Then her golden hair shone forth,
and she stood there in full splendour, and could no longer hide
herself. And when she had washed the soot and ashes from her face, she
was more beautiful than anyone who had ever been seen on earth. But the
King said, “Thou art my dear bride, and we will never more part from
each other.” Thereupon the marriage was solemnized, and they lived
happily until their death. 66 The Hare’s Bride

There was once a woman and her daughter who lived in a pretty garden
with cabbages; and a little hare came into it, and during the winter
time ate all the cabbages. Then says the mother to the daughter, “Go
into the garden, and chase the hare away.” The girl says to the little
hare, “Sh-sh, hare, you are still eating up all our cabbages.” Says the
hare, “Come, maiden, and seat yourself on my little hare’s tail, and
come with me into my little hare’s hut.” The girl will not do it. Next
day the hare comes again and eats the cabbages, then says the mother to
the daughter, “Go into the garden, and drive the hare away.” The girl
says to the hare, “Sh-sh, little hare, you are still eating all the
cabbages.” The little hare says, “Maiden, seat thyself on my little
hare’s tail, and come with me into my little hare’s hut.” The maiden
refuses. The third day the hare comes again, and eats the cabbages. On
this the mother says to the daughter, “Go into the garden, and hunt the
hare away.” Says the maiden, “Sh-sh, little hare, you are still eating
all our cabbages.” Says the little hare, “Come, maiden, seat thyself on
my little hare’s tail, and come with me into my little hare’s hut.” The
girl seats herself on the little hare’s tail, and then the hare takes
her far away to his little hut, and says, “Now cook green cabbage and
millet-seed, and I will invite the wedding-guests.” Then all the
wedding-guests assembled. (Who were the wedding-guests?) That I can
tell you as another told it to me. They were all hares, and the crow
was there as parson to marry the bride and bridegroom, and the fox as
clerk, and the altar was under the rainbow. The girl, however, was sad, for she was all alone. The little hare
comes and says, “Open the doors, open the doors, the wedding-guests are
merry.” The bride says nothing, but weeps. The little hare goes away. The little hare comes back and says, “Take off the lid, take off the
lid, the wedding-guests are hungry.” The bride again says nothing, and
weeps. The little hare goes away. The little hare comes back and says,
“Take off the lid, take off the lid, the wedding-guests are waiting.”
Then the bride says nothing, and the hare goes away, but she dresses a
straw-doll in her clothes, and gives her a spoon to stir with, and sets
her by the pan with the millet-seed, and goes back to her mother. The
little hare comes once more and says, “Take off the lid, take off the
lid,” and gets up, and strikes the doll on the head so that her cap
falls off. Then the little hare sees that it is not his bride, and goes away and
is sorrowful. 67 The Twelve Huntsmen

There was once a King’s son who was betrothed to a maiden whom he loved
very much. And when he was sitting beside her and very happy, news came
that his father lay sick unto death, and desired to see him once again
before his end. Then he said to his beloved, “I must now go and leave
thee, I give thee a ring as a remembrance of me. When I am King, I will
return and fetch thee.” So he rode away, and when he reached his
father, the latter was dangerously ill, and near his death. He said to
him, “Dear son, I wished to see thee once again before my end, promise
me to marry as I wish,” and he named a certain King’s daughter who was
to be his wife. The son was in such trouble that he did not think what
he was doing, and said, “Yes, dear father, your will shall be done,”
and thereupon the King shut his eyes, and died. When therefore the son had been proclaimed King, and the time of
mourning was over, he was forced to keep the promise which he had given
his father, and caused the King’s daughter to be asked in marriage, and
she was promised to him. His first betrothed heard of this, and fretted
so much about his faithlessness that she nearly died. Then her father
said to her, “Dearest child, why art thou so sad? Thou shalt have
whatsoever thou wilt.” She thought for a moment and said, “Dear father,
I wish for eleven girls exactly like myself in face, figure, and size.”
The father said, “If it be possible, thy desire shall be fulfilled,”
and he caused a search to be made in his whole kingdom, until eleven
young maidens were found who exactly resembled his daughter in face,
figure, and size. When they came to the King’s daughter, she had twelve suits of
huntsmen’s clothes made, all alike, and the eleven maidens had to put
on the huntsmen’s clothes, and she herself put on the twelfth suit. Thereupon she took leave of her father, and rode away with them, and
rode to the court of her former betrothed, whom she loved so dearly. Then she inquired if he required any huntsmen, and if he would take the
whole of them into his service. The King looked at her and did not know
her, but as they were such handsome fellows, he said, “Yes,” and that
he would willingly take them, and now they were the King’s twelve
huntsmen. The King, however, had a lion which was a wondrous animal, for he knew
all concealed and secret things. It came to pass that one evening he
said to the King, “Thou thinkest thou hast twelve huntsmen?” “Yes,”
said the King, “they are twelve huntsmen.” The lion continued, “Thou
art mistaken, they are twelve girls.” The King said, “That cannot be
true! How wilt thou prove that to me?” “Oh, just let some peas be
strewn in thy ante-chamber,” answered the lion, “and then thou wilt
soon see it. Men have a firm step, and when they walk over the peas
none of them stir, but girls trip and skip, and drag their feet, and
the peas roll about.” The King was well pleased with the counsel, and
caused the peas to be strewn. There was, however, a servant of the King’s who favored the huntsmen,
and when he heard that they were going to be put to this test he went
to them and repeated everything, and said, “The lion wants to make the
King believe that you are girls.” Then the King’s daughter thanked him,
and said to her maidens, “Put on some strength, and step firmly on the
peas.” So next morning when the King had the twelve huntsmen called
before him, and they came into the ante-chamber where the peas were
lying, they stepped so firmly on them, and had such a strong, sure
walk, that not one of the peas either rolled or stirred. Then they went
away again, and the King said to the lion, “Thou hast lied to me, they
walk just like men.” The lion said, “They have got to know that they
were going to be put to the test, and have assumed some strength.