The Master-Maid

Once upon a time there was a king who had many sons. I don't know exactly how many there were, but the youngest could not stay quietly at home. He wanted to go out into the world and try his luck. After a long time, the king had to let him go.

He traveled for several days and came to a giant's house. He hired himself as a servant. In the morning, the giant had to go out to pasture his goats. As he left, he told the king's son to clean out the stable.

"After you have done that," he said, "you don't have to do any more work today. You have come to a kind master, and you'll see that. But you must do what I set you to do well and thoroughly.

And you must never go into any of the rooms that lead off from the room where you slept last night. If you do, I will take your life."

"Well, he's an easy master!" said the prince to himself as he walked up and down the room, humming. He thought there would be plenty of time to clean the stable. "But it would be fun to peek into his other rooms," he thought.

"There must be something he doesn't want me to see." So he went into the first room. A cauldron hung from the wall, boiling, but there was no fire under it. "I wonder what's inside," he thought. He dipped a lock of his hair in, and the hair turned to copper.

"That's a strange soup. If anyone tasted it, their throat would be gilded," he said. Then he went into the next room. There was another cauldron, also boiling without fire. He dipped another lock of hair in, and it came out silver. "Such costly soup isn't in my father's palace," he said.

He went into the third room. Another cauldron hung there, boiling. He dipped another lock of hair in, and it came out shining gold. "This gets better and better," he said. "If he boils gold here, what does he boil in there?" He went into the fourth room.

There was no cauldron, but on a bench sat someone who looked like a king's daughter. She was so beautiful that he had never seen her equal.

"Oh! In heaven's name, what are you doing here?" said she who sat on the bench.

"I became a servant here yesterday," said the prince.

"May you soon have a better place, if you have come to serve here!" she said.

"Oh, but I think I have a kind master," said the prince. "He didn't give me hard work today. When I clean the stable, I'll be done."

"Yes, but how will you do it?" she asked. "If you clean it the usual way, ten pitchforkfuls will come in for every one you throw out. But I'll teach you. Turn your pitchfork upside down and work with the handle. Then everything will fly out by itself."

"I'll remember that," said the prince, and he stayed there the whole day. Soon they agreed to marry each other, he and the king's daughter. So the first day of his service did not seem long. When evening came, she said he should clean out the stable before the giant came home.

He went to the stable and tried working the way he had seen stable boys do in his father's stables. But soon he had scarcely any room to stand. So he did what the princess had taught him. He turned the pitchfork around and worked with the handle.

In the blink of an eye, the stable was as clean as if it had been scoured. Then he went back to his room and walked back and forth, humming and singing.

Soon the giant came home with the goats. "Have you cleaned the stable?" he asked.

"Yes, it's clean and fresh, master," said the prince.

"I'll see about that," said the giant. He went to the stable, and it was just as the prince had said.

"You have certainly been talking to my Master-Maid," said the giant. "You never got that out of your own head."

"Master-Maid? What kind of thing is that, master?" said the prince, pretending to be stupid. "I'd like to see that."

"Well, you'll see her soon enough," said the giant.

On the second morning, the giant had to go out with his goats again. He told the prince that today he must fetch home his horse, which was out on the mountain-side. After that, he could rest for the rest of the day. "For you have come to a kind master, and you'll find that," said the giant again. "But don't go into any of the rooms I spoke of yesterday, or I'll wring your head off." Then he went away with his goats.

"Yes, you're a kind master," said the prince. "But I'll go and talk to the Master-Maid again. Perhaps soon she'll like to be mine instead of yours."

So he went to her. She asked what he had to do today.

"Oh, nothing very dangerous, I think," said the prince. "I only have to go up the mountain-side after his horse."

"Well, how will you do it?" asked the Master-Maid.

"Oh, there's no great art in riding a horse home," said the prince. "I've ridden wilder horses before."

"Yes, but it's not as easy as you think," said the Master-Maid. "I'll teach you. When you go near it, fire will burst from its nostrils like flames from a pine torch. But be careful. Take the bridle hanging by the door and fling the bit straight into its jaws.

