Brick Fairy Tales: Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Hansel and Gretel, and More (66 page)

Many others came after this and undertook the enterprise,

but all forfeited their lives.

Now it came to pass that a poor soldier, who had a wound, and could serve no longer, found himself on the road to the town where the King lived.

There he met an old woman, who asked him where he was going. “I hardly know myself,” answered he,

and added in jest, “I had half a mind to discover where the princesses danced their shoes into holes, and thus become King.”

“That is not so difficult,” said the old woman,

“you must not drink the wine which will be brought to you at night, and must pretend to be sound asleep.”

With that she gave him a little cloak, and said, “If you put on that, you will be invisible, and then you can steal after the twelve.”

When the soldier had received this good advice, he went into the thing in earnest, took heart,

went to the King, and announced himself as a suitor.

He was as well received as the others, and royal garments were put upon him.

He was conducted that evening at bed-time into the ante-chamber, and as he was about to go to bed, the eldest came and brought him a cup of wine, but he had tied a sponge under his chin,

and let the wine run down into it, without drinking a drop.

Then he lay down and when he had lain a while, he began to snore, as if in the deepest sleep. The twelve princesses heard that, and laughed,