Andrew Lang_Fairy Book 06 (7 page)

In the course of time Janni's parents died, and he and his sister
were left alone in the world; soon affairs went badly with them,
so they determined to wander away to seek their fortune. In
packing up, the sister found a knife which the monk had left for
his godson, and this she gave to her brother.

Then they went on their way, taking with them the three sheep
which were all that remained of their flocks. After wandering for
three days they met a man with three dogs who proposed that they
should exchange animals, he taking the sheep, and they the dogs.
The brother and sister were quite pleased at this arrangement,
and after the exchange was made they separated, and went their
different ways.

Janni and his sister in course of time came to a great castle, in
which dwelt forty Draken, who, when they heard that Janni had
come, fled forty fathoms underground.

So Janni found the castle deserted, and abode there with his
sister, and every day went out to hunt with the weapons the
Draken had left in the castle.

One day, when he was away hunting, one of the Draken came up to
get provisions, not knowing that there was anyone in the castle.
When he saw Janni's sister he was terrified, but she told him not
to be afraid, and by-and-by they fell in love with each other,
for every time that Janni went to hunt the sister called the
Drakos up. Thus they went on making love to each other till at
length, unknown to Janni, they got married. Then, when it was too
late, the sister repented, and was afraid of Janni's wrath when
he found it out.

One day the Drakos came to her, and said: 'You must pretend to be
ill, and when Janni asks what ails you, and what you want, you
must answer: "Cherries," and when he inquires where these are to
be found, you must say: "There are some in a garden a day's
journey from here." Then your brother will go there, and will
never come back, for there dwell three of my brothers who will
look after him well.'

Then the sister did as the Drakos advised, and next day Janni set
out to fetch the cherries, taking his three dogs with him. When
he came to the garden where the cherries grew he jumped off his
horse, drank some water from the spring, which rose there, and
fell directly into a deep sleep. The Draken came round about to
eat him, but the dogs flung themselves on them and tore them in
pieces, and scratched a grave in the ground with their paws, and
buried the Draken so that Janni might not see their dead bodies.
When Janni awoke, and saw his dogs all covered with blood, he
believed that they had caught, somewhere, a wild beast, and was
angry because they had left none of it for him. But he plucked
the cherries, and took them back to his sister.

When the Drakos heard that Janni had come back, he fled for fear
forty fathoms underground. And the sister ate the cherries and
declared herself well again.

The next day, when Janni was gone to hunt, the Drakos came out,
and advised the sister that she should pretend to be ill again,
and when her brother asked her what she would like, she should
answer 'Quinces,' and when he inquired where these were to be
found, she should say: 'In a garden distant about two days'
journey.' Then would Janni certainly be destroyed, for there
dwelt six brothers of the Drakos, each of whom had two heads.

The sister did as she was advised, and next day Janni again set
off, taking his three dogs with him. When he came to the garden
he dismounted, sat down to rest a little, and fell fast asleep.
First there came three Draken round about to eat him, and when
these three had been worried by the dogs, there came three others
who were worried in like manner. Then the dogs again dug a grave
and buried the dead Draken, that their master might not see them.
When Janni awoke and beheld the dogs all covered with blood, he
thought, as before, that they had killed a wild beast, and was
again angry with them for leaving him nothing. But he took the
quinces and brought them back to his sister, who, when she had
eaten them, declared herself better. The Drakos, when he heard
that Janni had come back, fled for fear forty fathoms deeper
underground.

Next day, when Janni was hunting, the Drakos went to the sister
and advised that she should again pretend to be ill, and should
beg for some pears, which grew in a garden three days' journey
from the castle. From this quest Janni would certainly never
return, for there dwelt nine brothers of the Drakos, each of whom
had three heads.

The sister did as she was told, and next day Janni, taking his
three dogs with him, went to get the pears. When he came to the
garden he laid himself down to rest, and soon fell asleep.

Then first came three Draken to eat him, and when the dogs had
worried these, six others came and fought the dogs a long time.
The noise of this combat awoke Janni, and he slew the Draken, and
knew at last why the dogs were covered with blood.

After that he freed all whom the Draken held prisoners, amongst
others, a king's daughter. Out of gratitude she would have taken
him for her husband; but he put her off, saying: 'For the
kindness that I have been able to do to you, you shall receive in
this castle all the blind and lame who pass this way.' The
princess promised him to do so, and on his departure gave him a
ring.

So Janni plucked the pears and took them to his sister, who, when
she had eaten them, declared she felt better. When, however, the
Drakos heard that Janni had come back yet a third time safe and
sound, he fled for fright forty fathoms deeper underground; and,
next day, when Janni was away hunting, he crept out and said to
the sister: 'Now are we indeed both lost, unless you find out
from him wherein his strength lies, and then between us we will
contrive to do away with him.'

When, therefore, Janni had come back from hunting, and sat at
evening with his sister by the fire, she begged him to tell her
wherein lay his strength, and he answered: 'It lies in my two
fingers; if these are bound together then all my strength
disappears.'

'That I will not believe,' said the sister, 'unless I see it for
myself.'

Then he let her tie his fingers together with a thread, and
immediately he became powerless. Then the sister called up the
Drakos, who, when he had come forth, tore out Janni's eyes, gave
them to his dogs to eat, and threw him into a dry well.

Now it happened that some travellers, going to draw water from
this well, heard Janni groaning at the bottom. They came near,
and asked him where he was, and he begged them to draw him up
from the well, for he was a poor unfortunate man.

The travellers let a rope down and drew him up to daylight. It
was not till then that he first became aware that he was blind,
and he begged the travellers to lead him to the country of the
king whose daughter he had freed, and they would be well repaid
for their trouble.

