merve/folk-mythology-tales · Datasets at Hugging Face

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stealing anything out of it that I wished to have.'

When the king heard this he fell into a passion. 'I will not pardon
you, you rascal,' he cried; 'I will shut you up in my deepest dungeon on
bread and water till you have forgotten such a trade. Indeed, it would
be better to put you to death at once, and I've a good mind to do so.'

'Don't kill me, O king! I am really not as bad as you think. Why, had I
chosen, I could have robbed the royal treasury, have bribed your judges
to let me off, and built a white marble palace with what was left.
But though I know how to steal I don't do it. You yourself asked me my
trade. If you kill me you will break your royal word.'

'Very well,' said the king, 'I will not kill you. I pardon you. But from
this hour you shall be shut up in a dark dungeon. Here, guards! away
with him to the prison. But you six Simons follow me and be assured of
my royal favour.'

So the six Simons followed the king. The seventh Simon was seized by the
guards, who put him in chains and threw him in prison with only bread
and water for food. Next day the king gave the first Simon carpenters,
masons, smiths and labourers, with great stores of iron, mortar, and the
like, and Simon began to build. And he built his great white pillar
far, far up into the clouds, as high as the nearest stars; but the other
stars were higher still.

Then the second Simon climbed up the pillar and saw and heard all that
was going on through the whole world. When he came down he had all sorts
of wonderful things to tell. How one king was marching in battle against
another, and which was likely to be the victor. How, in another place,
great rejoicings were going on, while in a third people were dying of
famine. In fact there was not the smallest event going on over the earth
that was hidden from him.

Next the third Simon began. He stretched out his arms, once, twice,
thrice, and the wonder-ship was ready. At a sign from the king it was
launched, and floated proudly and safely like a bird on the waves.
Instead of ropes it had wires for rigging, and musicians played on them
with fiddle bows and made lovely music. As the ship swam about, the
fourth Simon seized the prow with his strong hand, and in a moment it
was gone--sunk to the bottom of the sea. An hour passed, and then the
ship floated again, drawn up by Simon's left hand, while in his right he
brought a gigantic fish from the depth of the ocean for the royal table.

Whilst this was going on the fifth Simon had built his forge and
hammered out his iron, and when the king returned from the harbour the
magic cross-bow was made.

His Majesty went out into an open field at once, looked up into the sky
and saw, far, far away, an eagle flying up towards the sun and looking
like a little speck.

'Now,' said the king, 'if you can shoot that bird I will reward you.'

Simon only smiled; he lifted his cross-bow, took aim, fired, and the
eagle fell. As it was falling the sixth Simon ran with a dish, caught
the bird before it fell to earth and brought it to the king.

'Many thanks, my brave lads,' said the king; 'I see that each of you is
indeed a master of his trade. You shall be richly rewarded. But now rest
and have your dinner.'

The six Simons bowed and went to dinner. But they had hardly begun
before a messenger came to say that the king wanted to see them. They
obeyed at once and found him surrounded by all his court and men of
state.

'Listen, my good fellows,' cried the king, as soon as he saw them. 'Hear
what my wise counsellors have thought of. As you, Simon the second,
can see the whole world from the top of the great pillar, I want you to
climb up and to see and hear. For I am told that, far away, across many
seas, is the great kingdom of the Island of Busan, and that the daughter
of the king is the beautiful Princess Helena.'

Off ran the second Simon and clambered quickly up the pillar. He gazed
around, listened on all sides, and then slid down to report to the king.

'Sire, I have obeyed your orders. Far away I saw the Island of Busan.
The king is a mighty monarch, but full of pride, harsh and cruel. He
sits on his throne and declares that no prince or king on earth is good
enough for his lovely daughter, that he will give her to none, and
that if any king asks for her hand he will declare war against him and
destroy his kingdom.'

'Has the king of Busan a great army?' asked King Archidej; 'is his
country far off?'

'As far as I could judge,' replied Simon, 'it would take you nearly ten
years in fair weather to sail there. But if the weather were stormy
we might say twelve. I saw the army being reviewed. It is not so very
large--a hundred thousand men at arms and a hundred thousand knights.
Besides these, he has a strong bodyguard and a good many cross-bowmen.
Altogether you may say another hundred thousand, and there is a picked
body of heroes who reserve themselves for great occasions requiring
particular courage.'

The king sat for some time lost in thought. At last he said to the
nobles and courtiers standing round: 'I am determined to marry the
Princess Helena, but how shall I do it?'

stealing anything out of it that I wished to have.'

