第6章

’Buthehasnothingon！’saidalittlechildatlast。

’Justlistentotheinnocentchild！’saidthefather，andeachonewhisperedtohisneighbourwhatthechildhadsaid。

’Buthehasnothingon！’thewholeofthepeoplecalledoutatlast。

ThisstrucktheEmperor，foritseemedtohimasiftheywereright；buthethoughttohimself，’Imustgoonwiththeprocessionnow。Andthechamberlainswalkedalongstillmoreuprightly，holdingupthetrainwhichwasnotthereatall。

[5]’PrinzKrebs，’fromGriechischeMahrchen。Schmidt。

Onceuponatimetherewasafishermanwhohadawifeandthreechildren。Everymorningheusedtogooutfishing，andwhateverfishhecaughthesoldtotheKing。Oneday，amongtheotherfishes，hecaughtagoldencrab。Whenhecamehomeheputallthefishestogetherintoagreatdish，buthekepttheCrabseparatebecauseitshonesobeautifully，andplacedituponahighshelfinthecupboard。Nowwhiletheoldwoman，hiswife，wascleaningthefish，andhadtuckeduphergownsothatherfeetwerevisible，shesuddenlyheardavoice，whichsaid:

’Letdown，letdownthypetticoatThatletsthyfeetbeseen。’

Sheturnedroundinsurprise，andthenshesawthelittlecreature，theGoldenCrab。

’What！Youcanspeak，canyou，youridiculouscrab？’shesaid，forshewasnotquitepleasedattheCrab’sremarks。Thenshetookhimupandplacedhimonadish。

Whenherhusbandcamehomeandtheysatdowntodinner，theypresentlyheardtheCrab’slittlevoicesaying，’Givemesometoo。’Theywereallverymuchsurprised，buttheygavehimsomethingtoeat。WhentheoldmancametotakeawaytheplatewhichhadcontainedtheCrab’sdinner，hefounditfullofgold，andasthesamethinghappenedeverydayhesoonbecameveryfondoftheCrab。

OnedaytheCrabsaidtothefisherman’swife，’GototheKingandtellhimIwishtomarryhisyoungerdaughter。’

Theoldwomanwentaccordingly，andlaidthematterbeforetheKing，wholaughedalittleatthenotionofhisdaughtermarryingacrab，butdidnotdeclinetheproposalaltogether，becausehewasaprudentmonarch，andknewthattheCrabwaslikelytobeaprinceindisguise。Hesaid，therefore，tothefisherman’swife，’Go，oldwoman，andtelltheCrabIwillgivehimmydaughterifbyto-morrowmorninghecanbuildawallinfrontofmycastlemuchhigherthanmytower，uponwhichalltheflowersoftheworldmustgrowandbloom。’

Thefisherman’swifewenthomeandgavethismessage。

ThentheCrabgaveheragoldenrod，andsaid，’GoandstrikewiththisrodthreetimesuponthegroundontheplacewhichtheKingshowedyou，andto-morrowmorningthewallwillbethere。’

Theoldwomandidsoandwentawayagain。

Thenextmorning，whentheKingawoke，whatdoyouthinkhesaw？

Thewallstoodtherebeforehiseyes，exactlyashehadbespokenit！

ThentheoldwomanwentbacktotheKingandsaidtohim，’YourMajesty’sordershavebeenfulfilled。’

’Thatisallverywell，’saidtheKing，’butIcannotgiveawaymydaughteruntiltherestandsinfrontofmypalaceagardeninwhichtherearethreefountains，ofwhichthefirstmustplaygold，theseconddiamonds，andthethirdbrilliants。’

Sotheoldwomanhadtostrikeagainthreetimesuponthegroundwiththerod，andthenextmorningthegardenwasthere。TheKingnowgavehisconsent，andtheweddingwasfixedfortheverynextday。

ThentheCrabsaidtotheoldfisherman，’Nowtakethisrod；goandknockwithitonacertainmountain；thenablackman[6]willcomeoutandaskyouwhatyouwishfor。Answerhimthus:’’Yourmaster，theKing，hassentmetotellyouthatyoumustsendhimhisgoldengarmentthatislikethesun。’’Makehimgiveyou，besides，thequeenlyrobesofgoldandpreciousstoneswhichareliketheflowerymeadows，andbringthembothtome。Andbringmealsothegoldencushion。’

[6]EinMohr。

Theoldmanwentanddidhiserrand。Whenhehadbroughtthepreciousrobes，theCrabputonthegoldengarmentandthencreptuponthegoldencushion，andinthiswaythefishermancarriedhimtothecastle，wheretheCrabpresentedtheothergarmenttohisbride。Nowtheceremonytookplace，andwhenthemarriedpairwerealonetogethertheCrabmadehimselfknowntohisyoungwife，andtoldherhowhewasthesonofthegreatestkingintheworld，andhowhewasenchanted，sothathebecameacrabbydayandwasamanonlyatnight；andhecouldalsochangehimselfintoaneagleasoftenashewished。Nosoonerhadhesaidthisthanheshookhimself，andimmediatelybecameahandsomeyouth，butthenextmorninghewasforcedtocreepbackagainintohiscrab-shell。Andthesamethinghappenedeveryday。ButthePrincess’saffectionfortheCrab，andthepoliteattentionwithwhichshebehavedtohim，surprisedtheroyalfamilyverymuch。

