Old Hildebrand

Once upon a time there was a Queen who had a daughter so small that she was carried about on people’s arms, and one day the child was so naughty that, spite of all the mother said, she would not be quiet. At last the Queen lost all patience, and, because the ravens were then flying about the palace, she opened the window and said, “I wish you were a raven, and could away, and then I should have some peace!” Scarcely had she said the words when the child changed into a raven, and flew away off her arm out of the window and away into a dark forest, where she remained a long time, and the parents heard nothing about her.

Some little time afterwards a man, while traveling along, found himself in this wood, and there he heard the Raven cry, and he went after the sound. As he came near, the Raven said to him, “I am a princess by birth, and am bewitched; but you can deliver me from the charm.”

“What can I do, then?” he asked.

“Go on further into the wood,” she replied, “and you will find a house wherein sits an old woman, who will offer you meat and drink; but do not venture to take anything, for if you do you will fall into a deep sleep, and fail to free me. In the garden behind this house is a large heap of tan, whereon you must stand and wait for me. For three days I shall come at two o’clock, in a carriage drawn, the first time, by four white horses, then by four red, and lastly by four black; and if you are asleep when I come you will not rescue me; so you must mind to keep awake.”

The man promised to do all that she desired; but the Raven said, “Ah! But I know well you will not deliver me, for you will take something from the old woman.” The man promised again he would not touch either the meat or drink, and then he went on, and, when he came to the house and entered, the old woman met him, and said to him, “Poor man, how weary you look! Come and refresh yourself with these dishes.” But he said, “No, I will neither eat nor drink.” Still she pressed him, saying, “Well, if you will not eat, take a draught of wine; once is nothing at all.” So the man allowed himself to be persuaded, and drank a little, and by-and-by, when midnight came, he went out into the garden, on to the tan-heap, and waited for the Raven. But while he stood there he became all at once very tired, and could not shake off the feeling, so he laid down a bit, without venturing to sleep. However, he had scarcely stretched himself out when his eyes closed of themselves, and he soon began to snore, and was so very fast asleep, that nothing on earth could have awakened him. About two o’clock came the Raven, drawn by four white horses, and as she came along she felt assured she should find the man asleep; and so it was; as soon as she came in the garden, she saw him lying on the tan-heap fast asleep. She alighted from her carriage, went up to him, shook him, and shouted to him; but he did not awake. The next night, at twelve, the old woman came, and brought the man food and drink, but he would take nothing, till she pressed him so long and left him no rest till at last he took a long draught out of the glass of wine. About two o’clock he began again to watch upon the heap of tan for the Raven, but, as before, he soon felt so weary that his legs would not support him, and he was forced to lie down, and he fell into a deep sleep. When the Raven, therefore, came with her four red horses, she was in great distress, for she had a presentiment of finding the man asleep, as she did, and all her efforts to awaken him were in vain. The next day the old woman scolded the man and said, “What will happen if you neither eat nor drink? You will die!” “I dare not, and will not, eat and drink,” replied the man. Nevertheless, the old woman set the dishes before him, and, the savor of them was so nice, he could not resist, and he made a hearty meal, and afterwards, when the time came, he went out into the garden, and there waited for the Princess upon the tan-heap. Soon he felt more weary than he had ever been before, and he laid down, and went as fast asleep as a stone. About two o’clock came the Raven, drawn by four black horses, and the coach also was black, and all the harness. She was already in tears, for she knew, as she drove along, she should find the man asleep; and so he was. She shook him and called him, but in vain; she could not awaken him. So she laid by him a loaf of bread, a joint of meat, and a bottle of wine, of which he might take as much as he would, without lessening the quantity. Then she drew a golden ring off her finger, and put it on his finger, and on it her name was engraven. Lastly, she laid beside him a letter, wherein was stated what was given to him; and further it said, “I see well thou wilt never save me here; but, if thou yet desire to do so, come to the Golden Castle of Stromberg; it is in thy power.” And as soon as she had done all this she placed herself in her carriage again, and was driven to this castle.

