第74章 KARI WOODENGOWN(4)

When the King's daughter got to church all the people were standing outside upon the hillside, and all of them wondered who on earth she could be, and the Prince was on the alert in a moment, and came and wanted to hold her horse while she alighted.But she jumped off and said that there was no need for that, for the horse was so well broken in that it stood still when she bade it and came when she called it.So they all went into the church together, but there was scarcely any one who listened to what the priest was saying, for they were all looking far too much at her, and the Prince fell much more deeply in love with her than he had been before.

When the sermon was over and she went out of the church, and was just going to mount her horse, the Prince again came and asked her where she came from.

`I am from Towelland,' said the King's daughter, and as she spoke she dropped her riding-whip, and while the Prince was stooping to pick it up she said:

`Darkness behind me, but light on my way, That the Prince may not see where I'm going to-day!'

And she was gone again, neither could the Prince see what had become of her.He went far and wide to inquire for that country from whence she had said that she came, but there was no one who could tell him where it lay, so he was forced to have patience once more.

Next Sunday some one had to go to the Prince with a comb.

Kari begged for leave to go with it, but the others reminded her of what had happened last time, and scolded her for wanting to let the Prince see her when she was so black and so ugly in her wooden gown, but she would not give up asking until they gave her leave to go up to the Prince with the comb.When she went clattering up the stairs again, out came the Prince and took the comb and flung it at her, and ordered her to be off as fast as she could.After that the Prince went to church, and Kari also begged for leave to go.Again they all asked what she would do there, she who was so black and ugly, and had no clothes that she could be seen in by other people.The Prince or some one else might very easily catch sight of her, they said, and then both she and they would suffer for it; but Kari said that they had something else to do than to look at her, and she never ceased begging until she got leave to go.

And now all happened just as it had happened twice already.

She went away to the rock and knocked at it with the stick, and then the man came out and gave her a gown which was very much more magnificent than either of the others.It was almost entirely made of pure gold and diamonds, and she also got a noble horse with housings embroidered with gold, and a golden bridle.

When the King's daughter came to the church the priest and people were all standing on the hillside waiting for her, and the Prince ran up and wanted to hold the horse, but she jumped off, saying:

`No, thank you, there is no need; my horse is so well broken in that it will stand still when I bid it.'

So they all hastened into the church together and the priest got into the pulpit, but no one listened to what he said, for they were looking far too much at her and wondering whence she came; and the Prince was far more in love than he had been on either of the former occasions, and he was mindful of nothing but of looking at her.

When the sermon was over and the King's daughter was about to leave the church, the Prince had caused a firkin of tar to be emptied out in the porch in order that he might go to help her over it; she, however, did not trouble herself in the least about the tar, but set her foot down in the middle of it and jumped over it, and thus one of her gold shoes was left sticking in it.When she had seated herself on the horse the Prince came running out of the church and asked her whence she came.

`From Combland,' said Kari.But when the Prince wanted to reach her her gold shoe, she said:

`Darkness behind me, but light on my way, That the Prince may not see where I'm going to-day!'

The Prince did not know what had become of her, so he travelled for a long and wearisome time all over the world, asking where Combland was; but when no one could tell him where that country was, he caused it to be made known everywhere that he would marry any woman who could put on the gold shoe.So fair maidens and ugly maidens came thither from all regions, but there was none who had a foot so small that she could put on the gold shoe.After a long, long while came Kari Woodengown's wicked stepmother, with her daughter too, and the shoe fitted her.But she was so ugly and looked so loathsome that the Prince was very unwilling to do what he had promised.Nevertheless all was got ready for the wedding, and she was decked out as a bride, but as they were riding to church a little bird sat upon a tree and sang:

`A slice off her heel And a slice off her toes, Kari Woodengown's shoe Fills with blood as she goes!'

And when they looked to it the bird had spoken the truth, for blood was trickling out of the shoe.So all the waiting-maids, and all the womenkind in the castle had to come and try on the shoe, but there was not one whom it would fit.

`But where is Kari Woodengown, then?' asked the Prince, when all the others had tried on the shoe, for he understood the song of birds and it came to his mind what the bird had said.

`Oh! that creature!' said the others; `it's not the least use for her to come here, for she has feet like a horse!'

`That may be,' said the Prince, `but as all the others have tried it, Kari may try it too.'

`Kari!' he called out through the door, and Kari came upstairs, and her wooden gown clattered as if a whole regiment of dragoons were coming up.

`Now, you are to try on the gold shoe and be a Princess,' said the other servants, and they laughed at her and mocked her.Kari took up the shoe, put her foot into it as easily as possible, and then threw off her wooden gown, and there she stood in the golden gown which flashed like rays of sunshine, and on her other foot she had the fellow to the gold shoe.The Prince knew her in a moment, and was so glad that he ran and took her in his arms and kissed her, and when he heard that she was a King's daughter he was gladder still, and then they had the wedding.[14]

[14] From P.C.Asbjornsen.