The Donkey

Once upon a time, there lived a king and a queen. They were rich and had everything they wanted, but they had no children. The queen was sad day and night and said, "I am like a field where nothing grows." At last, God gave her a child.

But when the baby was born, it did not look like a human child. It was a little donkey. When the mother saw that, she cried out in despair. She said she would rather have no child at all than a donkey, and that they should throw it into the water for the fish to eat.

But the king said, "No. Since God has sent him, he shall be my son and heir. After my death, he shall sit on the royal throne and wear the kingly crown." So the donkey was brought up. He grew bigger, and his ears grew beautifully high and straight.

He was a merry little donkey. He jumped about, played, and especially loved music. He went to a famous musician and said, "Teach me your art, so I can play the lute as well as you." "Ah, dear little master," said the musician, "that would be very hard for you.

Your fingers are not suited for it. They are far too big. I am afraid the strings would not last." But no excuses helped. The donkey was determined to play the lute. He was patient and hardworking, and at last he learned to play as well as the master himself.

One day, the young donkey went walking, lost in thought. He came to a well and looked into it. In the mirror-clear water, he saw his donkey form. He was so upset that he decided to go out into the wide world. He took only one faithful companion with him.

They traveled up and down, and at last they came to a kingdom where an old king ruled. He had an only daughter, who was wonderfully beautiful. The donkey said, "Here we will stay." He knocked at the gate and cried, "A guest is outside!

Open so that he may enter." But the gate was not opened. So he sat down, took his lute, and played it most delightfully with his two front hooves. The doorkeeper opened his eyes wide and ran to the king.

"Outside by the gate sits a young donkey who plays the lute as well as an experienced master!" "Then let the musician come to me," said the king. When a donkey came in, everyone began to laugh at the lute player.

The donkey was asked to sit down and eat with the servants. But he was unwilling and said, "I am no common stable donkey. I am a noble one." Then they said, "If that is what you are, seat yourself with the soldiers." "No," he said, "I will sit by the king." The king smiled and said good-naturedly, "Yes, it shall be as you wish, little donkey.

Come here to me." Then he asked, "Little donkey, how does my daughter please you?" The donkey turned his head toward her, looked at her, nodded, and said, "I like her beyond measure. I have never seen anyone so beautiful." "Well then, you shall sit next to her too," said the king.

"That is exactly what I wish," said the donkey, and he sat by her side. He ate and drank and knew how to behave himself daintily and cleanly. After the noble beast had stayed a long time at the king's court, he thought, "What good does all this do me?

I will still have to go home again." He let his head hang sadly and went to the king to ask for his dismissal. But the king had grown fond of him and said, "Little donkey, what ails you? You look as sour as a jug of vinegar.

I will give you whatever you want. Do you want gold?" "No," said the donkey, shaking his head. "Do you want jewels and rich clothes?" "No." "Do you wish for half my kingdom?" "Indeed no." Then the king said, "If only I knew what would make you content.

Will you have my pretty daughter as your wife?" "Ah, yes," said the donkey, "I would indeed like her." And all at once he became quite merry and full of happiness, for that was exactly what he was wishing for. So a great and splendid wedding was held.

In the evening, when the bride and bridegroom were led into their bedroom, the king wanted to know if the donkey would behave well. He ordered a servant to hide in the room. When they were both inside, the bridegroom bolted the door, looked around, and, believing they were alone, suddenly threw off his donkey skin.

He stood there in the form of a handsome royal youth. "Now," he said, "you see who I am. You see that I am not unworthy of you." The bride was glad. She kissed him and loved him dearly.

When morning came, he jumped up, put his animal skin on again, and no one could have guessed what kind of form was hidden beneath it. Soon the old king came. "Ah," he cried, "is the little donkey merry? But surely you are sad?" he said to his daughter.

"You have not got a proper man for your husband." "Oh no, dear father. I love him as well as if he were the handsomest in the world, and I will keep him as long as I live." The king was surprised. But the servant who had hidden came and revealed everything.

The king said, "That cannot be true." "Then watch yourself the next night, and you will see it with your own eyes. And listen, lord king, if you were to take his skin away and throw it into the fire, he would be forced to show himself in his true shape." "Your advice is good," said the king.

That night, when they were asleep, he stole in. By the light of the moon, he saw a noble-looking youth lying there, and the skin lay stretched on the ground. So he took the skin away, had a great fire lit outside, and threw the skin into it.

He stayed until it was all burnt to ashes. He was anxious to know how the robbed man would behave, so he stayed awake the whole night and watched. When the youth had slept his sleep out, he got up at first light and wanted to put on the donkey skin.

But it was not to be found. He was alarmed and, full of grief and anxiety, said, "Now I will have to contrive to escape." But when he went out, there stood the king. "My son," he said, "where away in such haste? What do you have in mind? Stay here.

You are such a handsome man. You shall not go away from me. I will now give you half my kingdom, and after my death you shall have the whole of it." "Then I hope that what begins so well may end well, and I will stay with you," said the youth.

The old man gave him half the kingdom. In a year's time, when the king died, the youth had the whole kingdom. And after the death of his own father, he had another kingdom as well. And he lived in all magnificence.