The Crimson Fairy Book

The Horse Gullfaxi and the Sword Gunnfoder
The Story of the Sham Prince, or the Ambitious Tailor
The Colony of Cats
How to find out a True Friend
Clever Maria
The Magic Kettle



Lovely Ilonka

There was once a king's son who told his father that he wished to
marry.

'No, no!' said the king; 'you must not be in such a hurry. Wait till
you have done some great deed. My father did not let me marry till
I had won the golden sword you see me wear.'

The prince was much disappointed, but he never dreamed of
disobeying his father, and he began to think with all his might what
he could do. It was no use staying at home, so one day he
wandered out into the world to try his luck, and as he walked along
he came to a little hut in which he found an old woman crouching
over the fire.

'Good evening, mother. I see you have lived long in this world; do
you know anything about the three bulrushes?'

'Yes, indeed, I've lived long and been much about in the world, but
I have never seen or heard anything of what you ask. Still, if you
will wait till to-morrow I may be able to tell you something.'

Well, he waited till the morning, and quite early the old woman
appeared and took out a little pipe and blew in it, and in a moment
all the crows in the world were flying about her. Not one was
missing. Then she asked if they knew anything about the three
bulrushes, but not one of them did.

The prince went on his way, and a little further on he found another
hut in which lived an old man. On being questioned the old man
said he knew nothing, but begged the prince to stay overnight, and
the next morning the old man called all the ravens together, but
they too had nothing to tell.

The prince bade him farewell and set out. He wandered so far that
he crossed seven kingdoms, and at last, one evening, he came to a
little house in which was an old woman.

'Good evening, dear mother,' said he politely.

'Good evening to you, my dear son,' answered the old woman. 'It
is lucky for you that you spoke to me or you would have met with a
horrible death. But may I ask where are you going?'

'I am seeking the three bulrushes. Do you know anything about
them?'

'I don't know anything myself, but wait till to-morrow. Perhaps I
can tell you then.' So the next morning she blew on her pipe, and lo!
and behold every magpie in the world flew up. That is to say, all
the magpies except one who had broken a leg and a wing. The old
woman sent after it at once, and when she questioned the magpies
the crippled one was the only one who knew where the three
bulrushes were.

Then the prince started off with the lame magpie. They went on
and on till they reached a great stone wall, many, many feet high.

'Now, prince,' said the magpie, 'the three bulrushes are behind that
wall.'

The prince wasted no time. He set his horse at the wall and leaped
over it. Then he looked about for the three bulrushes, pulled them
up and set off with them on his way home. As he rode along one of
the bulrushes happened to knock against something. It split open
and, only think! out sprang a lovely girl, who said: 'My heart's love,
you are mine and I am yours; do give me a glass of water.'

But how could the prince give it her when there was no water at
hand? So the lovely maiden flew away. He split the second bulrush
as an experiment and just the same thing happened.

How careful he was of the third bulrush! He waited till he came to a
well, and there he split it open, and out sprang a maiden seven times
lovelier than either of the others, and she too said: 'My heart's love,
I am yours and you are mine; do give me a glass of water.'

This time the water was ready and the girl did not fly away, but she
and the prince promised to love each other always. Then they set
out for home.

They soon reached the prince's country, and as he wished to bring
his promised bride back in a fine coach he went on to the town to
fetch one. In the field where the well was, the king's swineherds
and cowherds were feeding their droves, and the prince left Ilonka
(for that was her name) in their care.

Unluckily the chief swineherd had an ugly old daughter, and whilst
the prince was away he dressed her up in fine clothes, and threw
Ilonka into the well.