The Bird 'grip'
: The Pink Fairy BookTranslated from the Swedish.
It happened once that a king, who had a great kingdom and three sons,
became blind, and no human skill or art could restore to him his sight.
At last there came to the palace an old woman, who told him that in the
whole world there was only one thing that could give him back his sight,
and that was to get the bird Grip; his song would open the King's eyes.
When the king's eldest son heard this he offered to bring the bird Grip,
which was kept in a cage by a king in another country, and carefully
guarded as his greatest treasure. The blind king was greatly rejoiced at
his son's resolve, fitted him out in the best way he could, and let him
go. When the prince had ridden some distance he came to an inn, in which
there were many guests, all of whom were merry, and drank and sang and
played at dice. This joyous life pleased the prince so well that he
stayed in the inn, took part in the playing and drinking, and forgot
both his blind father and the bird Grip.
Meanwhile the king waited with both hope and anxiety for his son's
return, but as time went on and nothing was heard of him, the second
prince asked leave to go in search of his brother, as well as to bring
the bird Grip. The king granted his request, and fitted him out in
the finest fashion. But when the prince came to the inn and found his
brother among his merry companions, he also remained there and forgot
both the bird Grip and his blind father.
When the king noticed that neither of his sons returned, although a long
time had passed since the second one set out, he was greatly distressed,
for not only had he lost all hope of getting back his sight, but he had
also lost his two eldest sons. The youngest now came to him, and offered
to go in search of his brothers and to bring the bird Grip; he was quite
certain that he would succeed in this. The king was unwilling to risk
his third son on such an errand, but he begged so long that his father
had at last to consent. This prince also was fitted out in the finest
manner, like his brothers, and so rode away.
He also turned into the same inn as his brothers, and when these saw
him they assailed him with many entreaties to remain with them and share
their merry life. But he answered that now, when he had found them,
his next task was to get the bird Grip, for which his blind father was
longing, and so he had not a single hour to spare with them in the inn.
He then said farewell to his brothers, and rode on to find another inn
in which to pass the night. When he had ridden a long way, and it began
to grow dark, he came to a house which lay deep in the forest. Here he
was received in a very friendly manner by the host, who put his horse
into the stable, and led the prince himself into the guest-chamber,
where he ordered a maid-servant to lay the cloth and set down the
supper. It was now dark, and while the girl was laying the cloth and
setting down the dishes, and the prince had begun to appease his hunger,
he heard the most piteous shrieks and cries from the next room. He
sprang up from the table and asked the girl what those cries were, and
whether he had fallen into a den of robbers. The girl answered that
these shrieks were heard every night, but it was no living being who
uttered them; it was a dead man, who life the host had taken because
he could not pay for the meals he had had in the inn. The host further
refused to bury the dead man, as he had left nothing to pay the expenses
of the funeral, and every night he went and scourged the dead body of
his victim.
When she had said this she lifted the cover off one of the dishes, and
the prince saw that there lay on it a knife and an axe. He understood
then that the host meant to ask him by this what kind of death he
preferred to die, unless he was willing to ransom his life with his
money. He then summoned the host, gave him a large sum for his own life,
and paid the dead man's debt as well, besides paying him for burying the
body, which the murderer now promised to attend to.
The prince, however, felt that his life was not safe in this murderer's
den, and asked the maid to help him to escape that night. She replied
that the attempt to do so might cost her her own life, as the key of the
stable in which the prince's horse stood lay under the host's pillow;
but, as she herself was a prisoner there, she would help him to escape
if he would take her along with him. He promised to do so, and they
succeeded in getting away from the inn, and rode on until they came to
another far away from it, where the prince got a good place for the girl
before proceeding on his journey.
As he now rode all alone through a forest there met him a fox, who
greeted him in a friendly fashion, and asked him where he was going, and
on what errand he was bent. The prince answered that his errand was too
important to be confided to everyone that he met.
'You are right in that,' said the fox, 'for it relates to the bird Grip,
which you want to take and bring home to your blind father; I could help
you in this, but in that case you must follow my counsel.'
The prince thought that this was a good offer, especially as the fox was
ready to go with him and show him the way to the castle, where the bird
Grip sat in his cage, and so he promised to obey the fox's instructions.
When they had traversed the forest together they saw the castle at some
distance. Then the fox gave the prince three grains of gold, one of
which he was to throw into the guard-room, another into the room where
the bird Grip sat, and the third into its cage. He could then take the
bird, but he must beware of stroking it; otherwise it would go ill with
him.
