92 The King of the Golden Mountain

There was a certain merchant who had two children, a boy and a girl;
they were both young, and could not walk. And two richly-laden ships of
his sailed forth to sea with all his property on board, and just as he
was expecting to win much money by them, news came that they had gone
to the bottom, and now instead of being a rich man he was a poor one,
and had nothing left but one field outside the town. In order to drive
his misfortune a little out of his thoughts, he went out to this field,
and as he was walking forwards and backwards in it, a little black
mannikin stood suddenly by his side, and asked why he was so sad, and
what he was taking so much to heart. Then said the merchant, “If thou
couldst help me I would willingly tell thee.” “Who knows?” replied the
black dwarf. “Perhaps, I can help thee.” Then the merchant told him
that all he possessed had gone to the bottom of the sea, and that he
had nothing left but this field. “Do not trouble thyself,” said the
dwarf. “If thou wilt promise to give me the first thing that rubs
itself against thy leg when thou art at home again, and to bring it
here to this place in twelve years’ time, thou shalt have as much money
as thou wilt.” The merchant thought, “What can that be but my dog?” and
did not remember his little boy, so he said yes, gave the black man a
written and sealed promise, and went home. When he reached home, his little boy was so delighted that he held by a
bench, tottered up to him and seized him fast by the legs. The father
was shocked, for he remembered his promise, and now knew what he had
pledged himself to do; as however, he still found no money in his
chest, he thought the dwarf had only been jesting. A month afterwards
he went up to the garret, intending to gather together some old tin and
to sell it, and saw a great heap of money lying. Then he was happy
again, made purchases, became a greater merchant than before, and felt
that this world was well-governed. In the meantime the boy grew tall,
and at the same time sharp and clever. But the nearer the twelfth year
approached the more anxious grew the merchant, so that his distress
might be seen in his face. One day his son asked what ailed him, but
the father would not say. The boy, however, persisted so long, that at
last he told him that without being aware of what he was doing, he had
promised him to a black dwarf, and had received much money for doing
so. He said likewise that he had set his hand and seal to this, and
that now when twelve years had gone by he would have to give him up. Then said the son, “Oh, father, do not be uneasy, all will go well. The
black man has no power over me.” The son had himself blessed by the
priest, and when the time came, father and son went together to the
field, and the son made a circle and placed himself inside it with his
father. Then came the black dwarf and said to the old man, “Hast thou
brought with thee that which thou hast promised me?” He was silent, but
the son asked, “What dost thou want here?” Then said the black dwarf,
“I have to speak with thy father, and not with thee.” The son replied,
“Thou hast betrayed and misled my father, give back the writing.” “No,”
said the black dwarf, “I will not give up my rights.” They spoke
together for a long time after this, but at last they agreed that the
son, as he did not belong to the enemy of mankind, nor yet to his
father, should seat himself in a small boat, which should lie on water
which was flowing away from them, and that the father should push it
off with his own foot, and then the son should remain given up to the
water. So he took leave of his father, placed himself in a little boat,
and the father had to push it off with his own foot. The boat capsized
so that the keel was uppermost, and the father believed his son was
lost, and went home and mourned for him. The boat, however, did not sink, but floated quietly away, and the boy
sat safely inside it, and it floated thus for a long time, until at
last it stopped by an unknown shore. Then he landed and saw a beautiful
castle before him, and set out to go to it. But when he entered it, he
found that it was bewitched. He went through every room, but all were
empty until he reached the last, where a snake lay coiled in a ring. The snake, however, was an enchanted maiden, who rejoiced to see him,
and said, “Hast thou come, oh, my deliverer? I have already waited
twelve years for thee; this kingdom is bewitched, and thou must set it
free.” “How can I do that?” he inquired. “To-night come twelve black
men, covered with chains who will ask what thou art doing here; keep
silent; give them no answer, and let them do what they will with thee;
they will torment thee, beat thee, stab thee; let everything pass, only
do not speak; at twelve o’clock, they must go away again. On the second
night twelve others will come; on the third, four-and-twenty, who will
cut off thy head, but at twelve o’clock their power will be over, and
then if thou hast endured all, and hast not spoken the slightest word,
I shall be released. I will come to thee, and will have, in a bottle,
some of the water of life. I will rub thee with that, and then thou
wilt come to life again, and be as healthy as before.” Then said he, “I
will gladly set thee free.” And everything happened just as she had
said; the black men could not force a single word from him, and on the
third night the snake became a beautiful princess, who came with the
water of life and brought him back to life again. So she threw herself
into his arms and kissed him, and there was joy and gladness in the
whole castle. After this their marriage was celebrated, and he was King
of the Golden Mountain. They lived very happily together, and the Queen bore a fine boy. Eight
years had already gone by, when the King bethought him of his father;
his heart was moved, and he wished to visit him. The Queen, however,
would not let him go away, and said, “I know beforehand that it will
cause my unhappiness;” but he suffered her to have no rest until she
consented. At their parting she gave him a wishing-ring, and said,
“Take this ring and put it on thy finger, and then thou wilt
immediately be transported whithersoever thou wouldst be, only thou
must promise me not to use it in wishing me away from this place and
with thy father.” That he promised her, put the ring on his finger, and
wished himself at home, just outside the town where his father lived. Instantly he found himself there, and made for the town, but when he
came to the gate, the sentries would not let him in, because he wore
such strange and yet such rich and magnificent clothing. Then he went
to a hill where a shepherd was watching his sheep, changed clothes with
him, put on his old shepherd’s-coat, and then entered the town without
hindrance.