Children Stories - Herr Lazarus And The Draken

Once upon a time there dwelt near a large wood a poor wood-cutter, with his wife and two children by his former marriage, a little boy called Hansel and a girl named Gretel. He had little enough to eat; and once, when there was a great fam... Read more of Hansel And Gretel at Children Stories.ca

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Herr Lazarus And The Draken

from The Grey Fairy Book

Once upon a time there was a cobbler called Lazarus, who was very
fond of honey. One day, as he ate some while he sat at work, the
flies collected in such numbers that with one blow he killed
forty. Then he went and ordered a sword to be made for him, on
which he had written these words: ‘With one blow I have slain
forty.' When the sword was ready he took it and went out into the
world, and when he was two days' journey from home he came to a
spring, by which he laid himself down and slept.

Now in that country there dwelt Draken, one of whom came to the
spring to draw water; there he found Lazarus sleeping, and read
what was written on his sword. Then he went back to his people
and told them what he had seen, and they all advised him to make
fellowship with this powerful stranger. So the Draken returned to
the spring, awoke Lazarus, and said that if it was agreeable to
him they should make fellowship together.

Lazarus answered that he was willing, and after a priest had
blessed the fellowship, they returned together to the other
Draken, and Lazarus dwelt among them. After some days they told
him that it was their custom to take it in turns to bring wood
and water, and as he was now of their company, he must take his
turn. They went first for water and wood, but at last it came to
be Lazarus's turn to go for water. The Draken had a great
leathern bag, holding two hundred measures of water. This Lazarus
could only, with great difficulty, drag empty to the spring, and
because he could not carry it back full, he did not fill it at
all, but, instead, he dug up the ground all round the spring.

As Lazarus remained so long away, the Draken sent one of their
number to see what had become of him, and when this one came to
the spring, Lazarus said to him: ‘We will no more plague
ourselves by carrying water every day. I will bring the entire
spring home at once, and so we shall be freed from this burden.'

But the Draken called out: ‘On no account, Herr Lazarus, else we
shall all die of thirst; rather will we carry the water ourselves
in turns, and you alone shall be exempt.'

Next it comes to be Lazarus's turn to bring the wood. Now the
Draken, when they fetched the wood, always took an entire tree on
their shoulder, and so carried it home. Because Lazarus could not
imitate them in this, he went to the forest, tied all the trees
together with a thick rope, and remained in the forest till
evening. Again the Draken sent one of them after him to see what
had become of him, and when this one asked what he was about,
Lazarus answered: ‘I will bring the entire forest home at once,
so that after that we may have rest.'

But the Draken called out: ‘By no means, Herr Lazarus, else we
shall all die of cold; rather will we go ourselves to bring wood,
and let you be free.' And then the Draken tore up one tree, threw
it over his shoulder, and so carried it home.

When they had lived together some time, the Draken became weary
of Lazarus, and agreed among themselves to kill him; each Draken,
in the night while Lazarus slept, should strike him a blow with a
hatchet. But Lazarus heard of this scheme, and when the evening
came, he took a log of wood, covered it with his cloak, laid it
in the place where he usually slept, and then hid himself. In the
night the Draken came, and each one hit the log a blow with his
hatchet, till it flew in pieces.

Then they believed their object was gained, and they lay down
again.

Thereupon Lazarus took the log, threw it away, and laid himself
down in its stead. Towards dawn, he began to groan, and when the
Draken heard that, they asked what ailed him, to which he made
answer: ‘The gnats have stung me horribly.' This terrified the
Draken, for they believed that Lazarus took their blows for
gnat-stings, and they determined at any price to get rid of him.
Next morning, therefore, they asked him if he had not wife or
child, and said that if he would like to go and visit them they
would give him a bag of gold to take away with him. He agreed
willingly to this, but asked further that one of the Draken
should go with him to carry the bag of gold. They consented, and
one was sent with him.

When they had come to within a short; distance of Lazarus's
house, he said to the Draken: ‘Stop here, in the meantime, for I
must go on in front and tie up my children, lest they eat you.'

So he went and tied his children with strong ropes, and said to
them: ‘As soon as the Draken comes in sight, call out as loud as
you can, "Drakenflesh! Drakenflesh!"'

So, when the Draken appeared, the children cried out:
‘Drakenflesh! Drakenflesh!' and this so terrified the Draken that
he let the bag fall and fled.

On the road he met a fox, which asked him why he seemed so
frightened. He answered that he was afraid of the children of
Herr Lazarus, who had been within a hair-breadth of eating him
up. But the fox laughed, and said: ‘What! you were afraid of
the children of Herr Lazarus? He had two fowls, one of which I
ate yesterday, the other I will go and fetch now--if you do not
believe me, come and see for yourself; but you must first tie
yourself on to my tail.'

The Draken then tied himself on to the fox's tail, and went back
thus with it to Lazarus's house, in order to see what it would
arrange. There stood Lazarus with his gun raised ready to fire,
who, when he saw the fox coming along with the Draken, called out
to the fox: ‘Did I not tell you to bring me all the Draken, and
you bring me only one?'

When the Draken heard that he made off to the rightabout at once,
and ran so fast that the fox was dashed in pieces against the
stones.

When Lazarus had got quit of the Draken he built himself, with
their gold, a, magnificent house, in which he spent the rest of
his days in great enjoyment.

Next: The Story Of The Queen Of The Flowery Isles
Previous: The Little Gray Man

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