The prince took the grains of gold, and promised to follow the fox's
directions faithfully. When he came to the guard-room of the castle he
threw one of the grains in there, and the guards at once fell asleep.
The same thing happened with those who kept watch in the room beside the
bird Grip, and when he threw the third grain into its cage the bird also
fell asleep. When the prince got the beautiful bird into his hand he
could not resist the temptation to stroke it, whereupon it awoke and
began to scream. At this the whole castle woke up, and the prince was
taken prisoner.
As he now sat in his prison, and bitterly lamented that his own
disobedience had brought himself into trouble, and deprived his father
of the chance of recovering his sight, the fox suddenly stood in front
of him. The prince was very pleased to see it again, and received
with great meekness all its reproaches, as well as promised to be more
obedient in the future, if the fox would only help him out of his fix.
The fox said that he had come to assist him, but he could do no more
than advise the prince, when he was brought up for trial, to answer
'yes' to all the judge's questions, and everything would go well. The
prince faithfully followed his instructions, so that when the judge
asked him whether he had meant to steal the bird Grip he said 'Yes,'
and when the judge asked him if he was a master-thief he again answered
'Yes.'
When the king heard that he admitted being a master-thief, he said that
he would forgive him the attempt to steal the bird if he would go to
the next kingdom and carry off the world's most beautiful princess, and
bring her to him. To this also the prince said 'Yes.'
When he left the castle he met the fox, who went along with him to the
next kingdom, and when they came near the castle there, gave him three
grains of gold--one to throw into the guard-room, another into the
princess's chamber, and the third into her bed. At the same time he
strictly warned him not to kiss the princess. The prince went into the
castle, and did with the grains of gold as the fox had told him, so that
sleep fell upon everyone there; but when he had taken the princess into
his arms he forgot the fox's warning, at the sight of her beauty, and
kissed her. Then both she and all the others in the castle woke; the
prince was taken prisoner, and put into a strong dungeon.
Here the fox again came to him and reproached him with his disobedience,
but promised to help him out of this trouble also if he would answer
'yes' to everything they asked him at his trial. The prince willingly
agreed to this, and admitted to the judge that he had meant to steal the
princess, and that he was a master-thief.
When the king learned this he said he would forgive his offence if he
would go to the next kingdom and steal the horse with the four golden
shoes. To this also the prince said 'Yes.'
When he had gone a little way from the castle he met the fox, and they
continued on their journey together. When they reached the end of it the
prince for the third time received three grains of gold from the fox,
with directions to throw one into the guard-chamber, another into the
stable, and the third into the horse's stall. But the fox told him that
above the horse's stall hung a beautiful golden saddle, which he must
not touch, if he did not want to bring himself into new troubles worse
than those he had escaped from, for then the fox could help him no
longer.
The prince promised to be firm this time. He threw the grains of gold in
the proper places, and untied the horse, but with that he caught
sight of the golden saddle, and thought that none but it could suit so
beautiful a horse, especially as it had golden shoes. But just as he
stretched out his hand to take it he received from some invisible being
so hard a blow on the arm that it was made quite numb. This recalled to
him his promise and his danger, so he led out the horse without looking
at the golden saddle again.
The fox was waiting for him outside the castle, and the prince confessed
to him that he had very nearly given way to temptation this time as
well. 'I know that,' said the fox, 'for it was I who struck you over the
arm.'
As they now went on together the prince said that he could not forget
the beautiful princess, and asked the fox whether he did not think that
she ought to ride home to his father's palace on this horse with the
golden shoes. The fox agreed that this would be excellent; if the prince
would now go and carry her off he would give him three grains of gold
for that purpose. The prince was quite ready, and promised to keep
better command of himself this time, and not kiss her.
He got the grains of gold and entered the castle, where he carried off
the princess, set her on the beautiful horse, and held on his way. When
they came near to the castle where the bird Grip sat in his cage he
again asked the fox for three grains of gold. These he got, and with
them he was successful in carrying off the bird.
He was now full of joy, for his blind father would now recover his
sight, while he himself owned the world's most beautiful princess and
the horse with the golden shoes.
The prince and princess travelled on together with mirth and happiness,
and the fox followed them until they came to the forest where the prince
first met with him.
'Here our ways part,' said the fox. 'You have now got all that your
heart desired, and you will have a prosperous journey to your father's
palace if only you do not ransom anyone's life with money.'
The prince thanked the fox for all his help, promised to give heed to
his warning, said farewell to him, and rode on, with the princess by his
side and the bird Grip on his wrist.
