 CHAPTER XXXII Once upon a time there lived a king who had a daughter just fifteen years old. And what a daughter! Even the mothers who had daughters of their own could not help allowing that the princess was much more beautiful and graceful than any of them. And as for the fathers, if one of them had ever beheld her by accident, he could talk of nothing else for a whole day afterwards. Of course the king, whose name was Balanson, was the complete slave of his little girl from the moment he lifted her from the arms of her dead mother. Indeed, he did not seem to know that there was anyone else in the world to love. Now Diamantina, for that was her name, did not reach her fifteenth birthday without proposals for marriage from every country under heaven. But be the suitor who he might, the king always said him nay. Behind the palace a large garden stretched away to the foot of some hills, and more than one river flowed through. Hither the princess would come each evening towards sunset attended by her ladies, and gather herself the flowers that were to adorn her rooms. She also brought with her a pair of scissors to cut off the dead blooms, and a basket to put them in so that when the sun rose the next morning he might see nothing unsightly. When she had finished this task she would walk through the town so that the poor people might have a chance of speaking with her and telling her of their troubles, and then she would seek out her father, and together they would consult over the best means of giving help to those who needed it. But what has all this to do with the white slipper, my readers will ask? Have patience and you will see. Next to his daughter Balanson loved hunting, and it was his custom to spend several mornings each week chasing the boars which abounded in the mountains a few miles from the city. One day rushing downhill as fast as he could go he put his foot into a hole and fell, rolling into a rocky pit of brambles. The king's wounds were not so very severe, but his face and hands were cut and torn, while his feet were in a worst plight still, for instead of proper hunting boots he only wore sandals to enable him to run more swiftly. In a few days the king was as well as ever and the signs of the scratches were almost gone, but one foot still remained very sore, where a thorn had pierced deeply and had festered. The best doctors in the kingdom treated it with all their skill. They bathed and poulticed and bandaged, but it was in vain. The foot only grew worse and worse, and became daily more swollen and painful. After everyone had tried his own particular cure and found it fail, there came news of a wonderful doctor in some distant land who had healed the most astonishing diseases. On inquiring it was found that he never left the walls of his own city and expected his patients to come to see him, but by dint of offering a large sum of money the king persuaded the famous physician to undertake the journey to his own court. On his arrival the doctor was led at once into the king's presence and made a careful examination of his foot. Alas, your majesty! he said when he had finished. The wound is beyond the power of man to heal, but though I cannot cure it I can at least dead in the pain and enable you to walk without so much suffering. Oh, if you could only do that, cried the king, I shall be grateful to you for life. Give your own orders, they shall be obeyed. Then let your majesty bid the royal shoemaker make you a shoe of goat skin, very loose and comfortable, while I prepare a varnish to paint over it for which I alone have the secret. So saying the doctor bowed himself out, leaving the king more cheerful and hopeful than he had been for long. The days passed very slowly with him during the making of the shoe and the preparation of the varnish, but on the eighth morning the physician appeared, bringing with him the shoe in a case. He drew it out to slip on the king's foot, and over the goat skin he had rubbed a polish so white that the snow itself was not more dazzling. While you wear the shoe you will not feel the slightest pain, said the doctor, for the balsam with which I have rubbed it inside and out has beside its healing balm, the quality of strengthening the material it touches, so that even were your majesty to live a thousand years, you would find the slipper just as fresh at the end of that time as it is now. The king was so eager to put it on that he hardly gave the physician time to finish. He snatched it from the case and thrust his foot into it, nearly weeping for joy when he found he could walk and run as easily as any beggar-boy. What can I give you? he cried, holding out both hands to the man who had worked this wonder. Stay with me, and I will heap on you riches greater than ever you dreamed of. But the doctor said he would accept nothing more than had been agreed on, and must return at once to his own country, where many sick people were awaiting him. So King Balansin had to content himself with ordering the physician to be treated with royal honors and desiring that an escort should attend him on his journey home. For two years everything went smoothly at court, and to King Balansin and his daughter the sun no sooner rose than it seemed time for it to set. Now the king's birthday fell in the month of June, and as the weather happened to be unusually