The Pink

There was once upon a time a queen to whom God had given no children.
Every morning she went into the garden and prayed to God in heaven to
bestow on her a son or a daughter. Then an angel from heaven came to
her and said, be at rest, you shall have a son with the power of
wishing, so that whatsoever in the world he wishes for, that shall he
have. Then she went to the king, and told him the joyful tidings,
and when the time was come she gave birth to a son, and the king was
filled with gladness.

Every morning she went with the child to the garden where the wild
beasts were kept, and washed herself there in a clear stream. It
happened once when the child was a little older, that it was lying in
her arms and she fell asleep. Then came the old cook, who knew that
the child had the power of wishing, and stole it away, and he took a
hen, and cut it in pieces, and dropped some of its blood on the
queen's apron and on her dress. Then he carried the child away to a
secret place, where a nurse was obliged to suckle it, and he ran to
the king and accused the queen of having allowed her child to be
taken from her by the wild beasts. When the king saw the blood on
her apron, he believed this, fell into such a passion that he ordered
a high tower to be built, in which neither sun nor moon could be
seen, and had his wife put into it, and walled up. Here she was to
stay for seven years without meat or drink, and die of hunger. But
God sent two angels from heaven in the shape of white doves, which
flew to her twice a day, and carried her food until the seven years
were over.

The cook, however, thought to himself, if the child has the power of
wishing, and I am here, he might very easily get me into trouble. So
he left the palace and went to the boy, who was already big enough to
speak, and said to him, wish for a beautiful palace for yourself with
a garden, and all else that pertains to it. Scarcely were the words
out of the boy's mouth, when everything was there that he had wished
for. After a while the cook said to him, it is not well for you to
be so alone, wish for a pretty girl as a companion. Then the king's
son wished for one, and she immediately stood before him, and was
more beautiful than any painter could have painted her.

The two played together, and loved each other with all their hearts,
and the old cook went out hunting like a nobleman. The thought
occurred to him, however, that the king's son might some day wish to
be with his father, and thus bring him into great peril. So he went
out and took the maiden aside, and said, to-night when the boy is
asleep, go to his bed and plunge this knife into his heart, and bring
me his heart and tongue, and if you do not do it, you shall lose your
life.

Thereupon he went away, and when he returned next day she had not
done it, and said, why should I shed the blood of an innocent boy who
has never harmed anyone. The cook once more said, if you do not do
it, it shall cost you your own life.

When he had gone away, she had a little hind brought to her, and
ordered her to be killed, and took her heart and tongue, and laid
them on a plate, and when she saw the old man coming, she said to the
boy, lie down in your bed, and draw the clothes over you. Then the
wicked wretch came in and said, where are the boy's heart and tongue.
The girl reached the plate to him, but the king's son threw off the
quilt, and said, you old sinner, why did you want to kill me. Now
will I pronounce thy sentence. You shall become a black poodle and
have a gold collar round your neck, and shall eat burning coals, till
the flames burst forth from your throat. And when he had spoken
these words, the old man was changed into a poodle dog, and had a
gold collar round his neck, and the cooks were ordered to bring up
some live coals, and these he ate, until the flames broke forth from
his throat.

The king's son remained there a short while longer, and he thought of
his mother, and wondered if she were still alive. At length he said
to the maiden, I will go home to my own country, if you will go with
me, I will provide for you.

Ah, she replied, the way is so long, and what shall I do in a strange
land where I am unknown. As she did not seem quite willing, and as
they could not be parted from each other, he wished that she might be
changed into a beautiful pink, and took her with him. Then he went
away to his own country, and the poodle had to run after him.

He went to the tower in which his mother was confined, and as it was
so high, he wished for a ladder which would reach up to the very top.
Then he mounted up and looked inside, and cried, beloved mother, lady
queen, are you still alive, or are you dead. She answered, I have
just eaten, and am still satisfied, for she thought the angels were
there. Said he, I am your dear son, whom the wild beasts were said
to have torn from your arms, but I am alive still, and will soon set
you free.

Then he descended again, and went to his father, and caused himself
to be ammounced as a strange huntsman, and asked if he could offer
him service. The king said yes, if he was skilful and could get game
for him, he should come to him, but that deer had never taken up
their quarters in any part of the district or country. Then the
huntsman promised to procure as much game for him as he could
possibly use at the royal table. So he summoned all the huntsmen
together, and bade them go out into the forest with him. And he went
with them and made them form a great circle, open at one end where he
stationed himself, and began to wish.

Two hundred deer and more came running inside the circle at once, and
the huntsmen shot them. Then they were all placed on sixty country
carts, and driven home to the king, and for once he was able to deck
his table with game, after having had none at all for years.

Now the king felt great joy at this, and commanded that his entire
household should eat with him next day, and made a great feast. When
they were all assembled together, he said to the huntsmen, as you are
so clever, you shall sit by me. He replied, lord king, your majesty
must excuse me, I am a poor huntsman. But the king insisted on it,
and said, you shall sit by me, until he did it. Whilst he was sitting
there, he thought of his dearest mother, and wished that one of the
king's principal servants would begin to speak of her, and would ask
how it was faring with the queen in the tower, and if she were alive
still, or had perished.

Hardly had he formed the wish than the marshal began, and said, your
majesty, we live joyously here, but how is the queen living in the
tower. Is she still alive, or has she died? But the king replied,
she let my dear son be torn to pieces by wild beasts, I will not have
her named. Then the huntsman arose and said, gracious lord father,
she is alive still, and I am her son, and I was not carried away by
wild beasts, but by that wretch the old cook, who tore me from her
arms when she was asleep, and sprinkled her apron with the blood of a
chicken.

Thereupon he took the dog with the golden collar, and said, that is
the wretch, and caused live coals to be brought, and these the dog
was compelled to devour before the sight of all, until flames burst
forth from its throat. On this the huntsman asked the king if he
would like to see the dog in his true shape, and wished him back into
the form of the cook, in the which he stood immediately, with his
white apron, and his knife by his side. When the king saw him he
fell into a passion, and ordered him to be cast into the deepest
dungeon.

Then the huntsman spoke further and said, father, will you see the
maiden who brought me up so tenderly and who was afterwards to murder
me, but did not do it, though her own life depended on it. The king
replied, yes, I would like to see her. The son said, most gracious
father, I will show her to you in the form of a beautiful flower, and
he thrust his hand into his pocket and brought forth the pink, and
placed it on the royal table, and it was so beautiful that the king
had never seen one to equal it. Then the son said, now will I show
her to you in her own form, and wished that she might become a
maiden, and she stood there looking so beautiful that no painter
could have made her look more so.

And the king sent two waiting-maids and two attendants into the
tower, to fetch the queen and bring her to the royal table. But when
whe was led in she ate nothing, and said, the gracious and merciful
God who has supported me in the tower, will soon set me free. She
lived three days more, and then died happily, and when she was
buried, the two white doves which had brought her food to the tower,
and were angels of heaven, followed her body and seated themselves on
her grave. The aged king ordered the cook to be torn in four pieces,
but grief consumed the king's own heart, and he soon died. His son
married the beautiful maiden whom he had brought with him as a flower
in his pocket, and whether they are still alive or not, is known to
God.