When they had brought him there he sent to beg the princess to
come to him; but she did not recognise him till he had shown her
the ring she had given him.

Then she remembered him, and took him with her into the castle.

When she learnt what had befallen him she called together all the
sorceresses in the country in order that they should tell her
where the eyes were. At last she found one who declared that she
knew where they were, and that she could restore them. This
sorceress then went straight to the castle where dwelt the sister
and the Drakos, and gave something to the dogs to eat which
caused the eyes to reappear. She took them with her and put them
back in Janni's head, so that he saw as well as before.

Then he returned to the castle of the Drakos, whom he slew as
well as his sister; and, taking his dogs with him, went back to
the princess and they were immediately married.

There was once upon a time a thief, who, being out of a job, was
wandering by himself up and down the seashore. As he walked he
passed a man who was standing still, looking at the waves.

'I wonder,' said the thief, addressing the stranger, 'if you have
ever seen a stone swimming?'

'Most certainly I have,' replied the other man, 'and, what is
more, I saw the same stone jump out of the water and fly through
the air.'

'This is capital,' replied the thief. 'You and I must go into
partnership. We shall certainly make our fortunes. Let us start
together for the palace of the king of the neighbouring country.
When we get there, I will go into his presence alone, and will
tell him the most startling thing I can invent. Then you must
follow and back up my lie.'

Having agreed to do this, they set out on their travels. After
several days' journeying, they reached the town where the king's
palace was, and here they parted for a few hours, while the thief
sought an interview with the king, and begged his majesty to give
him a glass of beer.

'That is impossible,' said the king, 'as this year there has been
a failure of all the crops, and of the hops and the vines; so we
have neither wine nor beer in the whole kingdom.'

'How extraordinary!' answered the thief. 'I have just come from a
country where the crops were so fine that I saw twelve barrels of
beer made out of one branch of hops.'

'I bet you three hundred florins that is not true,' answered the
king.

'And I bet you three hundred florins it is true,' replied the
thief.

Then each staked his three hundred florins, and the king said he
would decide the question by sending a servant into that country
to see if it was true.

So the servant set out on horseback, and on the way he met a man,
and he asked him whence he came. And the man told him that he
came from the self-same country to which the servant was at that
moment bound.

'If that is the case,' said the servant, 'you can tell me how
high the hops grow in your country, and how many barrels of beer
can be brewed from one branch?'

'I can't tell you that,' answered the man, 'but I happened to be
present when the hops were being gathered in, and I saw that it
took three men with axes three days to cut down one branch.'

Then the servant thought that he might save himself a long
journey; so he gave the man ten florins, and told him he must
repeat to the king what he had just told him. And when they got
back to the palace, they came together into the king's presence.

And the king asked him: 'Well, is it true about the hops?'

'Yes, sire, it is,' answered the servant; 'and here is a man I
have brought with me from the country to confirm the tale.'

So the king paid the thief the three hundred florins; and the
partners once more set out together in search of adventures. As
they journeyed, the thief said to his comrade: 'I will now go to
another king, and will tell him something still more startling;
and you must follow and back up my lie, and we shall get some
money out of him; just see if we don't.'

When they reached the next kingdom, the thief presented himself
to the king, and requested him to give him a cauliflower. And the
king answered: 'Owing to a blight among the vegetables we have no
cauliflower.'

'That is strange,' answered the thief. 'I have just come from a
country where it grows so well that one head of cauliflower
filled twelve water-tubs.'

'I don't believe it,' answered the king.

'I bet you six hundred florins it is true,' replied the thief.

'And I bet you six hundred florins it is not true,' answered the
king. And he sent for a servant, and ordered him to start at once
for the country whence the thief had come, to find out if his
story of the cauliflower was true. On his journey the servant met
with a man. Stopping his horse he asked him where he came from,
and the man replied that he came from the country to which the
other was travelling.

'If that is the case,' said the servant, 'you can tell me to what
size cauliflower grows in your country? Is it so large that one
head fills twelve water-tubs?'

'I have not seen that,' answered the man. 'But I saw twelve
waggons, drawn by twelve horses, carrying one head of cauliflower
to the market.'

And the servant answered: 'Here are ten florins for you, my man,
for you have saved me a long journey. Come with me now, and tell
the king what you have just told me.'

'All right,' said the man, and they went together to the palace;
and when the king asked the servant if he had found out the truth
about the cauliflower, the servant replied: 'Sire, all that you
heard was perfectly true; here is a man from the country who will
tell you so.'

So the king had to pay the thief the six hundred florins. And the
two partners set out once more on their travels, with their nine
hundred florins. When they reached the country of the
neighbouring king, the thief entered the royal presence, and
began conversation by asking if his majesty knew that in an
adjacent kingdom there was a town with a church steeple on which
a bird had alighted, and that the steeple was so high, and the
bird's beak so long, that it had pecked the stars till some of
them fell out of the sky.

'I don't believe it,' said the king.

'Nevertheless I am prepared to bet twelve hundred florins that it
is true,' answered the thief.

'And I bet twelve hundred florins that it is a lie,' replied the
king. And he straightway sent a servant into the neighbouring
country to find out the truth.

As he rode, the servant met a man coming in the opposite
direction. So he hailed him and asked him where he came from. And
the man replied that he came out of the very town to which the
man was bound. Then the servant asked him if the story they had
heard about the bird with the long beak was true.

'I don't know about that,' answered the man, 'as I have never
seen the bird; but I once saw twelve men shoving all their might
and main with brooms to push a monster egg into a cellar.'