The Sea-Hare
There was once upon a time a princess, who,
high under the battlements in her castle, had an apartment with twelve windows, which
looked out in every possible direction, and when she climbed up to it and looked around
her, she could inspect her whole kingdom. When she looked out of the first, her sight was
more keen than that of any other human being, from the second she could see still better,
from the third more distinctly still, and so it went on, until the twelfth, from which she
saw everything above the earth and under the earth, and nothing at all could be kept
secret from her. Moreover, as she was haughty, and would be subject to no one, but wished
to keep the dominion for herself alone, she caused it to be proclaimed that no one should
ever be her husband who could not conceal himself from her so effectively, that it should
be quite impossible for her to find him. He who tried this, however, and was discovered by
her, was to have his head struck off, and stuck on a post. Ninety-seven posts with the
heads of dead men were already standing before the castle, and no one had come forward for
a long time. The princess was delighted, and thought to herself, now I shall be free as
long as I live. Then three brothers appeared before her, and announced to her that they
were desirous of trying their luck. The eldest believed he would be quite safe if he crept
into a lime-pit, but she saw him from the first window, made him come out, and had his
head cut off. The second crept into the cellar of the palace, but she perceived him also
from the first window, and his fate was sealed. His head was placed on the nine and
ninetieth post. Then the youngest came to her and entreated her to give him a day for
consideration, and also to be so gracious as to overlook it if she should happen to
discover him twice, but if he failed the third time, he would look on his life as over. As
he was so handsome, and begged so earnestly, she said, yes, I will grant you that, but you
will not succeed. Next day he meditated for a long time how he should hide himself, but
all in vain. Then he seized his gun and went out hunting. He saw a raven, took a good aim
at him, and was just going to fire, when the bird cried, don't shoot, I will reward you.
He put his gun down, went on, and came to a lake where he surprised a large fish which had
come up from the depths below to the surface of the water. When he had aimed at it, the
fish cried, don't shoot, and I will reward you. He allowed it to dive down again, went
onwards, and met a fox which was lame. He fired and missed it, and the fox cried, you had
much better come here and draw the thorn out of my foot for me. He did this, but when he
wanted to kill the fox and skin it, the fox said, stop, and I will reward you. The youth
let him go, and then as it was evening, returned home. Next day he was to hide himself,
but no matter how he puzzled his brains over it, he did not know where. He went into the
forest to the raven and said, I let you live on, so now tell me where I am to hide myself,
so that the king's daughter will not see me. The raven hung his head and thought it over
for a long time. At length he croaked, I have it. He fetched an egg out of his nest, cut
it into two parts, and shut the youth inside it, then made it whole again, and seated
himself on it. When the king's daughter went to the first window she could not discover
him, nor could she from the others, and she began to be uneasy, but from the eleventh she
saw him. She ordered the raven to be shot, and the egg to be brought and broken, and the
youth was forced to come out. She said, for once you are excused, but if you do not better
than this, you are lost. Next day he went to the lake, called the fish to him and said, I
suffered you to live, now tell me where to hide myself so that the king's daughter may not
see me. The fish thought for a while, and at last cried, I have it, I will shut you up in
my stomach. He swallowed him, and went down to the bottom of the lake. The king's daughter
looked through her windows, and even from the eleventh did not see him, and was alarmed,
but at length from the twelfth she saw him. She ordered the fish to be caught and killed,
and then the youth appeared. It is easy to imagine the state of mind he was in. She said,
twice you are forgiven, but be sure that your head will be set on the hundredth post. On
the last day, he went with a heavy heart into the country, and met the fox. You know how
to find all kinds of hiding-places, said he, I let you live, now advise me where I shall
hide myself so that the king's daughter shall not discover me. That's a hard task,
answered the fox, looking very thoughtful. At length he cried, I have it, and went with
him to a spring, dipped himself in it, and came out as a stall-keeper in the market, and
dealer in animals. The youth had to dip himself in the water also, and was changed into a
small sea-hare. The merchant went into the town, and showed the pretty little animal, and
many persons gathered together to see it. At length the king's daughter came likewise, and
as she liked it very much, she bought it, and gave the merchant a good deal of money for
it. Before he gave it over to her, he said to it, when the king's daughter goes to the
window, creep quickly under the braids of her her hair. And now the time arrived when she
was to search for him. She went to one window after another in turn, from the first to the
eleventh, and did not see him. When she did not see him from the twelfth either, she was
full of anxiety and anger, and shut it down with such violence that the glass in every
window shivered into a thousand pieces, and the whole castle shook. She went back and felt
the sea-hare beneath the braids of her hair. Then she seized it, and threw it on the
ground exclaiming, away with you, get out of my sight. It ran to the merchant, and both of
them hurried to the spring, wherein they plunged, and received back their true forms. The
youth thanked the fox, and said, the raven and the fish are idiots compared with you, you
know the right tune to play, there is no denying that. The youth went straight to the
palace. The princess was already expecting him, and abandoned herself to her fate. The
wedding was solemnized, and now he was king, and lord of all the kingdom. He never told
her where he had concealed himself for the third time, and who had helped him, so she
believed that he had done everything by his own skill, and she had a great respect for
him, for she thought to herself, he is able to do more than I.
--The End-- |