fine, he told the princess to celebrate it in any way that pleased her. Diamantina was very fond of being on the river, and she was delighted at this chance of delighting her tastes. She would have a merry-making such as never had been seen before, and in the evening, when they were tired of sailing and rowing, there should be music and dancing, plays and fireworks. At the very end, before the people went home, every poor person should be given a loaf of bread, and every girl who was to be married within the year a new dress. The great day appeared to Diamantina to be long and coming, but like other days it came at last. Before the sun was fairly up in the heavens, the princess, too full of excitement to stay in the palace, was walking about the streets so covered with precious stones that you had to shade your eyes before you could look at her. By and by a trumpet sounded, and she hurried home only to appear again in a few moments walking by the side of her father down to the river. Here a splendid barge was waiting for them, and from it they watched all sorts of races and feats of swimming and diving. When these were over the barge proceeded up the river to a field where the dancing and concerts were to take place, and after the prizes had been given away to the winners, and the loaves and the dresses had been distributed by the princess, they bade farewell to their guests, and turned to step into the barge which was to carry them back to the palace. Then a dreadful thing happened. As the king stepped on board the boat, one of the sandals of the white slipper, which had got loose, caught in a nail that was sticking out and caused the king to stumble. The pain was so great, and unconsciously he turned and shook his foot so that the sandals gave way, and in a moment the precious shoe was in the river. It all had occurred so quickly that nobody had noticed the loss of the slipper, not even the princess whom the king's cries speedily brought to his side. What is the matter, dear father? asked she, but the king could not tell her, and only managed to gasp out, my shoe, my shoe! While the sailor stood round staring, thinking that his majesty had suddenly gone mad, seeing her father's eyes fixed on the stream, D'Amantina looked hastily in that direction. There, dancing on the current, was the point of something white, which became more and more distant the longer they watched it. The king could bear the sight no more, and besides now that the healing ointment of the shoe had been removed, the pain in his foot was as bad as ever. He gave a sudden cry, staggered, and fell over the bulwarks into the water. In an instant the river was covered with bobbing heads, all swimming their fastest towards the king, who had been carried far down by the swift current. At length one swimmer stronger than the rest, seized hold of his tunic and drew him to the bank, where a thousand eager hands were ready to haul him out. He was carried unconscious to the side of his daughter, who had fainted with terror on seeing her father disappear below the surface, and together they were placed in a coach and driven to the palace, where the best doctors in the city were awaiting their arrival. In a few hours the princess was as well as ever, but the pain, the wetting, and the shock of the accident all told severely on the king, and for three days he lay in a high fever. Meanwhile his daughter, herself nearly mad with grief, gave orders that the white slipper should be sought far and wide, and so it was, but even the cleverest divers could find no trace of it at the bottom of the river. When it became clear that the slipper must have been carried out to sea by the current, Dia Mantina turned her thoughts elsewhere, and sent messengers in search of the doctor who had brought relief to her father, begging him to make another slipper as fast as possible to supply the place of the one which was lost. But the messengers returned with the sad news that the doctor had died some weeks before, and what was worse, his secret had died with him. In his weakness this intelligence had such an effect on the king that the physicians feared he would become as ill as before. He could hardly be persuaded to touch food, and all night long he lay moaning, partly with pain, and partly over his own folly, in not having begged the doctor to make him several dozens of white slippers, so that in the case of accidents he might always have one to put on. However, by and by he saw that it was no use weeping and wailing, and commanded that they should search for his lost treasure more diligently than ever. What a sight the river banks presented in those days! It seemed as if all the people in the country were gathered on them. But this second search was no more fortunate than the first, and at last the king issued a proclamation that whoever found the missing slipper should be made heir to the crown, and should marry the princess. Now many daughters would have rebelled at being disposed of in this manner, and it must be admitted that Diamantina's heart sank when she heard what the king had done. Still, she loved her father so much that she desired his comfort more than anything else in the world, so she said nothing and only bowed her head. Of course the result of the proclamation was that the river banks became more crowded than before, for all the