Then it will become so tame that you can do what you like with it." He said he would remember. Then he sat with the Master-Maid the whole day. They chatted about many things, but most of all about how happy they would be if they could marry and get safely away from the giant.

The prince would have forgotten both the mountain and the horse if the Master-Maid had not reminded him as evening drew near. So he went to fetch the horse. He took the bridle that hung on a hook and strode up the mountain-side. Soon he met the horse.

Fire and red flames streamed from its nostrils. But the youth watched carefully. Just as it rushed at him with open jaws, he threw the bit straight into its mouth. The horse stood as quiet as a young lamb, and he had no trouble getting it home to the stable.

Then he went back to his room and began to hum and sing.

Toward evening, the giant came home. "Have you fetched the horse from the mountain-side?" he asked.

"Yes, master. It was an amusing horse to ride, but I rode it straight home and put it in the stable," said the prince.

"I'll see about that," said the giant. He went to the stable, and the horse was standing there just as the prince had said. "You have certainly been talking with my Master-Maid," said the giant again. "You never got that out of your own head."

"Yesterday you talked about this Master-Maid, and today you're talking about her," said the prince, pretending to be silly. "Ah, heaven bless you, master, why won't you show me the thing? It would be a real pleasure to see it."

"Oh, you'll see her soon enough," said the giant.

On the morning of the third day, the giant had to go into the woods with the goats. "Today you must go underground and fetch my taxes," he said to the prince. "When you have done this, you may rest for the rest of the day. You'll see what an easy master you have come to." Then he went away.

"Well, however easy a master you may be, you set me very hard work," thought the prince. "But I'll see if I can't find your Master-Maid. You say she's yours, but she may be able to tell me what to do." So he went back to her. When the Master-Maid asked what the giant had set him to do, he told her he was to go underground and get the taxes.

"And how will you do that?" said the Master-Maid.

"Oh, you must tell me," said the prince. "I've never been underground, and even if I knew the way, I don't know how much to demand."

"Oh, I'll tell you. Go to the rock under the mountain-ridge. Take the club that is there and knock on the rocky wall," said the Master-Maid. "Then someone will come out who sparkles with fire. Tell him your errand. When he asks how much you want, you must say: 'As much as I can carry.'"

"I'll remember that," said the prince. Then he sat with the Master-Maid the whole day until night drew near. He would gladly have stayed longer, but she reminded him it was time to fetch the taxes before the giant came.

So he set out. He went to the rocky wall, took the club, and knocked. Then came one so full of sparks that they flew from his eyes and nose. "What do you want?" he said.

"I have come for the giant to demand the tax," said the prince.

"How much are you to have?" said the other.

"I ask for no more than I can carry," said the prince.

"It's well for you that you didn't ask for a horse-load," said the one who came out of the rock. "Come in with me."

The prince did so. He saw a great quantity of gold and silver, lying inside the mountain like heaps of stones. He got a load as large as he could carry and went his way. In the evening, when the giant came home with the goats, the prince went into his room and hummed and sang as before.

"Have you been for the tax?" said the giant.

"Yes, master," said the prince.

"Where have you put it?" asked the giant.

"The bag of gold is standing on the bench," said the prince.

"I'll see about that," said the giant. He went to the bench. The bag was so full that gold and silver dropped out when he untied the string.

"You have certainly been talking with my Master-Maid," said the giant. "If you have, I'll wring your neck."

"Master-Maid?" said the prince. "Yesterday my master talked about this Master-Maid, and today he talks about her again. The first day it was the same talk. I do wish I could see the thing myself."

"Yes, yes, wait till tomorrow," said the giant. "Then I myself will take you to her."

"Ah, master, I thank you, but you are only mocking me," said the prince.

The next day, the giant took him to the Master-Maid. "Now you shall kill him and boil him in the great big cauldron you know of. When you have the broth ready, call me," said the giant. Then he lay down on the bench to sleep and soon began to snore like thunder among the hills.

So the Master-Maid took a knife and cut the prince's little finger. She dropped three drops of blood on a wooden stool. Then she took all the old rags, shoe-soles, and rubbish she could find and put them in the cauldron.