When the king heard this he fell into a passion. 'I will not pardon

you, you rascal,' he cried; 'I will shut you up in my deepest dungeon on

bread and water till you have forgotten such a trade. Indeed, it would

be better to put you to death at once, and I've a good mind to do so.'

'Don't kill me, O king! I am really not as bad as you think. Why, had I

chosen, I could have robbed the royal treasury, have bribed your judges

to let me off, and built a white marble palace with what was left.

But though I know how to steal I don't do it. You yourself asked me my

trade. If you kill me you will break your royal word.'

'Very well,' said the king, 'I will not kill you. I pardon you. But from

this hour you shall be shut up in a dark dungeon. Here, guards! away

with him to the prison. But you six Simons follow me and be assured of

my royal favour.'

So the six Simons followed the king. The seventh Simon was seized by the

guards, who put him in chains and threw him in prison with only bread

and water for food. Next day the king gave the first Simon carpenters,

masons, smiths and labourers, with great stores of iron, mortar, and the

like, and Simon began to build. And he built his great white pillar

far, far up into the clouds, as high as the nearest stars; but the other

stars were higher still.

Then the second Simon climbed up the pillar and saw and heard all that

was going on through the whole world. When he came down he had all sorts

of wonderful things to tell. How one king was marching in battle against

another, and which was likely to be the victor. How, in another place,

great rejoicings were going on, while in a third people were dying of

famine. In fact there was not the smallest event going on over the earth

that was hidden from him.

Next the third Simon began. He stretched out his arms, once, twice,

thrice, and the wonder-ship was ready. At a sign from the king it was

launched, and floated proudly and safely like a bird on the waves.

Instead of ropes it had wires for rigging, and musicians played on them

with fiddle bows and made lovely music. As the ship swam about, the

fourth Simon seized the prow with his strong hand, and in a moment it

was gone--sunk to the bottom of the sea. An hour passed, and then the

ship floated again, drawn up by Simon's left hand, while in his right he

brought a gigantic fish from the depth of the ocean for the royal table.

Whilst this was going on the fifth Simon had built his forge and

hammered out his iron, and when the king returned from the harbour the

magic cross-bow was made.

His Majesty went out into an open field at once, looked up into the sky

and saw, far, far away, an eagle flying up towards the sun and looking

like a little speck.

'Now,' said the king, 'if you can shoot that bird I will reward you.'

Simon only smiled; he lifted his cross-bow, took aim, fired, and the

eagle fell. As it was falling the sixth Simon ran with a dish, caught

the bird before it fell to earth and brought it to the king.

'Many thanks, my brave lads,' said the king; 'I see that each of you is

indeed a master of his trade. You shall be richly rewarded. But now rest

and have your dinner.'

The six Simons bowed and went to dinner. But they had hardly begun

before a messenger came to say that the king wanted to see them. They

obeyed at once and found him surrounded by all his court and men of

state.

'Listen, my good fellows,' cried the king, as soon as he saw them. 'Hear

what my wise counsellors have thought of. As you, Simon the second,

can see the whole world from the top of the great pillar, I want you to

climb up and to see and hear. For I am told that, far away, across many

seas, is the great kingdom of the Island of Busan, and that the daughter

of the king is the beautiful Princess Helena.'

Off ran the second Simon and clambered quickly up the pillar. He gazed

around, listened on all sides, and then slid down to report to the king.

'Sire, I have obeyed your orders. Far away I saw the Island of Busan.

The king is a mighty monarch, but full of pride, harsh and cruel. He

sits on his throne and declares that no prince or king on earth is good

enough for his lovely daughter, that he will give her to none, and

that if any king asks for her hand he will declare war against him and

destroy his kingdom.'

'Has the king of Busan a great army?' asked King Archidej; 'is his

country far off?'

'As far as I could judge,' replied Simon, 'it would take you nearly ten

years in fair weather to sail there. But if the weather were stormy

we might say twelve. I saw the army being reviewed. It is not so very

large--a hundred thousand men at arms and a hundred thousand knights.

Besides these, he has a strong bodyguard and a good many cross-bowmen.

Altogether you may say another hundred thousand, and there is a picked

body of heroes who reserve themselves for great occasions requiring

particular courage.'

The king sat for some time lost in thought. At last he said to the

nobles and courtiers standing round: 'I am determined to marry the

Princess Helena, but how shall I do it?'