princesses' suitors from distant lands flocked to the spot, each hoping that he might be the lucky finder. Many times the shining stone at the bottom of the stream was taken for the slipper itself, and every evening saw a band of dripping downcast men returning homewards. But one youth always lingered longer than the rest, and night would still see him engaged in the search, though his clothes stuck to his skin and his teeth chattered. One day, when the king was lying on his bed racked with pain, he heard the noise of a scuffle going on in his antechamber, and rang a golden bell that stood by his side to summon one of his servants. Sire answered the attendant when the king inquired what was the matter. The noise you heard was caused by a young man from town, who has had the impudence to come here to ask if he may measure your majesty's foot so as to make you another slipper in place of the lost one. And what have you done to the youth? said the king. The servants pushed him out of the palace, and added a few blows to teach him not to be so insolent, replied the man. Then they did very ill, answered the king with a frown. He came here from kindness, and there was no reason to maltreat him. Oh, my lord! He had the audacity to wish to touch your majesty's sacred person. He, a good-for-nothing boy, a mere shoemaker's apprentice, perhaps. And even if he could make shoes to perfection they would be no use without the soothing balsam. The king remained silent for a few moments. Then he said, Never mind. Go and fetch the youth and bring him to me. I would gladly try any remedy that may relieve my pain. So, soon afterwards the youth who had not gone far from the palace was caught and ushered into the king's presence. He was tall and handsome, and though he professed to make shoes, his manners were good and modest, and he bowed low as he begged the king not only to allow him to take the measure of his foot, but also to suffer him to place a healing plaster over the wound. Balanson was pleased with the young man's voice and appearance, and thought that he looked as if he knew what he was doing. So he stretched out his bad foot, which the youth examined with great attention, and then gently laid on a plaster. Very shortly the ointment began to soothe the sharp pain, and the king, whose confidence increased every moment, begged the young man to tell him his name. I have no parents. They died when I was six, Sire, replied the youth modestly. Everyone in town calls me Gilgerio, because when I was little I went singing through the world in spite of my misfortunes. Luckily for me I was born to be happy. And you really think you can cure me?" asked the king. Completely, my lord, answered Gilgerio. And how long do you think it will take? It is not an easy task, but I will try to finish it in a fortnight, replied the youth. A fortnight seemed to the king a long time to make one slipper, but he only said, Do you need anything to help you? Only a good horse, if your majesty will be kind enough to give me one, answered Gilgerio. And the reply was so unexpected that the courtiers could hardly restrain their smiles while the king stared silently. You shall have the horse, he said at last, and I shall expect you back in a fortnight. If you fulfill your promise, you know your reward. If not, I will have you flogged for your impudence. Gilgerio bowed and turned to leave the palace, followed by jeers and scoffs of everyone he met. But he paid no heed, for he had got what he wanted. He waited in front of the gates till a magnificent horse was led up to him, and vaulting into the saddle with the ease which rather surprised the attendant, rode quickly out of town amidst the jests of the assembled crowd, who had heard of his audacious proposal. And while he is on his way, let us pause for a moment to tell who he is. Both father and mother had died before the boy was six years old, and he had lived for many years with his uncle, whose life had been passed in the study of chemistry. He could leave no money to his nephew, as he had a son of his own. But he taught him all he knew, and at his death Gilgerio entered an office, where he worked for many hours daily. In his spare time, instead of playing with the other boys, he passed hours poring over books, and because he was timid and light to be alone, he was held by everyone to be a little mad. Therefore, when it became known that he had promised to cure the king's foot, and had ridden away, no one knew where, a roar of laughter and mockery rang through the town, and cheers and scoffing words were sent after him. But if they had only known what were Gilgerio's thoughts, they would have thought him madder than ever. The real truth was that, on the morning when the princess had walked through the streets before making a holiday on the river, Gilgerio had seen her from his window, and had straight way fallen in love with her. Of course he felt quite hopeless. It was absurd to imagine that the apothecary's nephew could ever marry the king's daughter. So he did his best to forget her, and study harder than before, till the royal proclamation suddenly filled him with hope. When he was free he no longer spent the precious moments poring over books, but like the rest he might have been seen wandering along the banks of the river or diving into the stream after something that lay