at all my game.
I whistle like a little bird,
The hardest work you’ve ever heard!
The nobleman replied: “I’d like to have some proof of that hard work. See that pile of wood over there in the courtyard? Chop it up into small pieces before the month is over. If you don’t finish by then, I’m going to chase you off my land!” The Woodpecker was in a panic. He was a master in the art of laziness, and he was also just like the lilies of the field when it came to work. Those flowers just grew and grew, even though they could not spin or weave. It didn’t take him long to figure out that he would never be able to chop up all that wood in so short a time. And the count was not about to go back on his promise to kick him off his property. And so he sat for days on end by the mountain of wood, the ax at his feet. His head was hanging like a bird in a cage. He planned and plotted, but he could not figure out how to get out of this fix.
All at once a window in the castle opened, and there was the beautiful child of the count. She had been quietly observing the tall handsome servant and was impressed by how calm he was. She called down to him to tell him that he should start working; otherwise he wouldn’t be around for long. He jumped up, grabbed the ax, and began chopping the wood eagerly. But by the time he took a second swing at the wood, the ax had swung out of his hands and cut into his leg. The girl was alarmed, and she took her maid with her down to the courtyard and bandaged up the wound, using a salve. She asked: “Why were you so intent on defying the orders and doing nothing? The count will be here soon and he’ll be so upset that he’ll make good on his threat to banish you. And how in the world are you going to be able to walk around with that injured leg?”
“Well,” he replied, “your hands have a healing power. But who is going to bring me all the beautiful flowers and birds and pieces of gold from the crevasses that are too treacherous even for birds?”
“He’s too far gone for my help,” the girl decided, and she walked away with a mournful look on her face, for she had always enjoyed spending time with the strange boy when the two were young.
It soon dawned on the young man that the count’s daughter was in love with him. He was so distraught about failing to carry out the task assigned to him and, on top of that, losing the girl forever that he began rubbing together two sticks of wood to light the wood on fire. He was planning to die in the flames.
Just as the first sparks began flying from the smoking wood, a tiny little woman crawled out of the woodpile and began giggling and chirping like a cricket. She said: “Now that you have summoned me, tell me what you want.” He liked the mysterious little person so much that he tried to grab her and catch her. She would make a perfect gift for the princess, just like a dormouse in a cage. But the creature was like a will-o’-the-wisp, and just about as easy to catch as a shadow. The little woman cried out: “Just stop it, Ralf, my boy, and tell me what you need!”
He laughed and said: “I need to chop all the wood in this pile.”
“I will take care of that, Ralf, my boy,” the little woman said. “But under one condition: You must build a little fire using twigs on that stone over there, and then just stand there and wait.” Since it was already late in the evening, the young man was overcome by fatigue and fell asleep.
That evening everyone in the castle heard a lot of noise down in the courtyard. In the morning, they told the count that the woodpile had disappeared and in its place was a huge stack of chopped wood. The count went down to the courtyard with his entire entourage and found Woodpecker sleeping peacefully next to the pile of wood, which had been chopped up into fine little pieces. He decided to wake up the sleeping Woodpecker, for he was beginning to suspect t
hat there was more to the young man than had at first seemed. Woodpecker asked if he could start a little fire over by the stone and burn his ax. He rubbed two sticks of wood together, and they began to make a flame. Just then the little woman reappeared and leaped into the fire on the stone.
And that was the moment when a beautiful young woman appeared before the eyes of the count. It was the Lady of the Woods, whom he had married long ago. “Count Hermann! Do you recognize me and my son Ralf? Woodpecker is our son!” she cried out, to the astonishment of everyone gathered round. And then she disappeared.
“That was Hilda’s voice,” the count said. “Yes, dear Woodpecker, you are our son. The veil has been lifted, and now I know who you are.” And he embraced Ralf, the Woodpecker, and there was a great celebration at the castle. Ralf sat sorrowfully by the side of the young woman who was now something of a sister, and for whom the lavish feast was also not a happy occasion.
