"That we will see," said the ugly man. "If you are stronger than I, I
will let you go; come, let us try"; and he led him away through a dark
passage to a smith's forge. Then taking up an axe he cut through the
anvil at one blow down to the ground. "I can do that still better," said
the youth, and went to another anvil, while the old man followed him and
watched him, with his long beard hanging down. Then the youth took up an
axe, and, splitting the anvil at one blow, wedged the old man's beard in
it. "Now I have you; now death comes upon you!" and taking up an iron
bar he beat the old man until he groaned, and begged him to stop, and he
would give him great riches. So the youth drew out the axe, and let him
loose. Then the old man, leading him back into the castle, showed him
three chests full of gold in a cellar. "One share of this," said he,
"belongs to the poor, another to the King, and a third to yourself." And
just then it struck twelve and the old man vanished, leaving the youth
in the dark. "I must help myself out here," said he, and groping round
he found his way back to his room and went to sleep by the fire.
The next morning the King came and inquired, "Now have you learnt to
shiver?" "No," replied the youth; "what is it? My dead cousin came here,
and a bearded man, who showed me a lot of gold down below; but what
shivering means, no one has showed me!" Then the King said, "You have
won the castle, and shall marry my daughter."
"That is all very fine," replied the youth, "but still I don't know what
shivering means."
So the gold was fetched, and the wedding was celebrated, but the young
Prince (for the youth was a Prince now), notwithstanding his love for
his bride, and his great contentment, was still continually crying, "If
I could but shiver! if I could but shiver!" At last it fell out in this
wise: one of the chambermaids said to the Princess, "Let me bring in my
aid to teach him what shivering is." So she went to the brook which
flowed through the garden, and drew up a pail of water full of little
fish; and, at night, when the young Prince was asleep, his bride drew
away the covering and poured the pail of cold water and the little
fishes over him, so that they slipped all about him. Then the Prince
woke up directly, calling out, "Oh! that makes me shiver! dear wife,
that makes me shiver! Yes, now I know what shivering means!"
DUMMLING AND THE THREE FEATHERS
Once upon a time there lived a King who had three sons; the two elder
were learned and bright, but the youngest said very little and appeared
somewhat foolish, so he was always known as Dummling.
When the King grew old and feeble, feeling that he was nearing his end,
he wished to leave the crown to one of his three sons, but could not
decide to which. He thereupon settled that they should travel, and that
the one who could obtain the most splendid carpet should ascend the
throne when he died.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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