glistening in the clear water but which turned out to be a white pebble or a bit of glass. And at the end he understood that it was not by the river that he would win the princess, and turning to his books for comfort he studied harder than ever. There is an old proverb which says everything comes to him who knows how to wait. It is not all men who know how to wait any more than it is all men who can learn by experience. But Gilgaria was one of the few, and instead of thinking his life wasted because he could not have the thing he wanted most, he tried to busy himself in other directions. So one day when he expected at least his reward came to him. He happened to be reading a book many hundreds of years old, which told of remedies for all kinds of diseases. Most of them he knew were merely invented by old women who sought to prove themselves wiser than other people. But at length he came to something which caused him to sit up straight in his chair and made his eyes brighten. This was the description of a balsam which would cure every kind of sore or wound, distilled from a plant only to be found in a country so distant that it would take a man on foot two months to go and come back again. When I say that the book declared that the balsam could heal every sort of sore or wound, there were a few against which it was powerless, and it gave certain signs by which these might be known. This was the reason why Gilgaria demanded to see the king's foot before he would undertake to cure it, and to obtain admittance he gave out that he was a shoemaker. However the dreaded signs were absent and his heart pounded at the thought that the princess was within his reach. Perhaps she was, but a great deal had to be accomplished yet, and he had allowed himself a very short time in which to do it. He spared his horse only so much as was needful, yet it took him six days to reach the spot where the plant grew. A thick wood lay in front of him and fastening the bridle to a tree, he flung himself on his hands and knees and began to hunt for the treasure. Many a time he fancied it was close to him, and many a time it turned out to be something else. But at last, when light was fading and he had almost given up hope, he came upon a large bed of the plant, right under his feet. Trembling with joy he picked every scrap he could see and placed it in his wallet, then mounting his horse, he galloped quickly back towards the city. It was night when he entered the gates, and the fifteen days allotted were not up till the next day. His eyes were heavy with sleep and his body ached with the long strain, but without pausing to rest he kindled a fire on his hearth, and quickly, filling a pot with water, threw in the herbs and left them to boil. After that he lay down and slept soundly. The sun was shining when he awoke, and he jumped up and ran to the pot. The plant had disappeared, and in it stead was a thick syrup, just as the book had said there would be. He lifted the syrup out with a spoon, and after spreading it in the sun till it was partly dry, poured it into a small flask of crystal. He next washed himself thoroughly, and dressed himself in his best clothes, and putting the flask in his pocket, set out for the palace and begged to see the king without delay. Now Blanson, whose foot had been much less painful since Gilgarrio had wrapped it in the plaster, was counting the days to the young man's return, and when he was told Gilgarrio was there ordered him to be admitted at once. As he entered the king raised himself eagerly on his pillows, but his face fell when he saw no signs of a slipper. You have failed, then? He said throwing his hands up in despair. I hope not, Your Majesty. I think not, answered the youth. And drawing the flask from his pocket he poured two or three drops on the wound. Repeat this for three nights and you will find yourself cured, said he, and before the king had time to thank him, he had bowed himself out. Of course the news soon spread through the city, and men and women never tired of calling Gilgarrio an imposter and prophesying that the end of the three days would see him in prison if not on the scaffold. But Gilgarrio paid no heed to their hard words, and no more did the king, who took care that no hand but his own should put on the healing balsam. On the fourth morning the king awoke and instantly stretched out his wounded foot that he might prove the truth or falsehood of Gilgarrio's remedy. The wound was certainly cured on that side, but how about the other? Yes, that was cured also, and not even a scar was left to show where it had been. Was ever any king so happy as Balansin when he satisfied himself of this? Lightly as a deer he jumped from his bed and began to turn head over heels and to perform all sorts of antics so as to make sure that his foot was in truth as well as it looked, and when he was quite tired he sent for his daughter and bade the courtiers to bring the lucky young man to his room. He's really young and handsome, said the princess to herself, heaving a sigh of relief that it was not some dreadful old man who had healed her father, and while the king was announcing to his courtiers the wonderful cure that had been made, Diamantina was thinking that if Gilgarrio looked so well in his common dress how much improved by the splendid garments of a king's son. However