Andrew Lang_Fairy Book 08 (26 page)

'My dear boy, I have no longer any food to give you, and you must
go into the world and get it for yourself. It does not matter what
work you do, but remember if you do it well and are faithful to
your master, you will always have your reward.'

So Peter put a piece of black bread in his knapsack, and strapping it
on his back, took a stout stick in his hand, and set out to seek his
fortune. For a long while he travelled on and on, and nobody
seemed to want him; but one day he met an old man, and being a
polite youth, he took off his hat and said: 'Good morning,' in a
pleasant voice. 'Good morning,' answered the old man; 'and where
are you going?'

'I am wandering through the country trying to get work,' replied
Peter.

'Then stay with me, for I can give you plenty,' said the old man, and
Peter stayed.

His work did not seem hard, for he had only two horses and a cow
to see after, and though he had been hired for a year, the year
consisted of but three days, so that it was not long before he
received his wages. In payment the old man gave him a nut, and
offered to keep him for another year; but Peter was home-sick; and,
besides, he would rather have been paid ever so small a piece of
money than a nut; for, thought he, nuts grow on every tree, and I
can gather as many as I like. However, he did not say this to the
old man, who had been kind to him, but just bade him farewell.

The nearer Peter drew to his father's house the more ashamed he
felt at having brought back such poor wages. What could one nut
do for him? Why, it would not buy even a slice of bacon. It was no
use taking it home, he might as well eat it. So he sat down on a
stone and cracked it with his teeth, and then took it out of his
mouth to break off the shell. But who could ever guess what came
out of that nut? Why, horses and oxen and sheep stepped out in
such numbers that they seemed as if they would stretch to the
world's end! The sight gave Peter such a shock that he wrung his
hands in dismay. What was he to do with all these creatures, where
was he to put them? He stood and gazed in terror, and at this
moment Eisenkopf came by.

'What is the matter, young man?' asked he.

'Oh, my friend, there is plenty the matter,' answered Peter. 'I have
gained a nut as my wages, and when I cracked it this crowd of
beasts came out, and I don't know what to do with them all!'

'Listen to me, my son,' said Eisenkopf. 'If you will promise never
to marry I will drive them all back into the nut again.'

In his trouble Peter would have promised far harder things than
this, so he gladly gave the promise Eisenkopf asked for; and at a
whistle from the stranger the animals all began crowding into the
nut again, nearly tumbling over each other in their haste. When the
last foot had got inside, the two halves of the shell shut close. Then
Peter put it in his pocket and went on to the house.

No sooner had he reached it than he cracked his nut for the second
time, and out came the horses, sheep, and oxen again. Indeed Peter
thought that there were even more of them than before. The old
man could not believe his eyes when he saw the multitudes of
horses, oxen and sheep standing before his door.

'How did you come by all these?' he gasped, as soon as he could
speak; and the son told him the whole story, and of the promise he
had given Eisenkopf.

The next day some of the cattle were driven to market and sold,
and with the money the old man was able to buy some of the fields
and gardens round his house, and in a few months had grown the
richest and most prosperous man in the whole village. Everything
seemed to turn to gold in his hands, till one day, when he and his
son were sitting in the orchard watching their herds of cattle
grazing in the meadows, he suddenly said: ' Peter, my boy, it is time
that you were thinking of marrying.'

'But, my dear father, I told you I can never marry, because of the
promise I gave to Eisenkopf.'

'Oh, one promises here and promises there, but no one ever thinks
of keeping such promises. If Eisenkopf does not like your
marrying, he will have to put up with it all the same! Besides, there
stands in the stable a grey horse which is saddled night and day; and
if Eisenkopf should show his face, you have only got to jump on the
horse's back and ride away, and nobody on earth can catch you.
When all is safe you will come back again, and we shall live as
happily as two fish in the sea.'

And so it all happened. The young man found a pretty,
brown-skinned girl who was willing to have him for a husband, and
the whole village came to the wedding feast. The music was at its
gayest, and the dance at its merriest, when Eisenkopf looked in at
the window.

