The Shepherd Boy And The Elf King
There was once a poor shepherd boy named Johan who lived with his stepmother. She was indeed a heartless lady and always grumbled to give her son even a morsel of food. So much wool she had, yet she never bothered to provide him with sufficient clothing during the cold winter. The helpless little boy suffered quietly without a word of complaint and tended the sheep on the green hills nearby. One day, as Johan was looking for a lamb that had gone astray, he saw glittering in the sunshine a tiny shoe of the whitest and the clearest glass. He picked it up and had taken but a few steps when he found a little red cap, set round with silver frills. It was almost evening when he chanced to strike his foot against a golden bell that lay in the grass. It gave forth so sweet and magical a sound that all his sheep gathered in a while and stood still to listen.
The lost lamb, too, came gamboling, as if from nowhere, and joined the flock. It was getting late, and the shepherd boy walked fast homewards wondering who could be the owners of these little things he held in his hands. Suddenly he heard a faint sound of music, singing, and laughter. He strained both his ears and eyes and saw in the light of the moon, which had just risen over the hills, a strange sight. Beside the rippling streamlet and around a small flame danced and sang a host of wee little people. "Ah! That must be the elfin dance of the fairy tales. These things must surely belong to these elves," thought Johan. So dropping on to his knees he gently asked, "Excuse me, little Friends, have you lost a glass shoe, a red cap, and a golden bell?" The fanfare at once came to a standstill and in a chorus, which almost seemed like a whisper, they replied, "At last, the magical bell, shoe of glass, and the frilled cap of red have been found. Hurray!" Then Johan felt something climbing onto his shoulder. On it stood the king of the elves with a flowing white beard touching his toes. "You have done us a good turn. We are grateful and in return, you may ask for three wishes," he said, almost tickling the shepherd boy's ear. Johan at once told the wishes that he had so often dreamt of, lying in his tumbledown hut. "I wish to be a king, and I wish to have a great palace and a very beautiful queen!" "You've wished no trifle wishes!" said the Oldman. "Nevertheless, listen carefully to what I've to tell you. Tomorrow when the owls have begun to hoot, follow that bright star twinkling in the sky. It will lead you to a royal palace. Take this pipe. If ever you fall into trouble, play a sweet strain and you shall receive help. Mind you, the greater the peril, the sweeter and sadder should be the tune. The use of the pipe is limited to three times only and no more."
Then, bidding farewell, the elf king disappeared and Johan bent his steps homewards, rejoicing as he went along that soon he would be free from the clutches of his cruel stepmother. The following night he set forth according to the instructions of the old elf king. The journey was arduous, over hills and dales. Thrice did the sunrise and thrice did it set and still, he seemed to be far from his destination. At last on the fourth day, he came to a magnificent palace. He asked for some work and was taken to tend the royal sheep and cattle as the king was in need of a herd boy. Soon, he came to be liked and respected by one and all as the wild wolves never managed to get a single animal from his custody. Years passed by. Johan had now grown up into a handsome and vigorous young man. The princess of the realm, too, sprang into the fairest figure. In fact, Johan had met the princess on several occasions, when he was a young boy and she a young girl. He had always been delighted to do so and one day, she had even requested him to take charge of her little white lamb and protect it from the wolves. But he was unaware that she was the king's daughter. It so happened that one day, the princess was missing and was nowhere to be found. There was great sorrow in the realm. The king finally made a proclamation that whosoever should recover his daughter shall not only win her hand but also half of the kingdom.
A number of brave and gallant knights, princes, and warriors set forth to find the lost princess. Alas, many never returned, but those who did brought no tidings of her. Johan drove the sheep to the pasture as usual, but it was in sadness that he did so, for the thought of the princess never left his mind. One night, the elfin king appeared in his dream and said, "Follow the direction of the Pole Star and there you will find whom you miss!" Everyone laughed when the shepherd boy sought the king's consent to go and seek the princess. "How can a poor shepherd think of doing what so many brave princes and knights have failed to accomplish?" laughed everyone in the royal court. Nevertheless, the king gave him permission and wished him success in his mission. For several tedious days and nights, he traveled through dense forests, facing adventures. At last, he saw a white marble palace that stood on an island in the middle of a deep blue lake. He surveyed it and saw flowing from the window of one of its tall towers, lovely tresses of hair gleaming in the sunlight. He recognized them at once for they belonged to the lost princess. His heart leaped up in joy. But how could he get there? The lake was full of ferocious crocodiles. He remembered the gift of the elves. Taking out the little pipe from his pocket, he played a sad sweet tune.