Count Hermann had his son trained as a knight, and when he returned home victorious after perilous battles—he was wearing a golden locket given to him by the emperor—there was another, even more festive celebration, this time the wedding of Ralf, outfitted in gleaming silver armor, and the charming young woman who was the count’s foster child, as it turned out.
THE RED SILK RIBBON
Schönwerth’s note: Mermaids are highly evolved female creatures that dwell in the water but are not restricted to living there. They are able to take on human form partially or entirely and to become radiantly beautiful women. They long for the love of handsome men and lure them down to the watery depths, or they go on land and spend time with them there. Mermaids seek youth, beauty, and a long life through the love of mortals.
A fisherman was working for a count, a man who paid him well, for he was good at bringing in a nice haul. But one day his luck ran out, and the count was so dissatisfied with him that he let him go. For a time, the fisherman lived from his savings, but soon he had nothing left. He tried his luck a few more times, but to no avail, and he sat in his boat, weeping bitter tears.
Suddenly a beautiful mermaid emerged from the water. “Why are you weeping?” she asked, and he explained why he was so distraught. “I’ll help you out, but only if you promise to give me what you do not know is in your house. I was the one who sent fish to you in the first place, and I’m also the one who kept them away from you.” The fisherman made the promise, and right away he had another huge haul of fish. He returned home cheerfully. When he told his wife the price he had paid for the catch, her face fell. She was carrying a child, which he did not yet know about. But the two consoled themselves with the thought that they would baptize the child. The fisherman’s luck was back, and once again he caught the best fish in his nets. He brought them to the count, who took him back in his service.
At the appointed time, a son was born, and he was called Lucas. He was strong in body and spirit, and it was decided that he would take holy orders. But once he had finished with his training, he could not hold his first mass, for he belonged to the mermaid. And so he gave up his studies to become a cooper and went on the road. There he encountered some animals quarreling over the carcass of a horse. They couldn’t decide how to divide it up. There was a bear there, a fox, a falcon, and an ant. They asked him to figure out how to divide things up. Lucas threw the hindquarters and front legs to the bear, who had no reason to complain, and he gave the back to the fox, the innards to the falcon, and the head to the ant. Then off he went.
The bear thought it was not fair to let Lucas leave without showing some gratitude, and he ordered the fox to call him back. The grateful animals granted him the power to turn into their shapes whenever he wanted. Lucas burst out laughing and then went on his way. While he was walking he noticed a bunch of partridges picking at some grain. To test the gift he had been given, he decided to turn himself into a fox. He became one in an instant and caught as many partridges as he could carry. He took them with him to the next city and had them roasted at the inn.
Around the same time, four men came into the inn, sat down, and began playing cards and betting. Lucas was lying on a bed of straw behind the oven, and he noticed that one of the men already had a big pile of cash in front of him. He turned himself into an ant and crawled under the table. Then he turned himself into a bear, stood up, and knocked the table over with all the coins still on it. He scared the men so badly that they hightailed it out of there. He returned to his human form, gathered up the coins, lay down on the straw, and went to sleep. In the morning he paid his bill and left.
Lucas reached a town where everyone was in mourning. A black flag with a skull on it was waving from a tower. He started looking for a place to stay and asked the innkeeper what had happened. It turned out that the king had three daughters who were ready to be married. They were all beautiful and looked so much alike that people couldn’t tell them apart. But the king had decided that the middle child would be his heir. “‘Whoever wants to inherit my kingdom has to guess which one she is.’ That’s what he is demanding. And if you don’t guess the right one, you will be executed. So many men have already died that we are all in mourning,” the innkeeper explained.