They soon arrived at the inn where the two eldest brothers had stayed,
forgetting their errand. But now no merry song or noise of mirth was
heard from it. When the prince came nearer he saw two gallows erected,
and when he entered the inn along with the princess he saw that all the
rooms were hung with black, and that everything inside foreboded sorrow
and death. He asked the reason of this, and was told that two princes
were to be hanged that day for debt; they had spent all their money in
feasting and playing, and were now deeply in debt to the host, and as
no one could be found to ransom their lives they were about to be hanged
according to the law.
The prince knew that it was his two brothers who had thus forfeited
their lives and it cut him to the heart to think that two princes should
suffer such a shameful death; and, as he had sufficient money with him,
he paid their debts, and so ransomed their lives.
At first the brothers were grateful for their liberty, but when they
saw the youngest brother's treasures they became jealous of his good
fortune, and planned how to bring him to destruction, and then take the
bird Grip, the princess, and the horse with the golden shoes, and convey
them to their blind father. After they had agreed on how to carry out
their treachery they enticed the prince to a den of lions and threw him
down among them. Then they set the princess on horseback, took the bird
Grip, and rode homeward. The princess wept bitterly, but they told her
that it would cost her her life if she did not say that the two brothers
had won all the treasures.
When they arrived at their father's palace there was great rejoicing,
and everyone praised the two princes for their courage and bravery.
When the king inquired after the youngest brother they answered that
he had led such a life in the inn that he had been hanged for debt. The
king sorrowed bitterly over this, because the youngest prince was his
dearest son, and the joy over the treasures soon died away, for the
bird Grip would not sing so that the king might recover his sight, the
princess wept night and day, and no one dared to venture so close to the
horse as to have a look at his golden shoes.
Now when the youngest prince was thrown down into the lions' den he
found the fox sitting there, and the lions, instead of tearing him to
pieces, showed him the greatest friendliness. Nor was the fox angry with
him for having forgot his last warning. He only said that sons who could
so forget their old father and disgrace their royal birth as those had
done would not hesitate to betray their brother either. Then he took the
prince up out of the lion's den and gave him directions what to do now
so as to come by his rights again.
The prince thanked the fox with all his heart for his true friendship,
but the fox answered that if he had been of any use to him he would now
for his own part ask a service of him. The prince replied that he would
do him any service that was in his power.
'I have only one thing to ask of you,' said the fox, 'and that is, that
you should cut off my head with your sword.'
The prince was astonished, and said that he could not bring himself to
cut the had off his truest friend, and to this he stuck in spite of all
the fox's declarations that it was the greatest service he could do him.
At this the fox became very sorrowful, and declared that the prince's
refusal to grant his request now compelled him to do a deed which he was
very unwilling to do--if the prince would not cut off his head, then
he must kill the prince himself. Then at last the prince drew his good
sword and cut off the fox's head, and the next moment a youth stood
before him.
'Thanks,' said he, 'for this service, which has freed me from a spell
that not even death itself could loosen. I am the dead man who lay
unburied in the robber's inn, where you ransomed me and gave me
honourable burial, and therefore I have helped you in your journey.'
With this they parted and the prince, disguising himself as a
horse-shoer, went up to his father's palace and offered his services
there.
The king's men told him that a horse-shoer was indeed wanted at the
palace, but he must be one who could lift up the feet of the horse with
the golden shoes, and such a one they had not yet been able to find. The
prince asked to see the horse, and as soon as he entered the stable the
steed began to neigh in a friendly fashion, and stood as quiet and still
as a lamb while the prince lifted up his hoofs, one after the other, and
showed the king's men the famous golden shoes.
After this the king's men began to talk about the bird Grip, and how
strange it was that he would not sing, however well he was attended to.
The horse-shoer then said that he knew the bird very well; he had seen
it when it sat in its cage in another king's palace, and if it did
not sing now it must be because it did not have all that it wanted. He
himself knew so much about the bird's ways that if he only got to see it
he could tell at once what it lacked.
The king's men now took counsel whether they ought to take the stranger
in before the king, for in his chamber sat the bird Grip along with the
weeping princess. It was decided to risk doing so, and the horse-shoer
was led into the king's chamber, where he had no sooner called the bird
by its name than it began to sing and the princess to smile. Then the
darkness cleared away from the king's eyes, and the more the bird sang
the more clearly did he see, till at last in the strange horse-shoer
he recognised his youngest son. Then the princess told the king how
treacherously his eldest sons had acted, and he had them banished from
his kingdom; but the youngest prince married the princess, and got the
horse with the golden shoes and half the kingdom from his father, who
kept for himself so long as he lived the bird Grip, which now sang with
all its heart to the king and all his court.
