The Blue Fairy Book
Trusty John always missed one door, and said: “Why do you never open
this one for me?” “There is something inside that would appall you,” he
answered. But the King replied: “I have seen the whole castle, and shall
find out what is in there”; and with these words he approached the door
and wanted to force it open. But Trusty John held him back, and said: “I
promised your father before his death that you shouldn’t see what that
room contains. It might bring both you and me to great grief.” “Ah!
no,” answered the young King; “if I don’t get in, it will be my certain
destruction; I should have no peace night or day till I had seen what
was in the room with my own eyes. Now I don’t budge from the spot till
you have opened the door.”
Then Trusty John saw there was no way out of it, so with a heavy heart
and many sighs he took the key from the big bunch. When he had opened
the door he stepped in first, and thought to cover the likeness so that
the King might not perceive it; but it was hopeless: the King stood on
tiptoe and looked over his shoulder. And when he saw the picture of the
maid, so beautiful and glittering with gold and precious stones, he fell
swooning to the ground. Trusty John lifted him up, carried him to bed,
and thought sorrowfully: “The curse has come upon us; gracious heaven!
what will be the end of it all?” Then he poured wine down his throat
till he came to himself again. The first words he spoke were: “Oh! who
is the original of the beautiful picture?” “She is the Princess of the
Golden Roof,” answered Trusty John. Then the King continued: “My love
for her is so great that if all the leaves on the trees had tongues they
could not express it; my very life depends on my winning her. You are my
most trusty John: you must stand by me.”
The faithful servant pondered long how they were to set about the
matter, for it was said to be difficult even to get into the presence of
the Princess. At length he hit upon a plan, and spoke to the King: “All
the things she has about her--tables, chairs, dishes, goblets, bowls,
and all her household furniture--are made of gold. You have in
your treasure five tons of gold; let the goldsmiths of your kingdom
manufacture them into all manner of vases and vessels, into all sorts of
birds and game and wonderful beasts; that will please her. We shall
go to her with them and try our luck.” The King summoned all his
goldsmiths, and they had to work hard day and night, till at length the
most magnificent things were completed. When a ship had been laden with
them the faithful John disguised himself as a merchant, and the King had
to do the same, so that they should be quite unrecognizable. And so
they crossed the seas and journeyed till they reached the town where the
Princess of the Golden Roof dwelt.
Trusty John made the King remain behind on the ship and await his
return. “Perhaps,” he said, “I may bring the Princess back with me, so
see that everything is in order; let the gold ornaments be arranged and
the whole ship decorated.” Then he took a few of the gold things in his
apron, went ashore, and proceeded straight to the palace. When he came
to the courtyard he found a beautiful maiden standing at the well,
drawing water with two golden pails. And as she was about to carry away
the glittering water she turned round and saw the stranger, and asked
him who he was. Then he replied: “I am a merchant,” and opening his
apron, he let her peep in. “Oh! my,” she cried; “what beautiful gold
wares!” she set down her pails, and examined one thing after the other.
Then she said: “The Princess must see this, she has such a fancy for
gold things that she will buy up all you have.” She took him by the hand
and let him into the palace, for she was the lady’s maid.
When the Princess had seen the wares she was quite enchanted, and said:
“They are all so beautifully made that I shall buy everything you have.”
But Trusty John said: “I am only the servant of a rich merchant, what
I have here is nothing compared to what my master has on his ship; his
merchandise is more artistic and costly than anything that has ever been
made in gold before.” She desired to have everything brought up to her,
but he said: “There is such a quantity of things that it would take many
days to bring them up, and they would take up so many rooms that
you would have no space for them in your house.” Thus her desire and
curiosity were excited to such an extent that at last she said: “Take me
to your ship; I shall go there myself and view your master’s treasures.”
Then Trusty John was quite delighted, and brought her to the ship; and
the King, when he beheld her, saw that she was even more beautiful than
her picture, and thought every moment that his heart would burst. She
stepped on to the ship, and the King led her inside. But Trusty John
remained behind with the steersman, and ordered the ship to push off.
“Spread all sail, that we may fly on the ocean like a bird in the air.”
Meanwhile the King showed the Princess inside all his gold wares, every
single bit of it--dishes, goblets, bowls, the birds and game, and all
the wonderful beasts. Many hours passed thus, and she was so happy that
she did not notice that the ship was sailing away. After she had seen
the last thing she thanked the merchant and prepared to go home; but
when she came to the ship’s side she saw that they were on the high
seas, far from land, and that the ship was speeding on its way under
full canvas. “Oh!” she cried in terror, “I am deceived, carried away and
betrayed into the power of a merchant; I would rather have died!” But
the King seized her hand and spake: “I am no merchant, but a king of as
high birth as yourself; and it was my great love for you that made me
carry you off by stratagem. The first time I saw your likeness I fell to
the ground in a swoon.” When the Princess of the Golden Roof heard this
she was comforted, and her heart went out to him, so that she willingly
consented to become his wife.