Theysuspectedsomesecret，butthoughtheyspiedandspied，theycouldnotdiscoverit。Thusayearpassedaway，andthePrincesshadason，whomshecalledBenjamin。Buthermotherstillthoughtthewholematterverystrange。AtlastshesaidtotheKingthatheoughttoaskhisdaughterwhethershewouldnotliketohaveanotherhusbandinsteadoftheCrab？Butwhenthedaughterwasquestionedsheonlyanswered:

’IammarriedtotheCrab，andhimonlywillIhave。’

ThentheKingsaidtoher，’Iwillappointatournamentinyourhonour，andIwillinvitealltheprincesintheworldtoit，andifanyoneofthempleasesyou，youshallmarryhim。’

IntheeveningthePrincesstoldthistotheCrab，whosaidtoher，’Takethisrod，gotothegardengateandknockwithit，thenablackmanwillcomeoutandsaytoyou，’’Whyhaveyoucalledme，andwhatdoyourequireofme？’’Answerhimthus:

’YourmastertheKinghassentmehithertotellyoutosendhimhisgoldenarmourandhissteedandthesilverapple。’’Andbringthemtome。’

ThePrincessdidso，andbroughthimwhathedesired。

ThefollowingeveningthePrincedressedhimselfforthetournament。Beforehewenthesaidtohiswife，’NowmindyoudonotsaywhenyouseemethatIamtheCrab。Forifyoudothisevilwillcomeofit。Placeyourselfatthewindowwithyoursisters；Iwillridebyandthrowyouthesilverapple。Takeitinyourhand，butiftheyaskyouwhoIam，saythatyoudonotknow。’Sosaying，hekissedher，repeatedhiswarningoncemore，andwentaway。

ThePrincesswentwithhersisterstothewindowandlookedonatthetournament。Presentlyherhusbandrodebyandthrewtheappleuptoher。Shecaughtitinherhandandwentwithittoherroom，andby-and-byherhusbandcamebacktoher。ButherfatherwasmuchsurprisedthatshedidnotseemtocareaboutanyofthePrinces；hethereforeappointedasecondtournament。

TheCrabthengavehiswifethesamedirectionsasbefore，onlythistimetheapplewhichshereceivedfromtheblackmanwasofgold。ButbeforethePrincewenttothetournamenthesaidtohiswife，’NowIknowyouwillbetraymeto-day。’

Butshesworetohimthatshewouldnottellwhohewas。Hethenrepeatedhiswarningandwentaway。

Intheevening，whilethePrincess，withhermotherandsisters，wasstandingatthewindow，thePrincesuddenlygallopedpastonhissteedandthrewherthegoldenapple。

Thenhermotherflewintoapassion，gaveheraboxontheear，andcriedout，’Doesnoteventhatprincepleaseyou，youfool？’

ThePrincessinherfrightexclaimed，’ThatistheCrabhimself！’

Hermotherwasstillmoreangrybecauseshehadnotbeentoldsooner，ranintoherdaughter’sroomwherethecrab-shellwasstilllying，tookitupandthrewitintothefire。ThenthepoorPrincesscriedbitterly，butitwasofnouse；herhusbanddidnotcomeback。

NowwemustleavethePrincessandturntotheotherpersonsinthestory。Onedayanoldmanwenttoastreamtodipinacrustofbreadwhichhewasgoingtoeat，whenadogcameoutofthewater，snatchedthebreadfromhishand，andranaway。Theoldmanranafterhim，butthedogreachedadoor，pusheditopen，andranin，theoldmanfollowinghim。Hedidnotovertakethedog，butfoundhimselfaboveastaircase，whichhedescended。

Thenhesawbeforehimastatelypalace，and，entering，hefoundinalargehallatablesetfortwelvepersons。Hehidhimselfinthehallbehindagreatpicture，thathemightseewhatwouldhappen。Atnoonheheardagreatnoise，sothathetrembledwithfear。Whenhetookcouragetolookoutfrombehindthepicture，hesawtwelveeaglesflyingin。Atthissighthisfearbecamestillgreater。Theeaglesflewtothebasinofafountainthatwasthereandbathedthemselves，whensuddenlytheywerechangedintotwelvehandsomeyouths。Nowtheyseatedthemselvesatthetable，andoneofthemtookupagobletfilledwithwine，andsaid，’Ahealthtomyfather！’Andanothersaid，’Ahealthtomymother！’andsothehealthswentround。Thenoneofthemsaid:

’Ahealthtomydearestlady，Longmaysheliveandwell！

ButacurseonthecruelmotherThatburntmygoldenshell！’

Andsosayingheweptbitterly。Thentheyouthsrosefromthetable，wentbacktothegreatstonefountain，turnedthemselvesintoeaglesagain，andflewaway。

Thentheoldmanwentawaytoo，returnedtothelightofday，andwenthome。SoonafterheheardthatthePrincesswasill，andthattheonlythingthatdidhergoodwashavingstoriestoldtoher。Hethereforewenttotheroyalcastle，obtainedanaudienceofthePrincess，andtoldheraboutthestrangethingshebadseenintheundergroundpalace。NosoonerhadhefinishedthanthePrincessaskedhimwhetherhecouldfindthewaytothatpalace。