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Once on a time there was an old beggar-woman, who had gone out to beg. She had a little lad with her, and when she had got her bag full she struck across the hills towards her own home. So when they had gone a bit up the hill-side, they came upon ... The Blue Bird
A powerful and wealthy king, having lost his wife, was so inconsolable, that he shut himself up for eight entire days, in a little cabinet, where he spent his time in knocking his head against the wall, until the courtiers were afraid he would kil... The Blue Bird
Once upon a time there lived a King who was immensely rich. He had broad lands, and sacks overflowing with gold and silver; but he did not care a bit for all his riches, because the Queen, his wife, was dead. He shut himself up in a little room ... The Blue Light
There was once upon a time a soldier who for many years had served the king faithfully, but when the war came to an end could serve no longer because of the many wounds which he had received. The king said to him: 'You may return to your home, I nee... The Blue Mountains
There were once a Scotsman and an Englishman and an Irishman serving in the army together, who took it into their heads to run away on the first opportunity they could get. The chance came and they took it. They went on travelling for two days thr... The Blue Parrot
In a part of Arabia where groves of palms and sweet-scented flowers give the traveller rest after toilsome journeys under burning skies, there reigned a young king whose name was Lino. He had grown up under the wise rule of his father, who had lat... The Boasting Traveler
A MAN who had traveled in foreign lands boasted very much, on returning to his own country, of the many wonderful and heroic feats he had performed in the different places he had visited. Among other things, he said that when he was at Rhodes he had... The Bobolinks Have A Tea Party
"The other day," commenced daddy, "the bobolinks had an afternoon tea. "The tea party was given for the meadow larks. The bobolinks are great friends of the meadow larks and they wanted to be the first this season to entertain them. Besides, ... The Bogey-beast
There was once a woman who was very, very cheerful, though she had little to make her so; for she was old, and poor, and lonely. She lived in a little bit of a cottage and earned a scant living by running errands for her neighbours, getting a bite... The Bones Of Djulung
In a beautiful island that lies in the southern seas, where chains of gay orchids bind the trees together, and the days and nights are equally long and nearly equally hot, there once lived a family of seven sisters. Their father and mother wer... The Boston Tea-party
BY JOHN ANDREWS (ADAPTED) [5] On November 29, 1773, there arrived in Boston Harbor a ship carrying an hundred and odd chests of the detested tea. The people in the country roundabout, as well as the town's folk, were unanimous against allowi... The Bowman and Lion
A VERY SKILLFUL BOWMAN went to the mountains in search of game, but all the beasts of the forest fled at his approach. The Lion alone challenged him to combat. The Bowman immediately shot out an arrow and said to the Lion: "I send thee my messeng... The Box Of Robbers
No one intended to leave Martha alone that afternoon, but it happened that everyone was called away, for one reason or another. Mrs. McFarland was attending the weekly card party held by the Women's Anti-Gambling League. Sister Nell's young man ha... The Boy And The Dragon
Once, long ago, before the white man came to Canada, a boy was living with his parents in a village near the ocean. As he had no brothers or sisters, he was often lonely, and he longed for adventure and companionship. At last he decided t... The Boy and the Filberts
A BOY put his hand into a pitcher full of filberts. He grasped as many as he could possibly hold, but when he tried to pull out his hand, he was prevented from doing so by the neck of the pitcher. Unwilling to lose his filberts, and yet unable to ... The Boy and the Nettles
A BOY was stung by a Nettle. He ran home and told his Mother, saying, "Although it hurts me very much, I only touched it gently." "That was just why it stung you," said his Mother. "The next time you touch a Nettle, grasp it boldly, and it will b... The Boy And The Wolves Or The Broken Promise
A North American Indian story. Once upon a time an Indian hunter built himself a house in the middle of a great forest, far away from all his tribe; for his heart was gentle and kind, and he was weary of the treachery and cruel deeds of those wh... The Boy Bathing
A BOY bathing in a river was in danger of being drowned. He called out to a passing traveler for help, but instead of holding out a helping hand, the man stood by unconcernedly, and scolded the boy for his imprudence. "Oh, sir!" cried the youth, ... The Boy Hunting Locusts
A BOY was hunting for locusts. He had caught a goodly number, when he saw a Scorpion, and mistaking him for a locust, reached out his hand to take him. The Scorpion, showing his sting, said: If you had but touched me, my friend, you would have los...