The Hairy Man

The Hairy Man

Somewhere or other, but I don’t know where, there lived a king who

owned two remarkably fine fields of rape, but every night two of the

rape heaps were burnt down in one of the fields. The king was extremely

angry at this, and sent out soldiers to catch whoever had set fire to

the ricks; but it was all of no use—not a soul could they see. Then he

offered nine hundred crowns to anyone who caught the evil-doer, and at

the same time ordered that whoever did not keep proper watch over the

fields should be killed; but though there were a great many people,

none seemed able to protect the fields.

The king had already put ninety-nine people to death, when a little

swineherd came to him who had two dogs; one was called “Psst,” and the

other “Hush”; and the boy told the king that he would watch over the

ricks.

When it grew dark he climbed up on the top of the fourth rick, from

where he could see the whole field. About eleven o’clock he thought he

saw someone going to a rick and putting a light to it. “Just you wait,”

thought he, and called out to his dogs: “Hi! Psst, Hush, catch him!”

But Psst and Hush had not waited for orders, and in five minutes the

man was caught.

Next morning he was brought bound before the king, who was so pleased

with the boy that he gave him a thousand crowns at once. The prisoner

was all covered with hair, almost like an animal; and altogether he was

so curious to look at that the king locked him up in a strong room and

sent out letters of invitation to all the other kings and princes

asking them to come and see this wonder.

That was all very well; but the king had a little boy of ten years old

who went to look at the hairy man also, and the man begged so hard to

be set free that the boy took pity on him. He stole the key of the

strong room from his mother and opened the door. Then he took the key

back, but the hairy man escaped and went off into the world.

Then the kings and princes began to arrive one after another, and all

were most anxious to see the hairy man; but he was gone! The king

nearly burst with rage and with the shame he felt. He questioned his

wife sharply, and told her that if she could not find and bring back

the hairy man he would put her in a hut made of rushes and burn her

there. The queen declared she had had nothing to do with the matter; if

her son had happened to take the key it had not been with her

knowledge.

So they fetched the little prince and asked him all sorts of questions,

and at last he owned that he had let the hairy man out. The king

ordered his servants to take the boy into the forest and to kill him

there, and to bring back part of his liver and lungs.

There was grief all over the palace when the king’s command was known,

for he was a great favourite. But there was no help for it, and they

took the boy out into the forest. But the man was sorry for him, and

shot a dog and carried pieces of his lungs and liver to the king, who

was satisfied, and did not trouble himself any more.

The prince wandered about in the forest and lived as best he could for

five years. One day he came upon a poor little cottage in which was an

old man. They began to talk, and the prince told his story and sad

fate. Then they recognised each other, for the old fellow was no other

than the hairy man whom the prince had set free, and who had lived ever

since in the forest.

The prince stayed here for two years; then he wished to go further. The

old man begged him hard to stay, but he would not, so his hairy friend

gave him a golden apple out of which came a horse with a golden mane,

and a golden staff with which to guide the horse. The old man also gave

him a silver apple out of which came the most beautiful hussars and a

silver staff; and a copper apple from which he could draw as many foot

soldiers as ever he wished, and a copper staff. He made the prince

swear solemnly to take the greatest care of these presents, and then he

let him go.

The boy wandered on and on till he came to a large town. Here he took

service in the king’s palace, and as no one troubled themselves about

him he lived quietly on.

One day news was brought to the king that he must go out to war. He was

horribly frightened for he had a very small army, but he had to go all

the same.

When they had all left, the prince said to the housekeeper:

“Give me leave to go to the next village—I owe a small bill there, and

I want to go and pay it”; and as there was nothing to be done in the

palace the housekeeper gave him leave.

When he got beyond the town he took out his golden apple, and when the

horse sprang out he swung himself into the saddle. Then he took the

silver and the copper apples, and with all these fine soldiers he

joined the king’s army.

The king saw them approach with fear in his heart, for he did not know

if it might not be an enemy; but the prince rode up, and bowed low

before him. “I bring your Majesty reinforcements,” said he.

The king was delighted, and all dread of his enemy at once disappeared.

The princesses were there too, and they were very friendly with the

prince and begged him to get into their carriage so as to talk to them.

But he declined, and remained on horseback, as he did not know at what

moment the battle might begin; and whilst they were all talking

together the youngest princess, who was also the loveliest, took off

her ring, and her sister tore her handkerchief in two pieces, and they

gave these gifts to the prince.

Suddenly the enemy came in sight. The king asked whether his army or

the prince’s should lead the way; but the prince set off first and with

his hussars he fought so bravely that only two of the enemy were left

alive, and these two were only spared to act as messengers.

The king was overjoyed and so were his daughters at this brilliant

victory. As they drove home they begged the prince to join them, but he

would not come, and galloped off with his hussars.

When he got near the town he packed his soldiers and his fine horse all

carefully into the apple again, and then strolled into the town. On his

return to the palace he was well scolded by the housekeeper for staying

away so long.

Well, the whole matter might have ended there; but it so happened that

the younger princess had fallen in love with the prince, as he had with

her. And as he had no jewels with him, he gave her the copper apple and

staff.

One day, as the princesses were talking with their father, the younger

one asked him whether it might not have been their servant who had

helped him so much. The king was quite angry at the idea; but, to

satisfy her, he ordered the servant’s room to be searched. And there,

to everyone’s surprise, they found the golden ring and the half of the

handkerchief. When these were brought to the king he sent for the

prince at once and asked if it had been he who had come to their

rescue.

“Yes, your Majesty, it was I,” answered the prince.

“But where did you get your army?”

“If you wish to see it, I can show it you outside the city walls.”

And so he did; but first he asked for the copper apple from the younger

princess, and when all the soldiers were drawn up there were such

numbers that there was barely room for them.

The king gave him his daughter and kingdom as a reward for his aid, and

when he heard that the prince was himself a king’s son his joy knew no

bounds. The prince packed all his soldiers carefully up once more, and

they went back into the town.

Not long after there was a grand wedding; perhaps they may all be alive

still, but I don’t know.