she held her peace and only watched with amusement when the courtiers, knowing there was no help for it, did homage and obeisance to the chemist's boy. Then they brought Gilgarrio a magnificent tunic of green velvet bordered with gold and a cap with three white plumes stuck in it, and at the sight of him so arrayed the princess fell in love with him in a moment. The wedding was fixed to take place in eight days, and at the ball afterwards nobody danced so long or so lightly as King Balansin. CHAPTER 33 OF THE ORANGE FAIRY BOOK This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. RECORDING BY ROBOT WHITE THE ORANGE FAIRY BOOK By Andrew Lang THE MAGIC BOOK There was once an old couple named Peder and Kirsten, who had an only son called Hans. From the time he was a little boy, he had been told that on his sixteenth birthday he must go out into the world and serve his apprenticeship. So, one fine summer morning he started off to seek his fortune, with nothing but the clothes he wore on his back. For many hours he trudged on merrily, now and then stopping to drink from some clear spring or to pick some ripe fruit from a tree. The little wild creatures peeped at him from beneath the bushes, and he nodded and smiled and wished them good morning. After he had been walking for some time, he met an old white-bearded man who was coming along the footpath. The boy would not step aside, and the man was determined not to do so either. So they ran against one another with a bump. It seems to me, said the old fellow, that a boy should give way to an old man. The path is for me as well as for you, answered young Hans sorcery, for he had never been taught politeness. Well, that's true enough, answered the other mildly. And where are you going? I'm going into service, said Hans. Then you can come and serve me, replied the man. Well, Hans could do that, but what would his wages be? Two pounds a year, and nothing to do but keep some rooms clean, said the newcomer. This seemed to Hans to be easy enough, so he agreed to enter the old man's service, and they set out together. On their way, they crossed a deep valley and came to a mountain, where the man opened a trap door, and bidding Hans to follow him, he crept in, and began to go down a long flight of steps. When they got to the bottom, Hans saw a large number of rooms, lit by many lamps and full of beautiful things. While he was looking round, the old man said to him, Now you know what you have to do, you must keep these rooms clean and strew sand on the floor every day. Here is a table where you will always find food and drink, and there is your bed. You see there are a great many suits of clothes hanging on the wall, and you may wear any you please, but remember that you are never to open this locked door. If you do, ill will be for you. Farewell, for I am going away and cannot tell when I may return. No sooner had the old man disappeared than Hans sat down to a good meal, and after that went to bed and slept until the morning. At first he could not remember what had happened to him, but by and by he jumped up and went into all the rooms, which he examined carefully. How foolish to bid me to put sand on the floors, he thought, when there is nobody here but myself, I shall do nothing of the sword, and so he shut the doors quickly and only cleaned and set in order his own room. And after the first few days he felt that was unnecessary too, because no one came there to see if the rooms were clean or not. At last he did not work at all, but just sat and wondered what was behind the locked door, until he determined to go and look for himself. The key turned easily in the lock, Hans entered, half frightened at what he was doing, and the first thing he beheld was a heap of bones. That's not very cheerful. And he was just going out again when his eye fell on a shelf of books. He was a good way of passing the time, he thought, for he was fond of reading, and he took one of the books from the shelf. It was all about magic, and told you how you could change yourself into anything in the world you liked. Could anything be more exciting or more useful? So he put it in his pocket and ran quickly out of the mountain by a little door which had been left open. When he got home his parents asked him what he had been doing and where he had got the fine clothes he wore. Oh, I earned them myself, answered he. You never earned them in this short time, said his father. Be off with you. I won't keep you here. I will have no thieves in my house. Well, I only came to help you, the boy replied sotally. Now I'll be off, as you wish. But tomorrow morning, when you rise, you will see a great dog at the door. Do not drive it away, but take it to the castle and sell it to the Duke, and they will give you ten dollars for it, only you must bring the strap you lead it with back to the house. Sure enough, the next day, the dog was standing at the door, waiting to be let in. The old man was rather afraid of getting into trouble, but his wife urged him to sell the dog as the boy had bitten him. So he took it up to the castle and sold it to the Duke for ten dollars. But he did not forget to take off the strap and to carry it home. When he got there, old Kirsten met him at the door. Well, Peder, have you sold the dog, asked she. Yes, Kirsten, and I have bought back ten dollars as