Children -- Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Children's stories; Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Fairy tales
On the third day the boy again sat by the well; but he took good care
not to move a finger, however much it might hurt. The time seemed very
long to him as he looked at his face reflected in the water. As he
bent over further and further to look into his eyes, his long hair
fell over his shoulder right into the water. He started up at once,
but not before his whole head of hair had become golden, and glittered
like the sun. You may imagine how frightened the poor boy was. He took
his pocket-handkerchief and tied it over his head, so that Iron Hans
should not see it. But he knew all about it before he came, and at
once said, 'Take that handkerchief off your head,' and then all the
golden hair tumbled out. All the poor boy's excuses were no good. 'You
have not stood the test, and you can no longer stay here. You must go
out into the world, and there you will learn the meaning of poverty.
But as your heart is not bad, and as I wish you well, I will grant you
one thing. When you are in great need, go to the forest and cry "Iron
Hans," and I will come and help you. My power is great, greater than
you think, and I have gold and silver in abundance.'
So the King's son left the forest, and wandered over trodden and
untrodden paths till he reached a great city. He tried to get work,
but he could not find any; besides, he knew no trade by which to make
a living. At last he went to the castle and asked if they would employ
him. The courtiers did not know what use they could make of him, but
they were taken with his appearance, and said he might stay. At last
the Cook took him into his service, and said he might carry wood and
water for him, and sweep up the ashes.
One day, as there was no one else at hand, the Cook ordered him to
carry the food up to the royal table. As he did not want his golden
hair to be seen, he kept his cap on. Nothing of the sort had ever
happened in the presence of the King before, and he said, 'When you
come into the royal presence, you must take your cap off.'
'Alas, Sire,' he said, 'I cannot take it off, I have a bad wound on my
head.'
Then the King ordered the Cook to be called, and asked how he could
take such a boy into his service, and ordered him to be sent away at
once. But the Cook was sorry for him, and exchanged him with the
Gardener's boy.
Now the boy had to dig and hoe, plant and water, in every kind of
weather. One day in the summer, when he was working alone in the
garden, it was very hot, and he took off his cap for the fresh air to
cool his head. When the sun shone on his hair it glittered so that the
beams penetrated right into the Princess's bedroom, and she sprang up
to see what it was. She discovered the youth, and called to him,
'Bring me a nosegay, young man.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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