Andrew Lang_Fairy Book 09 (23 page)

The word was given for him to mount the steps which led to the
top of the cask, when, suddenly, some men were seen running with
all their might, crying as they went that a large ship with its
sails spread was making straight for the city. No one knew what
the ship was, or whence it came; but the king declared that he
would not have the boy burned before its arrival, there would
always be time enough for that.

At length the vessel was safe in port, and a whisper went through
the watching crowd that on board was the Sister of the Sun, who
had come to marry the young peasant as she had promised. In a
few moments more she had landed, and desired to be shown the way
to the cottage which her bridegroom had so often described to
her; and whither he had been led back by the king's order at the
first sign of the ship.

'Don't you know me?' asked the Sister of the Sun, bending over
him where he lay, almost driven out of his senses with terror.

'No, no; I don't know you,' answered the youth, without raising
his eyes.

'Kiss me,' said the Sister of the Sun; and the youth obeyed her,
but still without looking up.

'Don't you know me NOW?' asked she.

'No, I don't know you—I don't know you,' he replied, with the
manner of a man whom fear had driven mad.

At this the Sister of the Sun grew rather frightened, and
beginning at the beginning, she told him the story of his meeting
with her, and how she had come a long way in order to marry him.
And just as she had finished in walked the king, to see if what
the boy had said was really true. But hardly had he opened the
door of the cottage when he was almost blinded by the light that
filled it; and he remembered what he had been told about the star
on the forehead of the princess. He staggered back as if he had
been struck, then a curious feeling took hold of him, which he
had never felt before, and falling on his knees before the Sister
of the Sun, he implored her to give up all thought of the peasant
boy, and to share his throne. But she laughed, and said she had
a finer throne of her own, if she wanted to sit on it, and that
she was free to please herself, and would have no husband but the
boy whom she would never have seen except for the king himself.

'I shall marry him to-morrow,' ended she; and ordered the
preparations to be set on foot at once.

When the next day came, however, the bridegroom's father informed
the princess that, by the law of the land, the marriage must take
place in the presence of the king; but he hoped his majesty would
not long delay his arrival. An hour or two passed, and everyone
was waiting and watching, when at last the sound of trumpets was
heard and a grand procession was seen marching up the street. A
chair covered with velvet had been made ready for the king, and
he took his seat upon it, and, looking round upon the assembled
company, he said:

'I have no wish to forbid this marriage; but, before I can allow
it to be celebrated, the bridegroom must prove himself worthy of
such a bride by fulfilling three tasks. And the first is that in
a single day he must cut down every tree in an entire forest.

The youth stood aghast as the king's words. He had never cut
down a tree in his life, and had not the least idea how to begin.
And as for a whole forest—! But the princess saw what was
passing in his mind, and whispered to him:

'Don't be afraid. In my ship you will find an axe, which you
must carry off to the forest. When you have cut down one tree
with it just say: "So let the forest fall," and in an instant all
the trees will be on the ground. But pick up three chips of the
tree you felled, and put them in your pocket.'

And the young man did exactly as he was bid, and soon returned
with the three chips safe in his coat.

The following morning the princess declared that she had been
thinking about the matter, and that, as she was not a subject of
the king, she saw no reason why she should be bound by his laws;
and she meant to be married that very day. But the bridegroom's
father told her that it was all very well for her to talk like
that, but it was quite different for his son, who would pay with
his head for any disobedience to the king's commands. However,
in consideration of what the youth had done the day before, he
hoped his majesty's heart might be softened, especially as he had
sent a message that they might expect him at once. With this the
bridal pair had to be content, and be as patient as they could
till the king's arrival.

He did not keep them long, but they saw by his face that nothing
good awaited them.

'The marriage cannot take place,' he said shortly, 'till the
youth has joined to their roots all the trees he cut down
yesterday.'

This sounded much more difficult than what he had done before,
and he turned in despair to the Sister of the Sun.