She filled a chest with gold dust, a lump of salt, and a water-flask that hung by the door. She also took a golden apple and two gold chickens. Then she and the prince went away as fast as they could.

When they had gone a little way, they came to the sea. They sailed away. Where they got the ship, I have never learned.

Now when the giant had slept a long time, he began to stretch. "Will it soon boil?" he said.

"It is just beginning," said the first drop of blood on the stool.

The giant lay down again and slept for a long time. Then he stirred a little. "Will it soon be ready?" he said, still half asleep.

"Half done," said the second drop of blood. The giant believed it was the Master-Maid and turned over and slept again. When he had slept many hours, he moved and stretched. "Is it not done yet?" he said.

"It is quite ready," said the third drop of blood. The giant began to sit up and rub his eyes. He could not see who had spoken. He called for the Master-Maid, but no one answered.

"Ah, she has just slipped out for a little," he thought. He took a spoon and went to the cauldron to taste. But there was nothing but shoe-soles, rags, and such rubbish, all boiled together. He could not tell whether it was porridge or soup.

When he saw this, he understood what had happened. He fell into such a rage that he hardly knew what he was doing. He rushed after the prince and the Master-Maid so fast that the wind whistled behind him. Soon he came to the water, but he could not cross it.

"Well, I'll soon find a cure for that. I have only to call my river-sucker," said the giant. He called his river-sucker. It came and lay down and drank one, two, three draughts. The water in the sea fell so low that the giant saw the Master-Maid and the prince out on the sea in their ship.

"Now you must throw out the lump of salt," said the Master-Maid. The prince did so. It grew into a great high mountain right across the sea, so that the giant could not come over it, and the river-sucker could not drink any more water.

"Well, I'll soon find a cure for that," said the giant. He called his hill-borer to come and bore through the mountain so that the river-sucker could drink up the water again. But just as the hole was made and the river-sucker began to drink, the Master-Maid told the prince to throw a few drops out of the flask.

When he did, the sea instantly became full of water again. Before the river-sucker could take another drink, they reached the land and were safe.

They decided to go home to the prince's father. But the prince would not let the Master-Maid walk. He thought it was unbecoming for either of them to go on foot.

"Wait here a little while I go home for the seven horses that stand in my father's stable," he said. "It is not far. I won't be long. But I will not let my betrothed bride walk to the palace."

"Oh, no, do not go! If you go home to the king's palace, you will forget me. I foresee that."

"How could I forget you? We have suffered so much evil together and love each other so much," said the prince. He insisted on going home for the coach with the seven horses. She was to wait for him by the sea-shore. At last the Master-Maid had to yield.

"But when you get there," she said, "you must not even take time to greet anyone. Go straight to the stable, take the horses, put them in the coach, and drive back as quickly as you can.

They will all crowd around you, but you must act as if you don't see them. And never taste anything, for if you do, it will cause great misery to both of us." He promised.

But when he got home to the king's palace, one of his brothers was just going to be married. The bride and all her family had come to the palace. They all thronged around him, asking questions, and wanted him to come in with them.

But he acted as if he did not see them. He went straight to the stable, got out the horses, and began to harness them. When they saw they could not persuade him to come in, they brought him meat and drink and the best of everything from the wedding feast.

But the prince refused to touch anything. He only wanted to put the horses in as quickly as he could. At last, the bride's sister rolled an apple across the yard to him and said, "Since you won't eat anything else, you might like a bite of this.

You must be hungry and thirsty after your long journey." He picked up the apple and took a bite. No sooner had he got the piece of apple in his mouth than he forgot the Master-Maid and that he was to go back with the coach.

"I think I must be mad! What do I want with this coach and horses?" he said. He put the horses back in the stable and went into the palace. It was settled that he should marry the bride's sister, the one who had rolled the apple to him.

The Master-Maid sat by the sea-shore for a long, long time waiting for the prince, but he did not come. So she went away. She walked a short distance and came to a little hut that stood alone in a small wood near the king's palace.