'Oh, ho, my brother! what is going on here? It has the air of being a
wedding feast. Yet I fancied—was I mistaken?—that you had given
me a promise that you never would marry.' But Peter had not
waited for the end of this speech. Scarcely had he seen Eisenkopf
than he darted like the wind to the stable and flung himself on the
horse's back. In another moment he was away over the mountain,
with Eisenkopf running fast behind him.

On they went through thick forests where the sun never shone, over
rivers so wide that it took a whole day to sail across them, up hills
whose sides were all of glass; on they went through seven times
seven countries till Peter reined in his horse before the house of an
old woman.

'Good day, mother,' said he, jumping down and opening the door.

'Good day, my son,' answered she, 'and what are you doing here, at
the world's end?'

'I am flying for my life, mother, flying to the world which is beyond
all worlds; for Eisenkopf is at my heels.'

'Come in and rest then, and have some food, for I have a little dog
who will begin to howl when Eisenkopf is still seven miles off.'

So Peter went in and warmed himself and ate and drank, till
suddenly the dog began to howl.

'Quick, my son, quick, you must go,' cried the old woman. And the
lightning itself was not quicker than Peter.

'Stop a moment,' cried the old woman again, just as he was
mounting his horse, 'take this napkin and this cake, and put them in
your bag where you can get hold of them easily.' Peter took them
and put them into his bag, and waving his thanks for her kindness,
he was off like the wind.

Round and round he rode, through seven times seven countries,
through forests still thicker, and rivers still wider, and mountains
still more slippery than the others he had passed, till at length he
reached a house where dwelt another old woman.

'Good day, mother,' said he.

'Good day, my son! What are you seeking here at the world's end?'

'I am flying for my life, mother, flying to the world that is beyond all
worlds, for Eisenkopf is at my heels.'

'Come in, my son, and have some food. I have a little dog who will
begin to howl when Eisenkopf is still seven miles off; so lie on this
bed and rest yourself in peace.'

Then she went to the kitchen and baked a number of cakes, more
than Peter could have eaten in a whole month. He had not finished
a quarter of them, when the dog began to howl.

'Now, my son, you must go,' cried the old woman 'but first put
these cakes and this napkin in your bag, where you can easily get at
them.' So Peter thanked her and was off like the wind.

On he rode, through seven times seven countries, till he came to the
house of a third old woman, who welcomed him as the others had
done. But when the dog howled, and Peter sprang up to go, she
said, as she gave him the same gifts for his journey: 'You have now
three cakes and three napkins, for I know that my sisters have each
given you one. Listen to me, and do what I tell you. Ride seven
days and nights straight before you, and on the eighth morning you
will see a great fire. Strike it three times with the three napkins and
it will part in two. Then ride into the opening, and when you are in
the middle of the opening, throw the three cakes behind your back
with your left hand.'

Peter thanked her for her counsel, and was careful to do exactly all
the old woman had told him. On the eighth morning he reached a
fire so large that he could see nothing else on either side, but when
he struck it with the napkins it parted, and stood on each hand like
a wall. As he rode through the opening he threw the cakes behind
him. From each cake there sprang a huge dog, and he gave them
the names of World's-weight, Ironstrong, and Quick-ear. They
bayed with joy at the sight of him, and as Peter turned to pat them,
he beheld Eisenkopf at the edge of the fire, but the opening had
closed up behind Peter, and he could not get through.

'Stop, you promise-breaker,' shrieked he; 'you have slipped
through my hands once, but wait till I catch you again!'

Then he lay down by the fire and watched to see what would
happen.

When Peter knew that he had nothing more to fear from Eisenkopf,
he rode on slowly till he came to a small white house. Here he
entered and found himself in a room where a gray-haired woman
was spinning and a beautiful girl was sitting in the window combing
her golden hair.
'What brings you here, my son?' asked the old woman.

'I am seeking for a place, mother,' answered Peter.

'Stay with me, then, for I need a servant,' said the old woman.

'With pleasure, mother,' replied he.

