The Crimson Fairy Book

The prince returned before long, bringing with him his father and
mother and a great train of courtiers to escort Ilonka home. But
how they all stared when they saw the swineherd's ugly daughter! 
However, there was nothing for it but to take her home; and, two
days later, the prince married her, and his father gave up the crown
to him.

But he had no peace! He knew very well he had been cheated,
though he could not think how. Once he desired to have some
water brought him from the well into which Ilonka had been
thrown. The coachman went for it and, in the bucket he pulled up,
a pretty little duck was swimming. He looked wonderingly at it,
and all of a sudden it disappeared and he found a dirty looking girl
standing near him. The girl returned with him and managed to get a
place as housemaid in the palace.

Of course she was very busy all day long, but whenever she had a
little spare time she sat down to spin. Her distaff turned of itself
and her spindle span by itself and the flax wound itself off; and
however much she might use there was always plenty left.

When the queen--or, rather, the swineherd's daughter--heard of
this, she very much wished to have the distaff, but the girl flatly
refused to give it to her. However, at last she consented on
condition that she might sleep one night in the king's room. The
queen was very angry, and scolded her well; but as she longed to
have the distaff she consented, though she gave the king a sleeping
draught at supper.

Then the girl went to the king's room looking seven times lovelier
than ever. She bent over the sleeper and said: 'My heart's love, I
am yours and you are mine. Speak to me but once; I am your
Ilonka.' But the king was so sound asleep he neither heard nor
spoke, and Ilonka left the room, sadly thinking he was ashamed to
own her.

Soon after the queen again sent to say that she wanted to buy the
spindle. The girl agreed to let her have it on the same conditions as
before; but this time, also, the queen took care to give the king a
sleeping draught. And once more Ilonka went to the king's room
and spoke to him; whisper as sweetly as she might she could get no
answer.

Now some of the king's servants had taken note of the matter, and
warned their master not to eat and drink anything that the queen
offered him, as for two nights running she had given him a sleeping
draught. The queen had no idea that her doings had been
discovered; and when, a few days later, she wanted the flax, and
had to pay the same price for it, she felt no fears at all.

At supper that night the queen offered the king all sorts of nice
things to eat and drink, but he declared he was not hungry, and
went early to bed.

The queen repented bitterly her promise to the girl, but it was too
late to recall it; for Ilonka had already entered the king's room,
where he lay anxiously waiting for something, he knew not what.
All of a sudden he saw a lovely maiden who bent over him and said:
'My dearest love, I am yours and you are mine. Speak to me, for I
am your Ilonka.'

At these words the king's heart bounded within him. He sprang up
and embraced and kissed her, and she told him all her adventures
since the moment he had left her. And when he heard all that
Ilonka had suffered, and how he had been deceived, he vowed he
would be revenged; so he gave orders that the swineherd, his wife
and daughter should all be hanged; and so they were.

The next day the king was married, with great rejoicings, to the fair
Ilonka; and if they are not yet dead--why, they are still living.

[From Ungarische Mahrehen.]



Lucky Luck

Once upon a time there was a king who had an only son. When the
lad was about eighteen years old his father had to go to fight in a
war against a neighbouring country, and the king led his troops in
person. He bade his son act as Regent in his absence, but ordered
him on no account to marry till his return.

Time went by. The prince ruled the country and never even thought
of marrying. But when he reached his twenty-fifth birthday he
began to think that it might be rather nice to have a wife, and he
thought so much that at last he got quite eager about it. He
remembered, however, what his father had said, and waited some
time longer, till at last it was ten years since the king went out to
war. Then the prince called his courtiers about him and set off with
a great retinue to seek a bride. He hardly knew which way to go, so
he wandered about for twenty days, when, suddenly, he found
himself in his father's camp.

The king was delighted to see his son, and had a great many
questions to ask and answer; but when he heard that instead of
quietly waiting for him at home the prince was starting off to seek a
wife he was very angry, and said: 'You may go where you please
but I will not leave any of my people with you.'