Big Book of Ancient Gabanian Fables

Book CLXXI: The Blue Light

There was once on a time a soldier who for many years had served theking faithfully, but when the war came to an end could serve nolonger because of the many wounds which he had received. The kingsaid to him, "You may return to your home, I need you no longer, andyou will not receive any more money, for he only receives wages whorenders me serve for them." Then the soldier did not know how to earna living, went away greatly troubled, and walked the whole day, untilin the evening he entered a forest. When darkness came on, he saw alight, which he went up to, and came to a house wherein lived awitch. "Do give me one night's lodging, and a little to eat anddrink," said he to her, "or I shall starve." "Oho," she answered,"who gives anything to a run-away soldier? Yet will I becompassionate, and take you in, if you will do what I wish." "What doyou wish?" said the soldier. "That you should dig all round mygarden for me, tomorrow." The soldier consented, and next day laboredwith all his strength, but could not finish it by the evening. "Isee well enough," said the witch, "that you can do no more today, butI will keep you yet another night, in payment for which you musttomorrow chop me a load of wood, and chop it small." The soldierspent the whole day in doing it, and in the evening the witchproposed that he should stay one night more. "Tomorrow, you shallonly do me a very trifling piece of work. Behind my house, there isan old dry well, into which my light has fallen, it burns blue, andnever goes out, and you shall bring it up again."Next day the old woman took him to the well, and let him down in abasket. He found the blue light, and made her a signal to draw himup again. She did draw him up, but when he came near the edge, shestretched down her hand and wanted to take the blue light away fromhim. "No," said he, perceiving her evil intention, "I will not giveyou the light until I am standing with both feet upon the ground."The witch fell into a passion, let him fall again into the well, andwent away.The poor soldier fell without injury on the moist ground, and theblue light went on burning, but of what use was that to him. He sawvery well that he could not escape death. He sat for a while verysorrowfully, then suddenly he felt in his pocket and found histobacco pipe, which was still half full. "This shall be my lastpleasure," thought he, pulled it out, lit it at the blue light andbegan to smoke. When the smoke had circled about the cavern,suddenly a little black dwarf stood before him, and said, "Lord, whatare your commands?" "What my commands are?" replied the soldier,quite astonished. "I must do everything you bid me," said the littleman. "Good," said the soldier, "then in the first place help me outof this well." The little man took him by the hand, and led himthrough an underground passage, but he did not forget to take theblue light with him. On the way the dwarf showed him the treasureswhich the witch had collected and hidden there, and the soldier tookas much gold as he could carry. When he was above, he said to thelittle man, "Now go and bind the old witch, and carry her before thejudge."In a short time she came by like the wind, riding on a wild tom-catand screaming frightfully. Nor was it long before the little manre-appeared. "It is all done," said he, "and the witch is alreadyhanging on the gallows. What further commands has my lord," inquiredthe dwarf. "At this moment, none," answered the soldier, "You canreturn home, only be at hand immediately, if I summon you." "Nothingmore is needed than that you should light your pipe at the bluelight, and I will appear before you at once." Thereupon he vanishedfrom his sight.The soldier returned to the town from which he had come. He went tothe best inn, ordered himself handsome clothes, and then bade thelandlord furnish him a room as handsome as possible. When it wasready and the soldier had taken possession of it, he summoned thelittle black mannikin and said, "I have served the king faithfully,but he has dismissed me, and left me to hunger, and now I want totake my revenge." "What am I to do?" asked the little man. "Late atnight, when the king's daughter is in bed, bring her here in hersleep, she shall do servant's work for me." The mannikin said, "Thatis an easy thing for me to do, but a very dangerous thing for you,for if it is discovered, you will fare ill." When twelve o'clock hadstruck, the door sprang open, and the mannikin carried in theprincess. "Aha, are you there?" cried the soldier, "Get to your workat once. Fetch the broom and sweep the chamber." When she had donethis, he ordered her to come to his chair, and then he stretched outhis feet and said, "Pull off my boots," and then he threw them in herface, and made her pick them up again, and clean and brighten them.She, however, did everything he bade her, without opposition,silently and with half-shut eyes. When the first cock crowed, themannikin carried her back to the royal palace, and laid her in herbed.Next morning when the princess arose she went to her father, and toldhim that she had had a very strange dream. "I was carried throughthe streets with the rapidity of lightning," said she, "and takeninto a soldier's room, and I had to wait upon him like a servant,sweep his room, clean his boots, and do all kinds of menial work. Itwas only a dream, and yet I am just as tired as if I really had doneeverything." "The dream may have been true," said the king, "I willgive you a piece of advice. Fill your pocket full of peas, and makea small hole in the pocket, and then if you are carried away again,they will fall out and leave a track in the streets." But unseen bythe king, the mannikin was standing beside him when he said that, andheard all. At night when the sleeping princess was again carriedthrough the streets, some peas certainly did fall out of her pocket,but they made no track, for the crafty mannikin had just beforescattered peas in every street there was. And again the princess wascompelled to do servant's work until cock-crow.Next morning the king sent his people out to seek the track, but itwas all in vain, for in every street poor children were sitting,picking up peas, and saying, "It must have rained peas, last night.""We must think of something else," said the king, "keep your shoes onwhen you go to bed, and before you come back from the place where youare taken, hide one of them there, I will soon contrive to find it."The black mannikin heard this plot, and at night when the soldieragain ordered him to bring the princess, revealed it to him, and toldhim that he knew of no expedient to counteract this stratagem, andthat if the shoe were found in the soldier's house it would go badlywith him. "Do what I bid you," replied the soldier, and again thisthird night the princess was obliged to work like a servant, butbefore she went away, she hid her shoe under the bed.Next morning the king had the entire town searched for his daughter'sshoe. It was found at the soldier's, and the soldier himself, who atthe entreaty of the dwarf had gone outside the gate, was soon broughtback, and thrown into prison. In his flight he had forgotten themost valuable things he had, the blue light and the gold, and hadonly one ducat in his pocket. And now loaded with chains, he wasstanding at the window of his dungeon, when he chanced to see one ofhis comrades passing by. The soldier tapped at the pane of glass,and when this man came up, said to him, "Be so kind as to fetch methat small bundle I have lying in the inn, and I will give you aducat for doing it."His comrade ran thither and brought him what he wanted. As soon asthe soldier was alone again, he lighted his pipe and summoned theblack mannikin. "Have no fear," said the latter to his master. "Gowheresoever they take you, and let them do what they will, only takethe blue light with you." Next day the soldier was tried, and thoughhe had done nothing wicked, the judge condemned him to death. Whenhe was led forth to die, he begged a last favor of the king. "Whatis it?" asked the king. "That I may smoke one more pipe on my way.""You may smoke three," answered the king, "but do not imagine that Iwill spare your life." Then the soldier pulled out his pipe andlighted it at the blue light, and as soon as a few wreaths of smokehad ascended, the mannikin was there with a small cudgel in his hand,and said, "What does my lord command?" "Strike down to earth thatfalse judge there, and his constable, and spare not the king who hastreated me so ill." Then the mannikin fell on them like lightning,darting this way and that way, and whosoever was so much as touchedby his cudgel fell to earth, and did not venture to stir again. Theking was terrified, he threw himself on the soldier's mercy, andmerely to be allowed to live at all, gave him his kingdom for hisown, and his daughter to wife.