But the time was long to him, and he looked
at the reflection of his face on the surface of the water. And as he
still bent down more and more while he was doing so, and trying to look
straight into the eyes, his long hair fell down from his shoulders into
the water. He raised himself up quickly, but the whole of the hair of
his head was already golden and shone like the sun. You may imagine how
terrified the poor boy was! He took his pocket-handkerchief and tied it
round his head, in order that the man might not see it. When he came he
already knew everything, and said, “Take the handkerchief off.” Then
the golden hair streamed forth, and let the boy excuse himself as he
might, it was of no use. “Thou hast not stood the trial, and canst stay
here no longer. Go forth into the world, there thou wilt learn what
poverty is. But as thou hast not a bad heart, and as I mean well by
thee, there is one thing I will grant thee; if thou fallest into any
difficulty, come to the forest and cry, ‘Iron John,’ and then I will
come and help thee. My power is great, greater than thou thinkest, and
I have gold and silver in abundance.”

Then the King’s son left the forest, and walked by beaten and unbeaten
paths ever onwards until at length he reached a great city. There he
looked for work, but could find none, and he had learnt nothing by
which he could help himself. At length he went to the palace, and asked
if they would take him in. The people about court did not at all know
what use they could make of him, but they liked him, and told him to
stay. At length the cook took him into his service, and said he might
carry wood and water, and rake the cinders together. Once when it so
happened that no one else was at hand, the cook ordered him to carry
the food to the royal table, but as he did not like to let his golden
hair be seen, he kept his little cap on. Such a thing as that had never
yet come under the King’s notice, and he said, “When thou comest to the
royal table thou must take thy hat off.” He answered, “Ah, Lord, I
cannot; I have a bad sore place on my head.” Then the King had the cook
called before him and scolded him, and asked how he could take such a
boy as that into his service; and that he was to turn him off at once. The cook, however, had pity on him, and exchanged him for the
gardener’s boy. And now the boy had to plant and water the garden, hoe and dig, and
bear the wind and bad weather. Once in summer when he was working alone
in the garden, the day was so warm he took his little cap off that the
air might cool him. As the sun shone on his hair it glittered and
flashed so that the rays fell into the bed-room of the King’s daughter,
and up she sprang to see what that could be. Then she saw the boy, and
cried to him, “Boy, bring me a wreath of flowers.” He put his cap on
with all haste, and gathered wild field-flowers and bound them
together. When he was ascending the stairs with them, the gardener met
him, and said, “How canst thou take the King’s daughter a garland of
such common flowers? Go quickly, and get another, and seek out the
prettiest and rarest.” “Oh, no,” replied the boy, “the wild ones have
more scent, and will please her better.” When he got into the room, the
King’s daughter said, “Take thy cap off, it is not seemly to keep it on
in my presence.” He again said, “I may not, I have a sore head.” She,
however, caught at his cap and pulled it off, and then his golden hair
rolled down on his shoulders, and it was splendid to behold. He wanted
to run out, but she held him by the arm, and gave him a handful of
ducats. With these he departed, but he cared nothing for the gold
pieces. He took them to the gardener, and said, “I present them to thy
children, they can play with them.” The following day the King’s
daughter again called to him that he was to bring her a wreath of
field-flowers, and when he went in with it, she instantly snatched at
his cap, and wanted to take it away from him, but he held it fast with
both hands. She again gave him a handful of ducats, but he would not
keep them, and gave them to the gardener for playthings for his
children. On the third day things went just the same; she could not get
his cap away from him, and he would not have her money. Not long afterwards, the country was overrun by war. The King gathered
together his people, and did not know whether or not he could offer any
opposition to the enemy, who was superior in strength and had a mighty
army. Then said the gardener’s boy, “I am grown up, and will go to the
wars also, only give me a horse.” The others laughed, and said, “Seek
one for thyself when we are gone, we will leave one behind us in the
stable for thee.” When they had gone forth, he went into the stable,
and got the horse out; it was lame of one foot, and limped hobblety
jig, hobblety jig; nevertheless he mounted it, and rode away to the
dark forest. When he came to the outskirts, he called “Iron John,”
three times so loudly that it echoed through the trees. Thereupon the
wild man appeared immediately, and said, “What dost thou desire?” “I
want a strong steed, for I am going to the wars.” “That thou shalt
have, and still more than thou askest for.” Then the wild man went back
into the forest, and it was not long before a stable-boy came out of
it, who led a horse that snorted with its nostrils, and could hardly be
restrained, and behind them followed a great troop of soldiers entirely
equipped in iron, and their swords flashed in the sun. The youth made
over his three-legged horse to the stable-boy, mounted the other, and
rode at the head of the soldiers. When he got near the battle-field a
great part of the King’s men had already fallen, and little was wanting
to make the rest give way. Then the youth galloped thither with his
iron soldiers, broke like a hurricane over the enemy, and beat down all
who opposed him. They began to fly, but the youth pursued, and never
stopped, until there was not a single man left. Instead, however, of
returning to the King, he conducted his troop by bye-ways back to the
forest, and called forth Iron John. “What dost thou desire?” asked the
wild man. “Take back thy horse and thy troops, and give me my
three-legged horse again.” All that he asked was done, and soon he was
riding on his three-legged horse. When the King returned to his palace,
his daughter went to meet him, and wished him joy of his victory.