The man called the fish together with his horn, but none of them knew
anything about it. At last came an old, old pike, which he had great
difficulty in bringing home to him.
When he asked the pike, it said, ‘Yes, Whiteland is well known to me,
for I have been cook there these ten years. To-morrow morning I have to
go back there, for now the Queen, whose King is staying away, is to
marry some one else.’
‘If that be the case I will give you a piece of advice,’ said the man.
‘Not far from here on a moor stand three brothers, who have stood there
a hundred years fighting for a hat, a cloak, and a pair of boots; if
any one has these three things he can make himself invisible, and if he
desires to go to any place, he has but to wish and he is there. You may
tell them that you have a desire to try these things, and then you will
be able to decide which of the men is to have them.’
So the King thanked him and went, and did what he had said.
‘What is this that you are standing fighting about for ever and ever?’
said he to the brothers; ‘let me make a trial of these things, and then
I will judge between you.’
They willingly consented to this, but when he had got the hat, the
cloak, and the boots, he said, ‘Next time we meet you shall have my
decision,’ and hereupon he wished himself away.
While he was going quickly through the air he fell in with the North
Wind.
‘And where may you be going?’ said the North Wind.
‘To Whiteland,’ said the King, and then he related what had happened to
him.
‘Well,’ said the North Wind, ‘you can easily go a little quicker than I
can, for I have to puff and blow into every corner; but when you get
there, place yourself on the stairs by the side of the door, and then I
will come blustering in as if I wanted to blow down the whole castle,
and when the Prince who is to have your Queen comes out to see what is
astir, just take him by the throat and fling him out, and then I will
try to carry him away from court.’
As the North Wind had said, so did the King. He stood on the stairs,
and when the North Wind came howling and roaring, and caught the roof
and walls of the castle till they shook again, the Prince went out to
see what was the matter; but as soon as he came the King took him by
the neck and flung him out, and then the North Wind laid hold of him
and carried him off. And when he was rid of him the King went into the
castle. At first the Queen did not know him, because he had grown so
thin and pale from having travelled so long and so sorrowfully; but
when she saw her ring she was heartily glad, and then the rightful
wedding was held, and held in such a way that it was talked about far
and wide.[12]
[12] From J. Moe.
THE VOICE OF DEATH
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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