In a trice, there appeared before him an elfin boy with a red cap set round with silver frills. "What does thou wish of me?" he asked. "I want to be taken across the lake to the marble palace yonder," he said. "Hop on my back," said the wee little being. The youth did so, most hesitantly indeed! For the elf's back was not large enough even to carry his little finger. But in a moment he found himself riding a huge eagle which darted through the air and stopped not till it reached its destination. Johan stealthily made his way to the tower. He softly sang a song. The song that he used to sing often while he tended the royal flock of sheep. The princess did not fail to recognize his voice. She came to the window and waved her hands. The sun had already set and it was a dark and moonless night. The shepherd once again blew on his pipe and summoned his elfin friend. With his help, he ascended the tower and unbound the golden chains that had imprisoned the princess. They soon came down to the margin of the lake. The elf king rang the little golden bell and there stood before them the wee little damsel with the tiny glass shoes, which the shepherd had found in the grass. "Take them across to the other side," ordered her master. The little girl at once changed herself into a beautiful swan. It was large enough for the princess and the shepherd to sit on its back. "Mind you," cautioned the elf king, "the princess must not be terrified whatever may happen. For, then, my power will come to an end."
The swan began to float on the placid water and the crocodiles docilely swam around it. For the golden bell that hung around the bird's neck produced its enchanting tune. Meanwhile, the giant, the master of the marble palace, was woken up by his magic mirror in which he saw his captive fleeing with a youth. Changing himself into a huge hawk he pursued them. The swan, upon hearing the loud clapping of the giant's wings close behind them, suddenly dived below the surface of the water. Terrified, the princess uttered a scream and the elf king's harm was at an end. Seizing the two fugitives in his long talons, the giant returned to his island. He cast the brave deliverer into the deepest and the darkest dungeon of his castle and the princess into the tallest tower. Johan was in great despair. Suddenly, he remembered that he can make use of the pipe once again, for the last time He blew on it a lovely strain and indeed it was the saddest and the sweetest one. He saw a blue light in the darkness and the elf king appeared and greeted him. "What would you like me to do for you this time?" he asked. "I wish to deliver the princess and take her safely to her father's arms," he replied. The old man then led him through a secret passage into a spacious hall, which happened to be the giant's treasury. Taking out from a large wooden chest a suit of armor, resplendent with pure gold, he asked the youth to put it on. Then he hung a sword by his side and said, "The giant is destined to fall only by this sword and armor and no other power on the earth can get rid of him."
They then returned to the dungeon and Johan thanked the elf king who, wishing him good luck, disappeared. It was a day of festivities in the island kingdom. For, it was the day when the giant was to wed the fair princess and behead the captive young man. It was evening time and time for the giant to conduct his bride-to-be to the court, where the guests had assembled to witness the two great events. He ordered his men to fetch the wretched prisoner in the dungeon. But his men were awestruck to find standing before them a bold and dazzling warrior instead of the simple shepherd. Frightened, they fled and Johan pursued them to the great gathering. He then addressed the giant very curtly, "Now get ready to duel with me for thy fair bride!" He drew the sword which blazed like fire and blinded everyone for a moment. The giant at once recognized the blade under which he was doomed to fall. Terror struck, he tried to flee but the brave, golden armored knight in a flash severed his head. Their return to their palace was smooth. Amidst great rejoicings, the beautiful princess and the handsome shepherd wedded and they soon succeeded the old royal pair. Johan did not forget his stepmother in his happiness and fetched her to live with him. When the full moon shone in the sky, Johan the king and his queen often went to the grassy spot, beside the stream on the hill, and reveled with their elfin friends.!
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