The queen took a short way home, got there before the king and changed her dress.
An hour later all the people in the palace were running to and fro and crying out: "Our king has come back! Our king has returned to us."
The king greeted every one very kindly, but he would not so much as look at the queen.
Then he called all his council and ministers together and said to them:
"See what sort of a wife I have. Here she is falling on my neck, but when I was pining in prison and sent her word of it she did nothing to help me."
And his council answered with one voice, "Sire, when news was brought from you the queen disappeared and no one knew where she went. She only returned to-day."
Then the king was very angry and cried, "Judge my faithless wife!
Never would you have seen your king again, if a young lute player had not delivered him. I shall remember him with love and grat.i.tude as long as I live."
Whilst the king was sitting with his council, the queen found time to disguise herself. She took her lute, and slipping into the court in front of the palace she sang, clear and sweet:
"I sing the captive"s longing Within his prison wall, Of hearts that sigh when none are nigh To answer to their call.
"My song begs for your pity, And gifts from out your store, And as I play my gentle lay I linger near your door.
"And if you hear my singing Within your palace, sire, Oh! give, I pray, this happy day, To me my heart"s desire."
As soon as the king heard this song he ran out to meet the lute player, took him by the hand and led him into the palace.
"Here," he cried, "is the boy who released me from my prison. And now, my true friend, I will indeed give you your heart"s desire."
"I am sure you will not be less generous than the heathen king was, sire. I ask of you what I asked and obtained from him. But this time I don"t mean to give up what I get. I want YOU--yourself!"
And as she spoke she threw off her long cloak and everyone saw it was the queen.
Who can tell how happy the king was? In the joy of his heart he gave a great feast to the whole world, and the whole world came and rejoiced with him for a whole week.
I was there too, and ate and drank many good things. I sha"n"t forget that feast as long as I live.
(From the Russian.)
THE GRATEFUL PRINCE
Once upon a time the king of the Goldland lost himself in a forest, and try as he would he could not find the way out. As he was wandering down one path which had looked at first more hopeful than the rest he saw a man coming towards him.
"What are you doing here, friend?" asked the stranger; "darkness is falling fast, and soon the wild beasts will come from their lairs to seek for food."
"I have lost myself," answered the king, "and am trying to get home."
"Then promise me that you will give me the first thing that comes out of your house, and I will show you the way," said the stranger.
The king did not answer directly, but after awhile he spoke: "Why should I give away my BEST sporting dog. I can surely find my way out of the forest as well as this man."
So the stranger left him, but the king followed path after path for three whole days, with no better success than before. He was almost in despair, when the stranger suddenly appeared, blocking up his way.
"Promise you will give me the first thing that comes out of your house to meet you?"
But still the king was stiff-necked and would promise nothing.
For some days longer he wandered up and down the forest, trying first one path, then another, but his courage at last gave way, and he sank wearily on the ground under a tree, feeling sure his last hour had come.
Then for the third time the stranger stood before the king, and said:
"Why are you such a fool? What can a dog be to you, that you should give your life for him like this? Just promise me the reward I want, and I will guide you out of the forest."
"Well, my life is worth more than a thousand dogs," answered the king, "the welfare of my kingdom depends on me. I accept your terms, so take me to my palace." Scarcely had he uttered the words than he found himself at the edge of the wood, with the palace in the dim distance. He made all the haste he could, and just as he reached the great gates out came the nurse with the royal baby, who stretched out his arms to his father. The king shrank back, and ordered the nurse to take the baby away at once.
Then his great boarhound bounded up to him, but his caresses were only answered by a violent push.
When the king"s anger was spent, and he was able to think what was best to be done, he exchanged his baby, a beautiful boy, for the daughter of a peasant, and the prince lived roughly as the son of poor people, while the little girl slept in a golden cradle, under silken sheets. At the end of a year, the stranger arrived to claim his property, and took away the little girl, believing her to be the true child of the king. The king was so delighted with the success of his plan that he ordered a great feast to be got ready, and gave splendid presents to the foster parents of his son, so that he might lack nothing. But he did not dare to bring back the baby, lest the trick should be found out. The peasants were quite contented with this arrangement, which gave them food and money in abundance.