By-and-by the man awoke and saw what had happened, and he was sad at heart, for he thought, “Now she has gone away, and I have not saved her.” Then his eyes lighted upon the things she had left, and he read the letter which contained the account of them. Soon he arose and marched off on his way to the Golden Castle of Stromberg, but he recollected he did not know where it was. For some time he wandered about the world, and at length he came to a large forest, wherein for fourteen days he walked to and fro, and could not get out. One day, as evening came on, he felt tired and laid down in a thicket and went to sleep. The next day he walked still further and laid down at night beneath another thicket; but there he heard such a howling and groaning that he could not sleep. When the time came that people put out their lights he saw a lamp glimmering, towards which he made his way, and there he came to a house before which stood a Giant. But he thought to himself, “If I go in, and the Giant see me my life is scarce worth counting on;” and with this idea he waited a long while before he entered. At last he ventured, and as soon as the Giant saw him, he cried, “It is well that you have come, for I have eaten nothing for a long time, and you will serve for my supper.”

“Let that be!” said the man; “I am not at all willing to be roasted; but, if you want to eat, I have enough here to satisfy you!”

“Well, if that is true,” said the Giant, “you may rest quietly: I only meant to eat you because I had nothing else!” Thereupon they went in and sat down to table, and the man produced bread, and meat, and wine. “This pleases me well enough,” said the Giant; and he ate to his heart’s content. By-and-by the man asked him, “Can you tell me where the Golden Castle of Stromberg is situate?”

“I will look at my map,” replied the Giant, “where on are laid down all the cities, villages, and houses here-abouts.” So saying, he fetched the map, which he kept in another room, and looked for the castle, but it was nowhere to be found. “It does not matter,” said the Giant, “I have a still larger map upstairs in a closet;” but when they looked over that the name was not to be found there either. The man would then have proceeded further, but the Giant begged him to stop a couple of days, until his brother returned who was gone to seek for something to eat. As soon as the brother came home, they asked him after the Golden Castle of Stromberg, but he would not talk about anything till he had satisfied his hunger, and then he mounted with them to his chamber, and there they searched all over the map for the castle, without success; so then they fetched other maps, and did not leave off looking till at last they found the place; but it was many thousand miles away from where they were. “Now, how can I get there?” asked the man.

“I have two hours to spare,” said the Giant, “and in. that time I will carry you near the castle, but I must then return at once and feed the child we have.” So the Giant took the man within about a hundred miles of the castle, and there set him down, and told him he could easily go the rest of the way by himself. So saying, he turned homewards; but the man journeyed on day and night, till at length he arrived in sight of the Golden Castle of Stromberg. Now, this castle stood upon a glass mountain, and he could see the Princess riding round in her carriage, and then go into the gate. At this sight he felt very glad and began to mount up to the palace, but every step he took he slipped back again. When, therefore, he perceived he could not reach the Princess, he became very sorrowful, and said to himself, “I will stop here, and wait upon her.” So he built himself a hut, and for a whole year lived in it, every day seeing the Princess driving about up above while he was unable to reach her.

One day he perceived from his hut three robbers beating one another, and he called to them. “God be with you!” They ceased at the voice, but when they saw nobody they began again to knock each other about, so that it was quite dangerous. Then he called to them a second time, “God be with you!” They ceased at the words, looked about, but saw nobody, and they began to beat each other again; and so the man exclaimed for the third time, “God be with you!” and went out and asked the three combatants what they wanted. The first said he had found a stick which opened every door against which it was struck; the second had found a cloak which rendered its wearer invisible; but the third had caught a horse upon which any one could ride up the glass mountain. Now, they could not agree whether they should keep company with one another or should separate; so the man said, “These three things I will exchange with you; money certainly I have not, but other things which are more valuable. Still, I must first have a trial, that I may see if you have spoken the truth.” So they let him mount the horse, and hung the cloak around him, and put the stick into his hand, and when they had given him all he was invisible to them. Then he gave them heavy blows upon the shoulders, and exclaiming, “Now, you bear-hunters, now you have your deserts; be content therewith!” he rode up the glass mountain, and as he arrived before the castle door he found it closed. He, therefore, tapped upon it with his stick, and immediately it flew open, and he entered and mounted the stairs which led to the room where the Princess sat with a golden cup full of wine before her. She could not see him, because he wore the cloak, and as he came close to her chair he drew off the ring which she had given him, and threw it into the cup of wine, so that it rang against the side. Then she exclaimed, “That is my ring, and the man must also be here who will deliver me!” and she made a search for him all over the castle; but he had gone out meanwhile, and now sat on his horse outside the door with the cloak thrown off. As soon, therefore, as she went out at the door she saw him, and cried for joy, and the man, dismounting from his horse, took her in his arms, and the Princess kissed him and said, “Now you have indeed saved me, and tomorrow we will be married!”

This story is in the public domain and may be used or adapted freely.

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