Now it happened one day, while they were sailing on the high seas,
that Trusty John, sitting on the forepart of the ship, fiddling away to
himself, observed three ravens in the air flying toward him. He ceased
playing, and listened to what they were saying, for he understood their
language. The one croaked: “Ah, ha! so he’s bringing the Princess of
the Golden Roof home.” “Yes,” answered the second, “but he’s not got her
yet.” “Yes, he has,” spake the third, “for she’s sitting beside him on
the ship.” Then number one began again and cried: “That’ll not help him!
When they reach the land a chestnut horse will dash forward to greet
them: the King will wish to mount it, and if he does it will gallop away
with him, and disappear into the air, and he will never see his bride
again.” “Is there no escape for him?” asked number two. “Oh! yes, if
someone else mounts quickly and shoots the horse dead with the pistol
that is sticking in the holster, then the young King is saved. But who’s
to do that? And anyone who knows it and tells him will be turned into
stone from his feet to his knees.” Then spake number two: “I know more
than that: even if the horse is slain, the young King will still not
keep his bride: when they enter the palace together they will find a
ready-made wedding shirt in a cupboard, which looks as though it were
woven of gold and silver, but is really made of nothing but sulphur and
tar: when the King puts it on it will burn him to his marrow and bones.”
Number three asked: “Is there no way of escape, then?” “Oh! yes,”
answered number two: “If someone seizes the shirt with gloved hands and
throws it into the fire, and lets it burn, then the young King is saved.
But what’s the good? Anyone knowing this and telling it will have half
his body turned into stone, from his knees to his heart.” Then number
three spake: “I know yet more: though the bridal shirt too be burnt, the
King hasn’t even then secured his bride: when the dance is held after
the wedding, and the young Queen is dancing, she will suddenly grow
deadly white, and drop down like one dead, and unless some one lifts her
up and draws three drops of blood from her right side, and spits them
out again, she will die. But if anyone who knows this betrays it, he
will be turned into stone from the crown of his head to the soles of his
feet.” When the ravens had thus conversed they fled onward, but Trusty
John had taken it all in, and was sad and depressed from that time
forward; for if he were silent to his master concerning what he had
heard, he would involve him in misfortune; but if he took him into his
confidence, then he himself would forfeit his life. At last he said: “I
will stand by my master, though it should be my ruin.”
Now when they drew near the land it came to pass just as the ravens had
predicted, and a splendid chestnut horse bounded forward. “Capital!”
said the King; “this animal shall carry me to my palace,” and was about
to mount, but Trusty John was too sharp for him, and, springing up
quickly, seized the pistol out of the holster and shot the horse dead.
Then the other servants of the King, who at no time looked favorably on
Trusty John, cried out: “What a sin to kill the beautiful beast that was
to bear the King to his palace!” But the King spake: “Silence! let him
alone; he is ever my most trusty John. Who knows for what good end he
may have done this thing?” So they went on their way and entered
the palace, and there in the hall stood a cupboard in which lay the
ready-made bridal shirt, looking for all the world as though it were
made of gold and silver. The young King went toward it and was about to
take hold of it, but Trusty John, pushing him aside, seized it with his
gloved hands, threw it hastily into the fire, and let it burn The
other servants commenced grumbling again, and said: “See, he’s actually
burning the King’s bridal shirt.” But the young King spoke: “Who knows
for what good purpose he does it? Let him alone, he is my most trusty
John.” Then the wedding was celebrated, the dance began, and the bride
joined in, but Trusty John watched her countenance carefully. Of a
sudden she grew deadly white, and fell to the ground as if she were
dead. He at once sprang hastily toward her, lifted her up, and bore her
to a room, where he laid her down, and kneeling beside her he drew three
drops of blood from her right side, and spat them out. She soon
breathed again and came to herself; but the young King had watched the
proceeding, and not knowing why Trusty John had acted as he did, he flew
into a passion, and cried: “Throw him into prison.” On the following
morning sentence was passed on Trusty John, and he was condemned to be
hanged. As he stood on the gallows he said: “Every one doomed to
death has the right to speak once before he dies; and I too have that
privilege?” “Yes,” said the King, “it shall be granted to you.” So
Trusty John spoke: “I am unjustly condemned, for I have always been
faithful to you”; and he proceeded to relate how he had heard the
ravens’ conversation on the sea, and how he had to do all he did in
order to save his master. Then the King cried: “Oh! my most trusty John,
pardon! pardon! Take him down.” But as he uttered the last word Trusty
John had fallen lifeless to the ground, and was a stone.
The King and Queen were in despair, and the King spake: “Ah! how ill
have I rewarded such great fidelity!” and made them lift up the stone
image and place it in his bedroom near his bed. As often as he looked at
it he wept and said: “Oh! if I could only restore you to life, my most
trusty John!” After a time the Queen gave birth to twins, two small
sons, who throve and grew, and were a constant joy to her. One day when
the Queen was at church, and the two children sat and played with their