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Authors: Andrew Lang
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as I travel along I shall think of you and
thank you.'
'Come along then,' said the king, 'choose whom you will.' And he
took the lute player through the prison himself.
The queen walked about amongst the prisoners, and at length she
picked out her husband and took him with her on her journey.
They were long on their way, but he never found out who she was,
and she led him nearer and nearer to his own country.
When they reached the frontier the prisoner said:
'Let me go now, kind lad; I am no common prisoner, but the king
of this country. Let me go free and ask what you will as your
reward.'
'Do not speak of reward,' answered the lute player. 'Go in
peace.'
'Then come with me, dear boy, and be my guest.'
'When the proper time comes I shall be at your palace,' was the
reply, and so they parted.
The queen took a short way home, got there before the king and
changed her dress.
An hour later all the people in the palace were running to and
fro and crying out: 'Our king has come back! Our king has
returned to us.'
The king greeted every one very kindly, but he would not so much
as look at the queen.
Then he called all his council and ministers together and said to
them:
'See what sort of a wife I have. Here she is falling on my neck,
but when I was pining in prison and sent her word of it she did
nothing to help me.'
And his council answered with one voice, 'Sire, when news was
brought from you the queen disappeared and no one knew where she
went. She only returned to-day.'
Then the king was very angry and cried, 'Judge my faithless wife!
Never would you have seen your king again, if a young lute player
had not delivered him. I shall remember him with love and
gratitude as long as I live.'
Whilst the king was sitting with his council, the queen found
time to disguise herself. She took her lute, and slipping into
the court in front of the palace she sang, clear and sweet:
'I sing the captive's longing
Within his prison wall,
Of hearts that sigh when none are nigh
To answer to their call.
'My song begs for your pity,
And gifts from out your store,
And as I play my gentle lay
I linger near your door.
'And if you hear my singing
Within your palace, sire,
Oh! give, I pray, this happy day,
To me my heart's desire.'
As soon as the king heard this song he ran out to meet the lute
player, took him by the hand and led him into the palace.
'Here,' he cried, 'is the boy who released me from my prison.
And now, my true friend, I will indeed give you your heart's
desire.'
'I am sure you will not be less generous than the heathen king
was, sire. I ask of you what I asked and obtained from him. But
this time I don't mean to give up what I get. I want
YOU—yourself!'
And as she spoke she threw off her long cloak and everyone saw it
was the queen.
Who can tell how happy the king was? In the joy of his heart he
gave a great feast to the whole world, and the whole world came
and rejoiced with him for a whole week.
I was there too, and ate and drank many good things. I sha'n't
forget that feast as long as I live.
(From the Russian.)
The Grateful Prince
*
Once upon a time the king of the Goldland lost himself in a
forest, and try as he would he could not find the way out. As he
was wandering down one path which had looked at first more
hopeful than the rest he saw a man coming towards him.
'What are you doing here, friend?' asked the stranger; 'darkness
is falling fast, and soon the wild beasts will come from their
lairs to seek for food.'
'I have lost myself,' answered the king, 'and am trying to get
home.'
'Then promise me that you will give me the first thing that comes
out of your house, and I will show you the way,' said the
stranger.
The king did not answer directly, but after awhile he spoke:
'Why should I give away my BEST sporting dog. I can surely find
my way out of the forest as well as this man.'
So the stranger left him, but the king followed path after path
for three whole days, with no better success than
thank you.'
'Come along then,' said the king, 'choose whom you will.' And he
took the lute player through the prison himself.
The queen walked about amongst the prisoners, and at length she
picked out her husband and took him with her on her journey.
They were long on their way, but he never found out who she was,
and she led him nearer and nearer to his own country.
When they reached the frontier the prisoner said:
'Let me go now, kind lad; I am no common prisoner, but the king
of this country. Let me go free and ask what you will as your
reward.'
'Do not speak of reward,' answered the lute player. 'Go in
peace.'
'Then come with me, dear boy, and be my guest.'
'When the proper time comes I shall be at your palace,' was the
reply, and so they parted.
The queen took a short way home, got there before the king and
changed her dress.
An hour later all the people in the palace were running to and
fro and crying out: 'Our king has come back! Our king has
returned to us.'
The king greeted every one very kindly, but he would not so much
as look at the queen.
Then he called all his council and ministers together and said to
them:
'See what sort of a wife I have. Here she is falling on my neck,
but when I was pining in prison and sent her word of it she did
nothing to help me.'
And his council answered with one voice, 'Sire, when news was
brought from you the queen disappeared and no one knew where she
went. She only returned to-day.'
Then the king was very angry and cried, 'Judge my faithless wife!
Never would you have seen your king again, if a young lute player
had not delivered him. I shall remember him with love and
gratitude as long as I live.'
Whilst the king was sitting with his council, the queen found
time to disguise herself. She took her lute, and slipping into
the court in front of the palace she sang, clear and sweet:
'I sing the captive's longing
Within his prison wall,
Of hearts that sigh when none are nigh
To answer to their call.
'My song begs for your pity,
And gifts from out your store,
And as I play my gentle lay
I linger near your door.
'And if you hear my singing
Within your palace, sire,
Oh! give, I pray, this happy day,
To me my heart's desire.'
As soon as the king heard this song he ran out to meet the lute
player, took him by the hand and led him into the palace.
'Here,' he cried, 'is the boy who released me from my prison.
And now, my true friend, I will indeed give you your heart's
desire.'
'I am sure you will not be less generous than the heathen king
was, sire. I ask of you what I asked and obtained from him. But
this time I don't mean to give up what I get. I want
YOU—yourself!'
And as she spoke she threw off her long cloak and everyone saw it
was the queen.
Who can tell how happy the king was? In the joy of his heart he
gave a great feast to the whole world, and the whole world came
and rejoiced with him for a whole week.
I was there too, and ate and drank many good things. I sha'n't
forget that feast as long as I live.
(From the Russian.)
The Grateful Prince
*
Once upon a time the king of the Goldland lost himself in a
forest, and try as he would he could not find the way out. As he
was wandering down one path which had looked at first more
hopeful than the rest he saw a man coming towards him.
'What are you doing here, friend?' asked the stranger; 'darkness
is falling fast, and soon the wild beasts will come from their
lairs to seek for food.'
'I have lost myself,' answered the king, 'and am trying to get
home.'
'Then promise me that you will give me the first thing that comes
out of your house, and I will show you the way,' said the
stranger.
The king did not answer directly, but after awhile he spoke:
'Why should I give away my BEST sporting dog. I can surely find
my way out of the forest as well as this man.'
So the stranger left him, but the king followed path after path
for three whole days, with no better success than
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