By-and-by the boy grew big and tall, and seemed to lead a happy life in the house of his foster parents. But a shadow hung over him which really poisoned most of his pleasure, and that was the thought of the poor innocent girl who had suffered in his stead, for his foster father had told him in secret, that he was the king"s son. And the prince determined that when he grew old enough he would travel all over the world, and never rest till he had set her free. To become king at the cost of a maiden"s life was too heavy a price to pay. So one day he put on the dress of a farm servant, threw a sack of peas on his back, and marched straight into the forest where eighteen years before his father had lost himself. After he had walked some way he began to cry loudly: "Oh, how unlucky I am! Where can I be? Is there no one to show me the way out of the wood?"
Then appeared a strange man with a long grey beard, with a leather bag hanging from his girdle. He nodded cheerfully to the prince, and said: "I know this place well, and can lead you out of it, if you will promise me a good reward."
"What can a beggar such as I promise you?" answered the prince. "I have nothing to give you save my life; even the coat on my back belongs to my master, whom I serve for my keep and my clothes."
The stranger looked at the sack of peas, and said, "But you must possess something; you are carrying this sack, which seems to be very heavy."
"It is full of peas," was the reply. "My old aunt died last night, without leaving money enough to buy peas to give the watchers, as is the custom throughout the country. I have borrowed these peas from my master, and thought to take a short cut across the forest; but I have lost myself, as you see."
"Then you are an orphan?" asked the stranger. "Why should you not enter my service? I want a sharp fellow in the house, and you please me."
"Why not, indeed, if we can strike a bargain?" said the other. "I was born a peasant, and strange bread is always bitter, so it is the same to me whom I serve! What wages will you give me?"
"Every day fresh food, meat twice a week, b.u.t.ter and vegetables, your summer and winter clothes, and a portion of land for your own use."
"I shall be satisfied with that," said the youth. "Somebody else will have to bury my aunt. I will go with you!"
Now this bargain seemed to please the old fellow so much that he spun round like a top, and sang so loud that the whole wood rang with his voice. Then he set out with his companion, and chattered so fast that he never noticed that his new servant kept dropping peas out of the sack.
At night they slept under a fig tree, and when the sun rose started on their way. About noon they came to a large stone, and here the old fellow stopped, looked carefully round, gave a sharp whistle, and stamped three times on the ground with his left foot. Suddenly there appeared under the stone a secret door, which led to what looked like the mouth of a cave. The old fellow seized the youth by the arm, and said roughly, "Follow me!"
Thick darkness surrounded them, yet it seemed to the prince as if their path led into still deeper depths. After a long while he thought he saw a glimmer of light, but the light was neither that of the sun nor of the moon. He looked eagerly at it, but found it was only a kind of pale cloud, which was all the light this strange underworld could boast.
Earth and water, trees and plants, birds and beasts, each was different from those he had seen before; but what most struck terror into his heart was the absolute stillness that reigned everywhere. Not a rustle or a sound could be heard. Here and there he noticed a bird sitting on a branch, with head erect and swelling throat, but his ear caught nothing.
The dogs opened their mouths as if to bark, the toiling oxen seemed about to bellow, but neither bark nor bellow reached the prince. The water flowed noiselessly over the pebbles, the wind bowed the tops of the trees, flies and chafers darted about, without breaking the silence.
The old greybeard uttered no word, and when his companion tried to ask him the meaning of it all he felt that his voice died in his throat.
How long this fearful stillness lasted I do not know, but the prince gradually felt his heart turning to ice, his hair stood up like bristles, and a cold chill was creeping down his spine, when at last--oh, ecstasy!--a faint noise broke on his straining ears, and this life of shadows suddenly became real. It sounded as if a troop of horses were ploughing their way over a moor.
Then the greybeard opened his mouth, and said: "The kettle is boiling; we are expected at home."