Lucas went over to the castle and looked in the garden, which was surrounded by a deep moat, and saw the princesses taking a walk. He turned himself into a falcon and flew from one tree to the next. He caught the attention of the princesses, and let himself be captured by one of them. He landed on her hand, and she took him up to her bedroom, where he was given a golden perch. While she was sleeping, Lucas turned back to his human shape, but now he was wearing beautiful, costly garments. He took the princess’s hand, and she woke up. He explained that he had been the bird and that he loved her. Frightened to death at first by the strange man and his words, the princess soon took a liking to him and admitted that she was the middle sister. She gave him her ring and showed him a red silk ribbon that she was going to wrap around the middle finger of her right hand. That was how he would recognize her when the time came to identify the middle princess.
The princess opened her window and the falcon flew away. The stranger came the next morning to see the king and to win the hand of the middle daughter. The king and his entire retinue felt pity for the young man. He was so handsome and charming that they were hoping to discourage him from the perilous undertaking. But Lucas was determined, and he was summoned to step into the hall where the three daughters were waiting. The executioner was already there, sharp sword in hand. Lucas was taken to the three sisters. One of them stepped forward just a tiny bit, and she was wearing the red ribbon around her finger. He declared her to be the middle princess, and he was right.
Everyone at the court and in town was delighted. The king had been regretting his vow for a long time and was distressed by the bloody end taken by innocent suitors. He was happy to give the hand of his daughter to a successful suitor.
The two lived happily for many years. One day Lucas went out hunting. His wife tried to keep him from going, for she had felt some kind of dark premonition. But he paid no attention. It was a hot day, and he was thirsty after trying to hunt down a deer. He forgot all about his mother’s warnings to stay away from water. He rode ahead of the others and discovered a spring. Just as he was bending over and reaching into the water with his hand, a mermaid grabbed him and pulled him down with her. “I paid a high price for you,” she said.
The princess learned the sad news. She did not hesitate to rush over to the stream to try to find her husband. She sat down by the riverbank and began weeping. The mermaid emerged from the water and comforted her by telling her that her husband was living comfortably down below. The princess said she would feel better if she could just take a look at her husband, and she offered the golden comb in her hair in exchange. The mermaid obliged and lifted Lucas’s head out of the water, just high enough so that his wife could see his eyes. The princess then offered her ring in addition, and her husband was lifted out of th
e water up to his torso. Then she offered the golden slipper on her foot. The mermaid let Lucas stand on his wife’s hand—and, just imagine, he turned into a falcon and was there right next to his wife.
The mermaid dove deep down, and the waters began to seethe and boil. She emerged and threw a handful of blue sand into the princess’s face, and the princess turned instantly into a dragon.
The kingdom was in trouble once again. The king offered half his wealth to anyone who could come to his aid. An ancient magician appeared and promised to help as long as the princess could endure the procedure. He had three ovens built and heated them up until each was hotter than the next. He pushed the dragon into one and took it out again. Its skin was soft, and he cooled it down with water. When he put the dragon into the second oven, its skin split open, and when he pushed it into the third oven, Lucas had to hide because the weeping and wailing was so heart-wrenching.
The princess emerged naked from the oven, and Lucas threw his cape around her and led her home triumphantly. They lived happily together, and they were carefree now that the mermaid no longer had any claim to them.
TWELVE BRIDES
A knight and his wife had many worldly goods but only one child. When the boy turned twelve, his father died, and his mother moved to a castle that was in the middle of a lake. She wanted to mourn her husband in a place cut off from the rest of the world. As the boy grew older, he became more handsome and wise. But he was always pale and somewhat withdrawn. He liked being alone and had chosen a remote bedroom for himself, one that had the most beautiful view of the lake.
He loved to look out at the lake and daydream. When he turned twenty-four, his mother tried to persuade him to choose a bride. Life at the castle had become too lonely for her. But he didn’t want to marry. One evening, when his mother tried to convince him to change his mind, he leaned mournfully against the window and looked out to see the image of the moon brightly reflected on the water. He imagined the features of the woman he hoped to wed one day. Finally he grew tired and went to bed. He forgot to close the window.
The Turnip Princess and Other Newly Discovered Fairy Tales (Penguin Classics) Page 11
