The Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales

The Riddle

There was once a king's son who was seized with a desire to travelabout the world, and took no one with him but a faithful servant.One day he came to a great forest, and when darkness overtook himhe could find no shelter, and knew not where to pass the night.Then he saw a girl who was going towards a small house, and whenhe came nearer, he saw that the maiden was young and beautiful.He spoke to her, and said, dear child, can I and my servant findshelter for the night in the little house. Oh, yes, said thegirl in a sad voice, that you certainly can, but I do not adviseyou to venture it. Do not go in. Why not, asked the king's son.The maiden sighed and said, my step-motherpractises wicked arts. She is ill-disposed toward strangers.Then he saw very well that he had come to the house of a witch,but as it was dark, and he could not go farther, and also wasnot afraid, he entered. The old woman was sitting in an armchairby the fire, and looked at the stranger with her red eyes. Goodevening, growled she, and pretended to be quite friendly. Takea seat and rest yourselves. She fanned the fire on which she wascooking something in a small pot. The daughter warned the two tobe prudent, to eat nothing, and drink nothing, for the old womanbrewed evil drinks. They slept quietly until early morning. Whenthey were making ready for their departure, and the king's son wasalready seated on his horse, the old woman said, stop a moment,I will first hand you a parting draught. Whilst she fetchedit, the king's son rode away, and the servant who had to bucklehis saddle tight, was the only one present when the wicked witchcame with the drink. Take that to your master, said she. Butat that instant the glass broke and the poison spirted on thehorse, and it was so strong that the animal immediately fell downdead. The servant ran after his master and told him what hadhappened, but as he did not want to leave his saddle behind, heran back to fetch it. When he came to the dead horse, however,a raven was already sitting on it devouring it. Who knowswhether we shall find anything better to-day, said the servant.So he killed the raven, and took it with him. And now theyjourneyed onwards into the forest the whole day, but could notget out of it. By nightfall they found an inn and entered it.The servant gave the raven to the innkeeper to prepare for supper.They had stumbled, however, on a den of murderers, and duringthe darkness twelve of these came, intending to kill the strangersand rob them. But before they set about this work, they sat downto supper, and the innkeeper and the witch sat down with them,and together they ate a dish of soup in which was cut up theflesh of the raven. Hardly had they swallowed a couple ofmouthfuls, before they all fell down dead, for the raven hadcommunicated to them the poison from the horse-flesh. Therewas no no one else left in the house but the innkeeper's daughter,who washonest, and had taken no part in their godless deeds. Sheopened all doors to the stranger and showed him the store oftreasures. But the king's son said she might keep everything, hewould have none of it, and rode onwards with his servant.After they had traveled about for a long time, they came to atown in which was a beautiful but proud princess, who had made itknown that whosoever should set her a riddle which she couldnot guess, that man should be her husband. But if she guessedit, his head must be cut off. She had three days to guess itin, but was so clever that she always found the answer to theriddle given her before the appointed time. Nine suitors hadalready perished in this manner, when the king's son arrived, andblinded by her great beauty, was willing to stake his life forit. Then he went to her and laid his riddle before her. Whatis this, said he. One slew none, and yet slew twelve. Shedid not know what that was. She thought and thought, but shecould not solve it. She opened her riddle-books, but it wasnot in them - in short, her wisdom was at an end. As shedid not know how to help herself, she ordered her maid tocreep into the lord's sleeping-chamber, and listen to hisdreams, and thought that he would perhaps speak in his sleepand reveal the riddle. But the clever servant had placedhimself in the bed instead of his master, and when the maidcame there, he tore off from her the mantle in which she hadwrapped herself, and chased her out with rods. The second nightthe king's daughter sent her maid-in-waiting, who was to seeif she could succeed better in listening, but the servanttook her mantle also away from her, and hunted her out withrods. Now the master believed himself safe for the thirdnight, and lay down in his own bed. Then came the princessherself, and she had put on a misty-grey mantle, and sheseated herself near him. And when she thought that he wasasleep and dreaming, she spoke to him, and hoped that hewould answer in his sleep, as many do, but he was awake, andunderstood and heard everything quite well. Then she asked,one slew none, what is that. He replied, a raven, whichate of a dead and poisoned horse, and died of it. Sheinquired further, and yet slew twelve, what is that. Heanswered, that means twelve murderers, who ate the raven and diedof it.When she knew the answer to the riddle she wanted to stealaway, but he held her mantle so fast that she was forced toleave it behind her. Next morning, the king's daughterannounced that she had guessed the riddle, and sent for thetwelve judges and expounded it before them. But the youthbegged for a hearing, and said, she stole into my room in thenight and questioned me, otherwise she could not havediscovered it. The judges said, bring us a proof of this.Then were the three mantles brought thither by the servant,and when the judges saw the misty-grey one which the king'sdaughter usually wore, they said, let the mantle beembroidered with gold and silver, and then it will be yourwedding-mantle.