She entered and asked if she could stay there. The hut belonged to an old crone, who was also an ill-tempered and malicious troll. At first she would not let the Master-Maid stay, but after much persuasion and good payment, she agreed.

The hut was as dirty and black inside as a pigsty. The Master-Maid said she would clean it up a little. The old crone did not like this. She scowled and was cross, but the Master-Maid did not care.

She took out her chest of gold and threw a handful into the fire. The gold boiled up and poured out over the whole hut, inside and out, until it was all gilded. When the gold began to bubble, the old hag became so terrified that she fled as if the Evil One himself were chasing her.

She forgot to stoop as she went through the doorway, hit her head, and died.

The next morning the sheriff came riding by. He was astonished to see the gold hut shining and glittering in the copse. He went inside and saw the beautiful young maiden sitting there. He fell in love with her at once and begged her to marry him.

"Well, do you have a great deal of money?" asked the Master-Maid.

"Oh, yes, so far as that goes, I am not ill off," said the sheriff. He went home to get the money. In the evening he came back with a bag of two bushels, which he set on the bench. Since he had such a fine lot of money, the Master-Maid said she would have him. They sat down to talk. But scarcely had they sat down when the Master-Maid wanted to jump up. "I have forgotten to see to the fire," she said.

"Why should you do that?" said the sheriff. "I will do it." He jumped up and went to the chimney in one bound.

"Tell me when you have hold of the shovel," said the Master-Maid.

"I have hold of it now," said the sheriff.

"Then you may hold the shovel, and the shovel you, and pour red-hot coals over yourself till day dawns," said the Master-Maid. So the sheriff had to stand there the whole night, pouring red-hot coals over himself. No matter how he cried and begged, the red-hot coals did not grow colder.

When day began to dawn and he could throw down the shovel, he did not stay long. He ran away as fast as he could. Everyone who met him stared, for he was flying as if mad. He could not have looked worse if he had been both flayed and tanned.

Everyone wondered where he had been, but for shame he told nothing.

The next day the attorney came riding by the place where the Master-Maid lived. He saw the hut shining and gleaming through the wood. He went in to see who lived there. When he saw the beautiful young maiden, he fell even more in love than the sheriff had.

He began to court her at once. The Master-Maid asked if he had a great deal of money. The attorney said he was not ill off and would go home to get it. At night he came with a big sack of money—this time a four-bushel sack—and set it on the bench by the Master-Maid.

She promised to have him. He sat down on the bench to arrange it, but suddenly she said she had forgotten to lock the porch door and must do it.

"Why should you do that?" said the attorney. "Sit still, I will do it." He jumped up and went out to the porch.

"Tell me when you have hold of the door-latch," said the Master-Maid.

"I have hold of it now," cried the attorney.

"Then you may hold the door, and the door you, and may you go between wall and wall till day dawns." What a dance the attorney had that night! He had never had such a waltz before. Sometimes he was in front of the door, sometimes the door was in front of him. It went from one side of the porch to the other until the attorney was nearly beaten to death. At first he cursed the Master-Maid, then he begged and prayed. But the door did not care about anything but keeping him there till break of day.

As soon as the door let go, off went the attorney. He forgot who should be paid back, he forgot both his sack of money and his wooing. He was so afraid the house-door would come dancing after him. Everyone who met him stared, for he was flying like a madman. He could not have looked worse if a herd of rams had been butting him all night.

On the third day the bailiff came by. He too saw the gold house in the little wood. He too felt he must go in and see who lived there. When he saw the Master-Maid, he fell so in love that he courted her almost before greeting her.

The Master-Maid answered as before: if he had a great deal of money, she would have him. "So far as that goes, I am not ill off," said the bailiff. He went home to fetch it. At night he came back with a still larger sack of money—at least six bushels—and set it on the bench. It was settled that he would have the Master-Maid. Hardly had they sat down when she said she had forgotten to bring in the calf and must go out to put it in the byre.

"No, indeed, you shall not do that," said the bailiff. "I am the one to do that." Big and fat as he was, he went out as briskly as a boy.