the boy told us, answered Peder. Aye, but that's fine, said his wife. Now you see what one gets by doing as one is bid. If it had not been for me, you would have driven the dog away again, and we should have lost the money. After all, I always know what is best. Nonsense, said her husband. Women always think they know best. I should have sold the dog just the same, whatever you had told me. Put the money away in a safe place and don't talk so much. The next day, hands came again. But though everything had turned out as he had foretold, he found that his father was still not quite satisfied. Be off with you, said he. You'll get us into trouble. I haven't helped you enough yet, replied the boy. Tomorrow, there will come a great fat cow as big as the house. Take it to the king's palace, and you'll get as much as a thousand dollars for it. Only you must unfasten the holster you lead it with and bring it back and don't return by the high road but through the forest. The next day, when the couple rose, they saw an enormous head looking in at their bedroom window and behind it was a cow, which was nearly as big as their hut. Kirsten was wild with joy to think of the money the cow would bring them. But how are you going to put the rope over her head? asked she. Wait, and you'll see, mother, answered her husband. Then Pader took the ladder that led up to the hay loft and set it against the cow's neck, and climbed up and slipped the rope over her head. When he had made sure that the noose was fast, they started for the palace and met the king himself walking in his grounds. I heard that the princess was going to be married, said Pader, so I've brought your majesty a cow which is bigger than any cow that was ever seen. Will your majesty dane to bite? The king had, in truth, never seen so large a beast, and he willingly paid the thousand dollars, which was the price demanded. But Pader remembered to take off the halter before he left. After he was gone, the king sent for the butcher and told him to kill the animal for the wedding feast. The butcher got ready his poleaxe, but just as he was going to strike, the cow changed itself into a dove and flew away, and the butcher stood staring after it as if he were turned to stone. As the dove could not be found, he was obliged to tell the king what had happened, and the king, in his turn, dispatched messengers to capture the old man and bring him back. But Pader was safe in the woods and could not be found. When at last he felt the danger was over and he might go home, Kirsten nearly fainted with joy at the sight of all the money he'd bought with him. Now that we are rich people, Pader tried she, and was vexed to find that Pader only shook his head and said, No. If they did that, people would talk and say they had got their wealth by ill-doing. A few mornings later hands came again. Be off before you get us into trouble, said his father. So far the money has come right enough, but I don't trust it. Oh, don't worry over that, father said hands. You'll find a horse outside by the gate. Ride it to market and you will get a thousand dollars for it. Only don't forget to loosen the bridle when you sell it. Well, in the morning there was the horse. Kirsten had never seen so fine an animal. Take care it doesn't hurt you, Pader, said she. Nonsense wife, answered he crossly. When I was a lad, I lived with horses and could ride anything for twenty miles around. But that was not quite the truth, for he had never met a horse in his life. Still, the animal was quite enough so Pader got safely to market on its back. There he met a man who offered nine hundred and ninety-nine dollars for it, but Pader would take nothing less than a thousand. At last there came an old gray-bearded man who looked at the horse and agreed to buy it. But the moment he touched it the horse began to kick and plunge. I must take the bridle off, said Pader. It is not to be sold with the animal as is usually the case. I'll give you a hundred dollars for the bridle, said the old man, taking out his purse. No, I can't sell it, replied Hans' father. Five hundred dollars? No. A thousand? At this splendid offer Pader's prudence gave way. It was a shame to let so much money go, or he agreed to accept it. But he could hardly hold the horse it became so unmanageable. So he gave the animal in charge to the old man and went home with his two thousand dollars. Kirsten, of course, was delighted at this new piece of good fortune and insisted that the new house should be built and land bought. This time Pader consented and soon they had quite a fine farm. Meanwhile the old man rode off on his new purchase and when he came to a smithy he asked the smith to forge shoes for the horse. The smith proposed that they should first have a drink together and the horse was tied up by the spring whilst they went indoors. The day was hot and both men were thirsty and besides they had much to say and so the hours slipped by and found them still talking. Then the servant girl came out with a glass of water and being a kind hearted lass she gave some to the horse to drink. What was her surprise when the animal said to her take off my bridle and you will save my life? I dare not said she. Your master will be so angry. He cannot hurt you answered the horse and you will save my life. At that she took off the bridle but nearly