'It is all right,' she whispered encouragingly. 'Take this water
and sprinkle it on one of the fallen trees, and say to it: "So
let all the trees of the forest stand upright," and in a moment
they will be erect again.'

And the young man did what he was told, and left the forest
looking exactly as it had done before.

Now, surely, thought the princess, there was no longer any need
to put off the wedding; and she gave orders that all should be
ready for the following day. But again the old man interfered,
and declared that without the king's permission no marriage could
take place. For the third time his majesty was sent for, and for
the third time he proclaimed that he could not give his consent
until the bridegroom should have slain a serpent which dwelt in a
broad river that flowed at the back of the castle. Everyone knew
stories of this terrible serpent, though no one had actually seen
it; but from time to time a child strayed from home and never
came back, and then mothers would forbid the other children to go
near the river, which had juicy fruits and lovely flowers growing
along its banks.

So no wonder the youth trembled and turned pale when he heard
what lay before him.

'You will succeed in this also,' whispered the Sister of the Sun,
pressing his hand, 'for in my ship is a magic sword which will
cut through everything. Go down to the river and unfasten a boat
which lies moored there, and throw the chips into the water.
When the serpent rears up its body you will cut off its three
heads with one blow of your sword. Then take the tip of each
tongue and go with it to-morrow morning into the king's kitchen.
If the king himself should enter, just say to him: "Here are
three gifts I offer you in return for the services you demanded
of me!" and throw the tips of the serpent's tongues at him, and
hasten to the ship as fast as your legs will carry you. But be
sure you take great care never to look behind you.'

The young man did exactly what the princess had told him. The
three chips which he flung into the river became a boat, and, as
he steered across the stream, the serpent put up its head and
hissed loudly. The youth had his sword ready, and in another
second the three heads were bobbing on the water. Guiding his
boat till he was beside them, he stooped down and snipped off the
ends of the tongues, and then rowed back to the other bank. Next
morning he carried them into the royal kitchen, and when the king
entered, as was his custom, to see what he was going to have for
dinner, the bridegroom flung them in his face, saying: 'Here is a
gift for you in return for the services you asked of me.' And,
opening the kitchen door, he fled to the ship. Unluckily he
missed the way, and in his excitement ran backwards and forwards,
without knowing whither he was going. At last, in despair, he
looked round, and saw to his amazement that both the city and
palace had vanished completely. Then he turned his eyes in the
other direction, and, far, far away, he caught sight of the ship
with her sails spread, and a fair wind behind her.

This dreadful spectacle seemed to take away his senses, and all
day long he wandered about, without knowing where he was going,
till, in the evening, he noticed some smoke from a little hut of
turf near by. He went straight up to it and cried: 'O mother,
let me come in for pity's sake!' The old woman who lived in the
hut beckoned to him to enter, and hardly was he inside when he
cried again: 'O mother, can you tell me anything of the Sister of
the Sun?'

But the woman only shook her head. 'No, I know nothing of her,'
said she.

The young man turned to leave the hut, but the old woman stopped
him, and, giving him a letter, begged him to carry it to her next
eldest sister, saying: 'If you should get tired on the way, take
out the letter and rustle the paper.'

This advice surprised the young man a good deal, as he did not
see how it could help him; but he did not answer, and went down
the road without knowing where he was going. At length he grew
so tired he could walk no more; then he remembered what the old
woman had said. After he had rustled the leaves only once all
fatigue disappeared, and he strode over the grass till he came to
another little turf hut.

'Let me in, I pray you, dear mother,' cried he. And the door
opened in front of him. 'Your sister has sent you this letter,'
he said, and added quickly: 'O mother! can you tell me anything
of the Sister of the Sun?'

'No, I know nothing of her,' answered she. But as he turned
hopelessly away, she stopped him.

'If you happen to pass my eldest sister's house, will you give
her this letter?' said she. 'And if you should get tired on the
road, just take it out of your pocket and rustle the paper.'