"Tell me when you have hold of the calf's tail," said the Master-Maid.

"I have hold of it now," cried the bailiff.

"Then may you hold the calf's tail, and the calf's tail hold you, and may you go round the world together till day dawns!" said the Master-Maid. So the bailiff had to bestir himself. The calf went over rough and smooth, over hill and dale.

The more the bailiff cried, the faster the calf went. When daylight began to appear, the bailiff was half dead. He was so glad to let go of the calf's tail that he forgot the sack of money and everything else. He walked slowly now—more slowly than the sheriff or attorney had.

But the slower he went, the more time everyone had to stare. He looked tired out and ragged after his dance with the calf.

The next day the wedding was to take place in the king's palace. The elder brother was to drive to church with his bride, and the brother who had been with the giant with her sister.

When they had seated themselves in the coach and were about to drive off, one of the trace-pins broke. They made one, two, three to put in its place, but each broke in turn, no matter what kind of wood they used. They could not get away from the palace.

Everyone was in great trouble. Then the sheriff, who had also been invited to the wedding, said, "Yonder in the thicket lives a maiden. If you can borrow the handle of the shovel she uses for her fire, I know it will hold fast." So they sent a messenger to the thicket and begged prettily for the loan of the shovel-handle.

They were not refused. Now they had a trace-pin that would not snap.

But just as they were starting, the bottom of the coach fell in pieces. They made a new bottom as fast as they could, but no matter how they nailed it or what wood they used, no sooner had they got the new bottom in and were about to drive off than it broke again.

They were worse off than before. Then the attorney, who was also at the wedding, said, "Away in the thicket lives a maiden. If you could borrow one-half of her porch-door, I am certain it will hold together." So they sent another messenger and begged prettily for the loan of the gilded porch-door.

They got it at once. They were just setting out again, but now the horses could not draw the coach. They had six horses, then eight, then ten, then twelve. The more they put in and the more the coachman whipped, the less good it did. The coach never stirred.

It was getting late in the day, and to church they must go. Everyone in the palace was distressed. Then the bailiff spoke up: "Out there in the gilded cottage in the thicket lives a girl.

If you could borrow her calf, I know it could draw the coach, even if it were as heavy as a mountain." They thought it was ridiculous to be drawn to church by a calf, but there was nothing else to do.

They sent a messenger once more to beg prettily on behalf of the king for the loan of the calf. The Master-Maid let them have it immediately.

They harnessed the calf to see if the coach would move. Away it went, over rough and smooth, over stock and stone, so that they could scarcely breathe. Sometimes they were on the ground, sometimes up in the air. When they came to the church, the coach began to spin like a wheel. It was with the utmost difficulty that they got out and into the church. When they went back, the coach went even faster, so that most of them did not know how they got back to the palace.

When they had seated themselves at the table, the prince who had been in service with the giant said that they ought to invite the maiden who had lent them the shovel-handle, the porch-door, and the calf to the palace. "For," he said, "if we had not got these three things, we would never have left the palace."

The king thought this was fair. He sent five of his best men to the gilded hut to greet the maiden courteously and beg her to come to the palace to dinner at midday.

"Greet the king," replied the Master-Maid, "and tell him that if he is too good to come to me, I am too good to come to him."

So the king had to go himself. The Master-Maid went with him immediately. The king believed she was more than she seemed, so he seated her in the place of honor next to the youngest bridegroom. When they had sat at the table for a short time, the Master-Maid took out the cock, the hen, and the golden apple she had brought from the giant's house. She set them on the table in front of her. Immediately the cock and hen began to fight over the golden apple.

"Oh, look how those two are fighting for the golden apple," said the king's son.

"Yes, and so did we two fight to get out that time when we were in the mountain," said the Master-Maid.

Then the prince recognized her. You can imagine how delighted he was. He ordered the troll-witch who had rolled the apple to him to be torn apart by twenty-four horses, so that not a bit of her was left. Then for the first time they truly began to celebrate the wedding. And though they were weary, the sheriff, the attorney, and the bailiff joined in the celebration too.