fainted with astonishment when the horse turned into a dove and flew away just as the old man came out of the house. Directly he saw what had happened he changed himself into a hawk and flew after the dove. Over the woods and fields they went and at length they reached a king's palace surrounded by beautiful gardens. The princess was walking with her attendants in the rose garden when the dove turned itself and fell at her feet. Why here is a ring she cried where could it have come from and picking it up she put it on her finger. As she did so the hillman lost his power over hands for of course you understand that it was he who had been the dog the cow the horse and the dove. Well that is really strange said the princess it fits me as though it had been made for me just at that moment up came the king. Look at what I have found cried his daughter well that is not worth much my dear said he besides you have rings enough I should think never mind I like it replied the princess but as soon as she was alone to her amazement the ring suddenly left her finger and became a man you can imagine how frightened she was as indeed anybody would have been but in an instant the man became a ring again and then turned back to a man and so it went on for some time until she began to get used to these sudden changes I am sorry I frightened you said Hans when he thought he could safely speak to the princess without making her scream I took refuge with you because the old hillman whom I defended was trying to kill me and here I am safe you had better stay here then said the princess so Hans stayed and he and she became good friends though of course he only became a man when no one else was present this was all very well but one day as they were talking together the king happened to enter the room and although Hans quickly changed himself into a ring again it was too late the king was terribly angry so this is why you have refused to marry all the kings and princes who have sought your hand he cried and without waiting for her to speak he commanded that his daughter should be walled up in the summer house and starved to death with her lover that evening the poor princess still wearing her ring was put into the summer house with enough food to last for three days and the door was bricked up but at the end of a week or two the king thought it was time to give her a grand funeral in spite of her bad behaviour and he had the summer house opened he could hardly believe his eyes when he found that the princess was not there nor Hans either instead they lay at his feet a large hole big enough for two people to pass through now what had happened was this when the princess and Hans had given up hope and cast themselves down on the ground to die they fell down this hole and right through the earth as well and at last they tumbled into a castle built of pure gold at the other side of the world and there they lived happily but of this of course the king knew nothing will anyone go down and see where the passage leads to he asked turning to his guards and courtiers I will reward splendidly the man who is brave enough to explore it for a long time nobody answered the hole was dark and deep and if it had a bottom no one could see it at length a soldier who was a careless sort of fellow offered himself for the service and cautiously load himself into the darkness but in a moment he too fell down down down was he going to fall forever he wondered oh how thankfully was in the end to reach the castle and to meet the princess and Hans looking quite well and not at all as if they had been starved to talk and the soldier told them that the king was very sorry for the way he had treated his daughter and wished day and night that he could have her back again then they all took ship and sailed home and when they came to the princess's country Hans disguised himself as the sovereign of a neighboring kingdom and went up to the palace alone he was given a hearty welcome by the king who prided himself on his hospitality and a banquet was commanded in his honor that evening whilst they sat drinking their wine Hans said to the king I have heard the fame of your majesty's wisdom and I have traveled from far to ask your counsel a man in my country has buried his daughter alive because she loved the youth who was born a peasant how shall I punish this unnatural father for it is left to me to give judgment the king who was still truly grieved the daughter's loss answered quickly burn him alive and strew his ashes all over the kingdom Hans looked at him steadily for a moment and then threw off his disguise you are the man said he and I am he who loved your daughter and became a gold ring on her finger she is safe and waiting not far from here but you have pronounced judgment on yourself the king fell on his knees for mercy and as he had in other respects been a good father they forgave him the wedding of Hans and the princess was celebrated with great festivities which lasted a month as for the hill man he intended to be present but whilst he was walking along a street which led to the palace a loose stone fell on his head and killed him so Hans and the princess lived in peace and happiness all their days the old king died they reigned instead of him end of the magic book recording by Robert White end of the orange fairy book by Andrew Lang