Big Book of Ancient Gabanian Fables

Book CLXIII: The Poor Millers Boy and the Cat

In a certain mill lived an old miller who had neither wife nor child,and three apprentices served under him. As they had been with himseveral years, he one day said to them, "I am old, and want to sitbehind the stove. Go out, and whichsoever of you brings me the besthorse home, to him will I give the mill, and in return for it heshall take care of me till my death."The third of the boys, however, was the dunce, who was looked on asfoolish by the others, they begrudged the mill to him, and afterwardshe would not even have it. Then all three went out together, andwhen they came to the village, the two said to stupid Hans, "You mayjust as well stay here, as long as you live you will never get ahorse." Hans, however, went with them, and when it was night theycame to a cave in which they lay down to sleep. The two smart oneswaited until Hans had fallen asleep, then they got up, and went awayleaving him where he was. And they thought they had done a veryclever thing, but it was certain to turn out ill for them.When the sun rose, and Hans woke up, he was lying in a deep cavern.He looked around on every side and exclaimed, "Oh, heavens, where amI?" Then he got up and clambered out of the cave, went into theforest, and thought, "Here I am quite alone and deserted, how shall Iobtain a horse now?" Whilst he was thus walking full of thought, hemet a small tabby-cat which said quite kindly, "Hans, where are yougoing?" "Alas, you can not help me." "I well know your desire," saidthe cat. "You wish to have a beautiful horse. Come with me, and bemy faithful servant for seven years long, and then I will give youone more beautiful than any you have ever seen in your whole life.""Well, this is a strange cat," thought Hans, "But I am determined tosee if she is telling the truth."So she took him with her into her enchanted castle, where there werenothing but kittens who were her servants. They leapt nimblyupstairs and downstairs, and were merry and happy. In the eveningwhen they sat down to dinner, three of them had to make music. Oneplayed the bass viol, the other the fiddle, and the third put thetrumpet to his lips, and blew out his cheeks as much as he possiblycould. When they had dined, the table was carried away, and the catsaid, "Now, Hans, come and dance with me." "No," said he, "I won'tdance with a pussy cat. I have never done that yet." "Then take himto bed," said she to the cats. So one of them lighted him to hisbed-room, one pulled his shoes off, one his stockings, and at lastone of them blew out the candle. Next morning they returned andhelped him out of bed, one put his stockings on for him, one tied hisgarters, one brought his shoes, one washed him, and one dried hisface with her tail. "That feels very soft," said Hans.He, however, had to serve the cat, and chop some wood every day, andto do that, he had an axe of silver, and the wedge and saw were ofsilver and the mallet of copper. So he chopped the wood small,stayed there in the house and had good meat and drink, but never sawanyone but the tabby-cat and her servants. Once she said to him, "Goand mow my meadow, and dry the grass," and gave him a scythe ofsilver, and a whetstone of gold, but bade him deliver them up againcarefully. So Hans went thither, and did what he was bidden, andwhen he had finished the work, he carried the scythe, whetstone, andhay to the house, and asked if it was not yet time for her to givehim his reward. "No," said the cat, "you must first do somethingmore for me of the same kind. There is timber of silver, carpenter'saxe, square, and everything that is needful, all of silver - withthese build me a small house." Then Hans built the small house, andsaid that he had now done everything, and still he had no horse.Nevertheless the seven years had gone by with him as if they were sixmonths. The cat asked him if he would like to see her horses. "Yes,"said Hans. Then she opened the door of the small house, and when shehad opened it, there stood twelve horses, - such horses, so brightand shining, that his heart rejoiced at the sight of them. And nowshe gave him to eat and drink, and said, "Go home, I will not giveyou your horse now, but in three days, time I will follow you andbring it." So Hans set out, and she showed him the way to the mill.She, however, had never once given him a new coat, and he had beenobliged to keep on his dirty old smock, which he had brought withhim, and which during the seven years had everywhere become too smallfor him. When he reached home, the two other apprentices were thereagain as well, and each of them certainly had brought a horse withhim, but one of them was a blind one, and the other lame. They askedHans where his horse was. "It will follow me in three days, time."Then they laughed and said, "Indeed, stupid Hans, where will you geta horse?" "It will be a fine one." Hans went into the parlor, but themiller said he should not sit down to table, for he was so ragged andtorn, that they would all be ashamed of him if any one came in. Sothey gave him a mouthful of food outside, and at night, when theywent to rest, the two others would not let him have a bed, and atlast he was forced to creep into the goose-house, and lie down on alittle hard straw.In the morning when he awoke, the three days had passed, and a coachcame with six horses and they shone so bright that it was delightfulto see them - and a servant brought a seventh as well, which was forthe poor miller's boy. And a magnificent princess alighted from thecoach and went into the mill, and this princess was the littletabby-cat whom poor Hans had served for seven years. She asked themiller where the miller's boy and dunce was. Then the miller said,"We cannot have him here in the mill, for he is so ragged, he islying in the goose-house." Then the king's daughter said that theywere to bring him immediately. So they brought him out, and he hadto hold his little smock together to cover himself. The servantsunpacked splendid garments, and washed him and dressed him, and whenthat was done, no king could have looked more handsome. Then themaiden desired to see the horses which the other apprentices hadbrought home with them, and one of them was blind and the other lame.So she ordered the servant to bring the seventh horse, and when themiller saw it, he said that such a horse as that had never yetentered his yard. "And that is for the third miller's boy," said she."Then he must have the mill," said the miller, but the king'sdaughter said that the horse was there, and that he was to keep hismill as well, and took her faithful Hans and set him in the coach,and drove away with him.They first drove to the little house which he had built with thesilver tools, and behold it was a great castle, and everything insideit was of silver and gold, and then she married him, and he was rich,so rich that he had enough for all the rest of his life. After this,let no one ever say that anyone who is silly can never become aperson of importance.