So the young man put the letter in his pocket, and walked all day
over the hills till he reached a little turf hut, exactly like
the other two.

'Let me in, I pray you, dear mother,' cried he. And as he
entered he added: 'Here is a letter from your sister and—can you
tell me anything of the Sister of the Sun?'

'Yes, I can,' answered the old woman. 'She lives in the castle
on the Banka. Her father lost a battle only a few days ago
because you had stolen his sword from him, and the Sister of the
Sun herself is almost dead of grief. But, when you see her,
stick a pin into the palm of her hand, and suck the drops of
blood that flow. Then she will grow calmer, and will know you
again. Only, beware; for before you reach the castle on the
Banka fearful things will happen.'

He thanked the old woman with tears of gladness for the good news
she had given him, and continued his journey. But he had not
gone very far when, at a turn of the road, he met with two
brothers, who were quarrelling over a piece of cloth.

'My good men, what are you fighting about?' said he. 'That cloth
does not look worth much!'

'Oh, it is ragged enough,' answered they, 'but it was left us by
our father, and if any man wraps it round him no one can see him;
and we each want it for our own.'

'Let me put it round me for a moment,' said the youth, 'and then
I will tell you whose it ought to be!'

The brothers were pleased with this idea, and gave him the stuff;
but the moment he had thrown it over his shoulder he disappeared
as completely as if he had never been there at all.

Meanwhile the young man walked briskly along, till he came up
with two other men, who were disputing over a table-cloth.

'What is the matter?' asked he, stopping in front of them.

'If this cloth is spread on a table,' answered they, 'the table
is instantly covered with the most delicious food; and we each
want to have it.'

'Let me try the table-cloth,' said the youth, 'and I will tell
you whose it ought to be.'

The two men were quite pleased with this idea, and handed him the
cloth. He then hastily threw the first piece of stuff round his
shoulders and vanished from sight, leaving the two men grieving
over their own folly.

The young man had not walked far before he saw two more men
standing by the road-side, both grasping the same stout staff,
and sometimes one seemed on the point of getting it, and
sometimes the other.

'What are you quarrelling about? You could cut a dozen sticks
from the wood each just as good as that!' said the young man.
And as he spoke the fighters both stopped and looked at him.

'Ah! you may think so,' said one, 'but a blow from one end of
this stick will kill a man, while a touch from the other end will
bring him back to life. You won't easily find another stick like
that!'

'No; that is true,' answered the young man. 'Let me just look at
it, and I will tell you whose it ought to be.'

The men were pleased with the idea, and handed him the staff.

'It is very curious, certainly,' said he; 'but which end is it
that restores people to life? After all, anyone can be killed by
a blow from a stick if it is only hard enough!' But when he was
shown the end he threw the stuff over his shoulders and vanished.

At last he saw another set of men, who were struggling for the
possession of a pair of shoes.

'Why can't you leave that pair of old shoes alone?' said he.
'Why, you could not walk a yard in them!'

'Yes, they are old enough,' answered they; 'but whoever puts them
on and wishes himself at a particular place, gets there without
going.'

'That sounds very clever,' said the youth. 'Let me try them, and
then I shall be able to tell you whose they ought to be.'

The idea pleased the men, and they handed him the shoes; but the
moment they were on his feet he cried:

'I wish to be in the castle on the Banka!' And before he knew it,
he was there, and found the Sister of the Sun dying of grief. He
knelt down by her side, and pulling a pin he stuck it into the
palm of her hand, so that a drop of blood gushed out. This he
sucked, as he had been told to do by the old woman, and
immediately the princess came to herself, and flung her arms
round his neck. Then she told him all her story, and what had
happened since the ship had sailed away without him. 'But the
worst misfortune of all,' she added, 'was a battle which my
father lost because you had vanished with his magic sword; and
out of his whole army hardly one man was left.'