Big Book of Ancient Gabanian Fables

Book LLXXXII: The Three Feathers

There was once upon a time a king who had three sons, of whom twowere clever and wise, but the third did not speak much, and wassimple, and was called the simpleton. When the king had become oldand weak, and was thinking of his end, he did not know which of hissons should inherit the kingdom after him. Then he said to them, goforth, and he who brings me the most beautiful carpet shall be kingafter my death.And that there should be no dispute amongst them, he took themoutside his castle, blew three feathers in the air, and said, youshall go as they fly. One feather flew to the east, the other to thewest, but the third flew straight up and did not fly far, but soonfell to the ground.And now one brother went to the right, and the other to the left, andthey mocked simpleton, who was forced to stay where the third featherhad fallen. He sat down and was sad. Then all at once he saw thatthere was a trap-door close by the feather. He raised it up, foundsome steps, and went down them. Then he came to another door,knocked at it, and heard somebody inside calling - little green waiting-maid, waiting-maid with the limping leg, little dog of the limping leg, hop hither and thither, and quickly see who is without.The door opened, and he saw a great, fat toad sitting, and roundabout her a crowd of little toads. The fat toad asked what hewanted. He answered, I should like to have the prettiest and finestcarpet in the world. Then she called a young one and said - little green waiting-maid, waiting-maid with the limping leg, little dog of the limping leg, hop hither and thither, and bring me the great box.The young toad brought the box, and the fat toad opened it, and gavesimpleton a carpet out of it, so beautiful and so fine, that on theearth above, none could have been woven like it. Then he thankedher, and climbed out again.The two others, however, had looked on their youngest brother as sostupid that they believed he would find and bring nothing at all.Why should we give ourselves a great deal of trouble searching, saidthey, and got some coarse handkerchiefs from the first shepherds'wives whom they met, and carried them home to the king.At the same time simpleton also came back, and brought his beautifulcarpet, and when the king saw it he was astonished, and said, ifjustice be done, the kingdom belongs to the youngest. But the twoothers let their father have no peace, and said that it wasimpossible that simpleton, who in everything lacked understanding,should be king, and entreated him to make a new agreement with them.Then the father said, he who brings me the most beautiful ring shallinherit the kingdom, and led the three brothers out, and blew intothe air three feathers, which they were to follow. Those of the twoeldest again went east and west, and simpleton's feather flewstraight up, and fell down near the door into the earth.Then he went down again to the fat toad, and told her that he wantedthe most beautiful ring. She at once ordered her big box to bebrought, and gave him a ring out of it, which sparkled with jewels,and was so beautiful that no goldsmith on earth would have been ableto make it.The two eldest laughed at simpleton for going to seek a golden ring.They gave themselves no trouble, but knocked the nails out of an oldcarriage-ring, and took it to the king, but when simpleton producedhis golden ring, his father again said, the kingdom belongs to him.The two eldest did not cease from tormenting the king until he made athird condition, and declared that the one who brought the mostbeautiful woman home, should have the kingdom. He again blew thethree feathers into the air, and they flew as before.Then simpleton without more ado went down to the fat toad, and said,I am to take home the most beautiful woman. Oh, answered the toad,the most beautiful woman. She is not at hand at the moment, butstill you shall have her. She gave him a yellow turnip which hadbeen hollowed out, to which six mice were harnessed. Then simpletonsaid quite mournfully, what am I to do with that. The toad answered,just put one of my little toads into it. Then he seized one atrandom out of the circle, and put her into the yellow coach, buthardly was she seated inside it than she turned into a wonderfullybeautiful maiden, and the turnip into a coach, and the six mice intohorses. So he kissed her, and drove off quickly with the horses, andtook her to the king.His brothers, who came afterwards, had given themselves no trouble atall looking for beautiful girls, but had brought with them the firstpeasant women they chanced to meet. When the king saw them he said,after my death the kingdom belongs to my youngest son. But the twoeldest deafened the king's ears afresh with their clamor, we cannotconsent to simpleton's being king, and demanded that the one whosewife could leap through a ring which hung in the centre of the hallshould have the preference. They thought, the peasant women can dothat easily, they are strong enough, but the delicate maiden willjump herself to death.The aged king agreed likewise to this. Then the two peasant womenjumped, and jumped through the ring, but were so clumsy that theyfell, and their coarse arms and legs broke in two. And then thepretty maiden whom simpleton had brought with him, sprang, and sprangthrough as lightly as a deer, and all opposition had to cease. So hereceived the crown, and has ruled wisely for a length of time.