The King’s Servant
by
THE KING’S SERVANT[4]
There was once upon a time a faithful servant whose name was Hans. He served the king his master so long and so well that one day the king said to him:
“Speak, Hans, and tell me what three things do you most desire that I may give them to you as a reward for your faithfulness.”
[Footnote 4: Adapted with a free hand from Grimm’s “White Snake.”]
It did not take Hans long to answer the king.
“If you please, your majesty,” he said, “I should like best in all the world to go to see my mother; to have a horse on which to ride upon my journey; and to taste the food that lies hidden in the silver dish that comes each day to your majesty’s table.”
And when the king heard this he made haste to send for the silver dish and lifting the lid with his own hand he bade Hans taste of the food inside. What this food was, neither I nor anybody else can tell you, but no sooner had Hans tasted it than he understood what everything in the world was saying, from the birds in the tree-tops to the hens in the king’s poultry yard.
“Good-bye, Hans,” they called as Hans mounted the horse which the king gave him and rode away through the gate.
“Good-bye,” said Hans, and he cantered off in fine style down the king’s highway.
Before he had ridden far, however, he heard such a moaning and complaining by the roadside that he stopped his horse to see what the matter was; and–do you believe it?–it was the ant people whose ant-hill stood in the way, right where Hans was about to ride.
“See, see!” they cried, running to and fro in great alarm. “This giant of a man on his terrible horse will ride over our new house and crush us to death.”
“Not I,” said Hans. “If so much as one of you gets under my horse’s hoofs it will be your fault and not mine;” and getting down from his horse he led him around the ant-hill and into the road on the other side.
“One good turn deserves another,” cried the ant people running to and fro in great joy. “You have helped us, and we will help you some day;” and they were still saying this when Hans mounted his horse and rode away.
Now before long Hans came to a great forest and as he rode under the spreading branches of the trees he heard a cry for help in the woods.
“What can this be?” said Hans; but the very next minute he saw two young birds lying beneath a tree, beating their wings upon the ground and crying aloud:
“Alas! Alas! Who will put us into the nest again?”
“I, the king’s servant and my mother’s son; I will put you into the nest again,” said Hans, and he was as good as his word.
“One good turn deserves another,” called the birds when they were safe in their nest once more. “You have helped us, and we will help you some day.”
Hans laughed to hear them, for though it was easy for him to help them he could not think what they might do for him.
Trot, trot, and gallop, gallop he rode through the forest till he came to a stream of water beside which lay three panting fishes.
“We shall surely die unless we can get into the water,” they cried.
Their breath was almost gone and their voices were no louder than the faintest whisper, but Hans understood every word that they said; and he jumped from his horse and threw them into the stream.
“One good turn deserves another,” they cried as they swam merrily away. “You have helped us, and we will help you some day.”
Now it so happened that Hans came by and by to the land of a very wicked king who broke his promises as easily as if they were made of spun glass and who never thought of anybody but himself.