But when he blew
through it for the first time, to his great astonishment, the bone
began of its own accord to sing:

“Ah, friend, thou blowest upon my bone! Long have I lain beside the water;
My brother slew me for the boar,
And took for his wife the King’s young daughter.”


“What a wonderful horn!” said the shepherd; “it sings by itself; I must
take it to my lord the King.” And when he came with it to the King the
horn again began to sing its little song. The King understood it all,
and caused the ground below the bridge to be dug up, and then the whole
skeleton of the murdered man came to light. The wicked brother could
not deny the deed, and was sewn up in a sack and drowned. But the bones
of the murdered man were laid to rest in a beautiful tomb in the
churchyard. 29 The Devil With the Three Golden Hairs

There was once a poor woman who gave birth to a little son; and as he
came into the world with a caul on, it was predicted that in his
fourteenth year he would have the King’s daughter for his wife. It
happened that soon afterwards the King came into the village, and no
one knew that he was the King, and when he asked the people what news
there was, they answered, “A child has just been born with a caul on;
whatever any one so born undertakes turns out well. It is prophesied,
too, that in his fourteenth year he will have the King’s daughter for
his wife.”

The King, who had a bad heart, and was angry about the prophecy, went
to the parents, and, seeming quite friendly, said, “You poor people,
let me have your child, and I will take care of it.” At first they
refused, but when the stranger offered them a large amount of gold for
it, and they thought, “It is a luck-child, and everything must turn out
well for it,” they at last consented, and gave him the child. The King put it in a box and rode away with it until he came to a deep
piece of water; then he threw the box into it and thought, “I have
freed my daughter from her unlooked-for suitor.”

The box, however, did not sink, but floated like a boat, and not a drop
of water made its way into it. And it floated to within two miles of
the King’s chief city, where there was a mill, and it came to a
stand-still at the mill-dam. A miller’s boy, who by good luck was
standing there, noticed it and pulled it out with a hook, thinking that
he had found a great treasure, but when he opened it there lay a pretty
boy inside, quite fresh and lively. He took him to the miller and his
wife, and as they had no children they were glad, and said, “God has
given him to us.” They took great care of the foundling, and he grew up
in all goodness. It happened that once in a storm, the King went into the mill, and he
asked the mill-folk if the tall youth was their son. “No,” answered
they, “he’s a foundling. Fourteen years ago he floated down to the
mill-dam in a box, and the mill-boy pulled him out of the water.”

Then the King knew that it was none other than the luck-child which he
had thrown into the water, and he said, “My good people, could not the
youth take a letter to the Queen; I will give him two gold pieces as a
reward?” “Just as the King commands,” answered they, and they told the
boy to hold himself in readiness. Then the King wrote a letter to the
Queen, wherein he said, “As soon as the boy arrives with this letter,
let him be killed and buried, and all must be done before I come home.”

The boy set out with this letter; but he lost his way, and in the
evening came to a large forest. In the darkness he saw a small light;
he went towards it and reached a cottage. When he went in, an old woman
was sitting by the fire quite alone. She started when she saw the boy,
and said, “Whence do you come, and whither are you going?” “I come from
the mill,” he answered, “and wish to go to the Queen, to whom I am
taking a letter; but as I have lost my way in the forest I should like
to stay here over night.” “You poor boy,” said the woman, “you have
come into a den of thieves, and when they come home they will kill
you.” “Let them come,” said the boy, “I am not afraid; but I am so
tired that I cannot go any farther:” and he stretched himself upon a
bench and fell asleep. Soon afterwards the robbers came, and angrily asked what strange boy
was lying there? “Ah,” said the old woman, “it is an innocent child who
has lost himself in the forest, and out of pity I have let him come in;
he has to take a letter to the Queen.” The robbers opened the letter
and read it, and in it was written that the boy as soon as he arrived
should be put to death. Then the hard-hearted robbers felt pity, and
their leader tore up the letter and wrote another, saying, that as soon
as the boy came, he should be married at once to the King’s daughter. Then they let him lie quietly on the bench until the next morning, and
when he awoke they gave him the letter, and showed him the right way. And the Queen, when she had received the letter and read it, did as was
written in it, and had a splendid wedding-feast prepared, and the
King’s daughter was married to the luck-child, and as the youth was
handsome and agreeable she lived with him in joy and contentment. After some time the King returned to his palace and saw that the
prophecy was fulfilled, and the luck-child married to his daughter. “How has that come to pass?” said he; “I gave quite another order in my
letter.”

So the Queen gave him the letter, and said that he might see for
himself what was written in it. The King read the letter and saw quite
well that it had been exchanged for the other. He asked the youth what
had become of the letter entrusted to him, and why he had brought
another instead of it. “I know nothing about it,” answered he; “it must
have been changed in the night, when I slept in the forest.” The King
said in a passion, “You shall not have everything quite so much your
own way; whosoever marries my daughter must fetch me from hell three
golden hairs from the head of the devil; bring me what I want, and you
shall keep my daughter.” In this way the King hoped to be rid of him
for ever. But the luck-child answered, “I will fetch the golden hairs,
I am not afraid of the Devil;” thereupon he took leave of them and
began his journey. The road led him to a large town, where the watchman by the gates asked
him what his trade was, and what he knew. “I know everything,” answered
the luck-child. “Then you can do us a favour,” said the watchman, “if
you will tell us why our market-fountain, which once flowed with wine
has become dry, and no longer gives even water?” “That you shall know,”
answered he; “only wait until I come back.”

Then he went farther and came to another town, and there also the
gatekeeper asked him what was his trade, and what he knew. “I know
everything,” answered he.