When he reached home, his brothers had built themselves a handsome
house with their silver and gold, and were living in clover. He went to
see them, but as he came in a ragged coat, with his shabby hat on his
head, and his old knapsack on his back, they would not acknowledge him
as their brother. They mocked and said, “Thou givest out that thou art
our brother who despised silver and gold, and craved for something
still better for himself. He will come in his carriage in full
splendour like a mighty king, not like a beggar,” and they drove him
out of doors. Then he fell into a rage, and tapped his knapsack until a
hundred and fifty men stood before him armed from head to foot. He
commanded them to surround his brothers’ house, and two of them were to
take hazel-sticks with them, and beat the two insolent men until they
knew who he was. A violent disturbance arose, people ran together, and
wanted to lend the two some help in their need, but against the
soldiers they could do nothing. News of this at length came to the
King, who was very angry, and ordered a captain to march out with his
troop, and drive this disturber of the peace out of the town; but the
man with the knapsack soon got a greater body of men together, who
repulsed the captain and his men, so that they were forced to retire
with bloody noses. The King said, “This vagabond is not brought to
order yet,” and next day sent a still larger troop against him, but
they could do even less. The youth set still more men against them, and
in order to be done the sooner, he turned his hat twice round on his
head, and heavy guns began to play, and the king’s men were beaten and
put to flight. “And now,” said he, “I will not make peace until the
King gives me his daughter to wife, and I govern the whole kingdom in
his name.” He caused this to be announced to the King, and the latter
said to his daughter, “Necessity is a hard nut to crack, what remains
to me but to do what he desires? If I want peace and to keep the crown
on my head, I must give thee away.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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