The Shoes That Were Danced to Pieces
There was once upon a time a king who had twelve daughters, each one
more beautiful than the other. They all slept together in one chamber, in which their beds
stood side by side, and every night when they were in them the king locked the door, and
bolted it. But in the morning when he unlocked the door, he saw that their shoes were worn
out with dancing, and no one could find out how that had come to pass. Then the king
caused it to be proclaimed that whosoever could discover where they danced at night,
should choose one of them for his wife and be king after his death, but that whosoever
came forward and had not discovered it within three days and nights, should have forfeited
his life.
It was not long before a king's son presented himself, and offered
to undertake the enterprise. He was well received, and in the evening was led into a room
adjoining the princesses, sleeping-chamber. His bed was placed there, and he was to
observe where they went and danced, and in order that they might do nothing secretly or go
away to some other place, the door of their room was left open. But the eyelids of the
prince grew heavy as lead, and he fell asleep, and when he awoke in the morning, all
twelve had been to the dance, for their shoes were standing there with holes in the soles.
On the second and third nights there was no difference, and then his head was struck off
without mercy.
Many others came after this and undertook the enterprise, but all
forfeited their lives. Now it came to pass that a poor soldier, who had a wound, and could
serve no longer, found himself on the road to the town where the king lived. There he met
an old woman, who asked him where he was going. "I hardly know myself," answered
he, and added in jest, "I had half a mind to discover where the princesses danced
their shoes into holes, and thus become king." "That is not so difficult,"
said the old woman, "you must not drink the wine which will be brought to you at
night, and must pretend to be sound asleep." With that she gave him a little cloak,
and said, "If you wear this, you will be invisible, and then you can steal after the
twelve." When the soldier had received this good advice, he fell to in earnest, took
heart, went to the king, and announced himself as a suitor. He was as well received as the
others, and royal garments were put upon him. He was conducted that evening at bed-time
into the antechamber, and as he was about to go to bed, the eldest came and brought him a
cup of wine, but he had tied a sponge under his chin, and let the wine run down into it,
without drinking a drop.
Then he lay down and when he had lain a while, he began to snore, as
if in the deepest sleep. The twelve princesses heard that, and laughed, and the eldest
said, "He, too, might as well have saved his life." With that they got up,
opened wardrobes, presses, cupboards, and brought out pretty dresses, dressed themselves
before the mirrors, sprang about, and rejoiced at the prospect of the dance. Only the
youngest said, "I know not how it is, you are very happy, but I feel very strange,
some misfortune is certainly about to befall us." "You are a goose, who are
always frightened," said the eldest. "Have you forgotten how many kings' sons
have already come here in vain. I had hardly any need to give the soldier a
sleeping-draught, the booby would not have awakened anyway."
When they were all ready they looked carefully at the soldier, but
he had closed his eyes and did not move or stir, so they felt themselves safe enough. The
eldest then went to her bed and tapped it, whereupon it immediately sank into the earth,
and one after the other they descended through the opening, the eldest going first. The
soldier, who had watched everything, tarried no longer, put on his little cloak, and went
down last with the youngest. Half-way down the steps, he just trod a little on her dress,
she was terrified at that, and cried out, "What is that? Who is pulling my
dress?" "Don't be so silly," said the eldest, "you have caught it on a
nail."
Then they went all the way down, and when they were at the bottom,
they were standing in a wonderfully pretty avenue of trees, all the leaves of which were
of silver, and shone and glistened. The soldier thought, "I must carry a token away
with me," and broke off a twig from one of them, on which the tree cracked with a
loud report. The youngest cried out again. "Something is wrong, did you hear the
crack?" But the eldest said, "It is a gun fired for joy, because we have got rid
of our prince so quickly." After that they came into an avenue where all the leaves
were of gold, and lastly into a third where they were of bright diamonds, he broke off a
twig from each, which made such a crack each time that the youngest started back in
terror, but the eldest still maintained that they were salutes.
They went on and came to a great lake whereon stood twelve little
boats, and in every boat sat a handsome prince, all of whom were waiting for the twelve,
and each took one of them with him, but the soldier seated himself by the youngest. Then
her prince said, "I wonder why the boat is so much heavier to-day. I shall have to
row with all my strength, if I am to get it across." "What should cause
that," said the youngest, "but the warm weather?" "I feel very warm
too." On the opposite side of the lake stood a splendid, brightly-lit castle, from
whence resounded the joyous music of trumpets and kettle-drums. They rowed there, entered,
and each prince danced with the girl he loved, but the soldier danced with them unseen,
and when one of them had a cup of wine in her hand he drank it up, so that the cup was
empty when she carried it to her mouth, the youngest was alarmed at this, but the eldest
always silenced her. They danced there till three o'clock in the morning when all the
shoes were danced into holes, and they were forced to leave off, the princes rowed them
back again over the lake, and this time the soldier seated himself by the eldest.
On the shore they took leave of their princes, and promised to
return the following night. When they reached the stairs the soldier ran on in front and
lay down in his bed, and when the twelve had come up slowly and wearily, he was already
snoring so loudly that they could all hear him, and they said, "So far as he is
concerned, we are safe." They took off their beautiful dresses, laid them away, put
the worn-out shoes under the bed, and lay down. Next morning the soldier was resolved not
to speak, but to watch the wonderful goings-on, and again went with them a second and a
third night.
Then everything was just as it had been the first time, and each
time they danced until their shoes were worn to pieces. But the third time he took a cup
away with him as a token. When the hour had arrived for him to give his answer, he took
the three twigs and the cup, and went to the king, but the twelve stood behind the door,
and listened for what he was going to say. When the king put the question, "Where
have my twelve daughters danced their shoes to pieces in the night?" He answered,
"In an underground castle with twelve princes," and related how it had come to
pass, and brought out the tokens. The king then summoned his daughters, and asked them if
the soldier had told the truth, and when they saw that they were betrayed, and that
falsehood would be of no avail, they were obliged to confess all. Thereupon the king asked
which of them he would have to wife. He answered, "I am no longer young, so give me
the eldest." Then the wedding was celebrated on the self-same day, and the kingdom
was promised him after the king's death. But the princes were bewitched for as many days
as they had danced nights with the twelve.
--The End-- |