After that Peter's life was a very happy one. He sowed and
ploughed all day, except now and then when he took his dogs and
went to hunt. And whatever game he brought back the maiden
with the golden hair knew how to dress it.

One day the old woman had gone to the town to buy some flour,
and Peter and the maiden were left alone in the house. They fell
into talk, and she asked him where his home was, and how he had
managed to come through the fire. Peter then told her the whole
story, and of his striking the flames with the three napkins as he had
been told to do. The maiden listened attentively and wondered in
herself whether what he said was true. So after Peter had gone out
to the fields, she crept up to his room and stole the napkins and
then set off as fast as she could to the fire by a path she knew of
over the hill.

At the third blow she gave the flames divided, and Eisenkopf, who
had been watching and hoping for a chance of this kind, ran down
the opening and stood before her. At this sight the maiden was
almost frightened to death, but with a great effort she recovered
herself and ran home as fast as her legs would carry her, closely
pursued by Eisenkopf. Panting for breath she rushed into the house
and fell fainting on the floor; but Eisenkopf entered behind her, and
hid himself in the kitchen under the hearth.

Not long after, Peter came in and picked up the three napkins which
the maiden had dropped on the threshold. He wondered how they
got there, for he knew he had left them in his room; but what was
his horror when he saw the form of the fainting girl lying where she
had dropped, as still and white as if she had been dead. He lifted
her up and carried her to her bed, where she soon revived, but she
did not tell Peter about Eisenkopf, who had been almost crushed to
death under the hearth-stone by the body of World's-weight.

The next morning Peter locked up his dogs and went out into the
forest alone. Eisenkopf, however, had seen him go, and followed
so closely at his heels that Peter had barely time to clamber up a tall
tree, where Eisenkopf could not reach him. 'Come down at once,
you gallows bird,' he cried. 'Have you forgotten your promise that
you never would marry?'

'Oh, I know it is all up with me,' answered Peter, 'but let me call
out three times.'

'You can call a hundred times if you like,' returned Eisenkopf, 'for
now I have got you in my power, and you shall pay for what you
have done.'

'Iron-strong, World's-weight, Quick-ear, fly to my help!' cried
Peter; and Quick-ear heard, and said to his brothers: 'Listen, our
master is calling us.'

'You are dreaming, fool,' answered World's-weight; 'why he has not
finished his breakfast.' And he gave Quick-ear a slap with his paw,
for he was young and needed to be taught sense.

'Iron-strong, World's-weight, Quick-ear, fly to my help!' cried Peter
again.

This time World's-weight heard also, and he said, 'Ah, now our
master is really calling.'

'How silly you are!' answered Iron-strong; 'you know that at this
hour he is always eating.' And he gave World's-weight a cuff,
because he was old enough to know better.

Peter sat trembling on the tree dreading lest his dogs had never
heard, or else that, having heard, they had refused to come. It was
his last chance, so making a mighty effort he shrieked once more:

'Iron-strong, World's-weight, Quick-ear, fly to my help, or I am a
dead man!'

And Iron-strong heard, and said: 'Yes, he is certainly calling, we
must go at once.' And in an instant he had burst open the door, and
all three were bounding away in the direction of the voice. When
they reached the foot of the tree Peter just said: 'At him!' And in a
few minutes there was nothing left of Eisenkopf.

As soon as his enemy was dead Peter got down and returned to the
house, where he bade farewell to the old woman and her daughter,
who gave him a beautiful ring, all set with diamonds. It was really a
magic ring, but neither Peter nor the maiden knew that.

Peter's heart was heavy as he set out for home. He had ceased to
love the wife whom he had left at his wedding feast, and his heart
had gone out to the golden-haired girl. However, it was no use
thinking of that, so he rode forward steadily.

The fire had to be passed through before he had gone very far, and
when he came to it, Peter shook the napkins three times in the
flames and a passage opened for trim. But then a curious thing
happened; the three dogs, who had followed at his heels all the way,
now became three cakes again, which Peter put into his bag with
the napkins. After that he stopped at the houses of the three old
women, and gave each one back her napkin and her cake.