Page:Fairy tales and stories (Andersen, Tegner).djvu/73

Rh the room; the red spiders ran quite merrily up and down the walls, and the fiery flowers seemed to throw out sparks of fire. The owl beat the drum, the crickets chirped, and the grasshoppers played on the Jews' harp. It was, indeed, a merry ball!

After they had danced enough, the princess had to think of getting home, or else she might be missed at the palace. The troll said he would go with her, and they would then be together for a little while longer. So away they flew in the bad weather, while the traveling companion lashed their backs with all his three rods till they were worn into shreds; never before had the troll been out in such a hail-storm. Outside the palace he said farewell to the princess and whispered to her at the same time: "Think of my head"; but the traveling companion heard it sure enough, and just at the moment when the princess was slipping through the window into her bed-chamber, and when the troll was going to turn back, he seized him by his long black beard, and with his saber cut off the ugly head of the troll close to the shoulders, so quickly that the troll did not even see him. The body he threw into the sea to the fishes, but the head he only dipped into the water and then tied it up in his silk handkerchief, took it with him home to the inn and lay down to sleep. Next morning he gave Johannes the handkerchief, but told him that he must not open it till the princess asked him what she was thinking of.

There were so many people in the large hall of the palace that they were standing up against one another like radishes tied up in a bundle. The council sat in their chairs with their soft cushions, and the old king had put on new clothes, and the gold crown and scepter had been polished up, till everything looked quite grand; but the princess was quite pale and wore a coal-black dress, as if she were going to a funeral.

"What have I been thinking of?" she said to Johannes, who at once untied the handkerchief and became quite frightened himself when he saw the ugly head of the troll. All the people shuddered, for it was a terrible sight, but the princess sat like an image in stone, and could not utter a single word. At last she rose and gave Johannes her hand, for he had now guessed right enough. She did not look at anybody, but sighed quite deeply: "Now you are my master! This evening we will celebrate our wedding!" "That's what I like!" cried the old king, "that's what we like to see!" All the people shouted "hurrah!" the military band played in the streets, the bells were rung, and the women who sold cakes took the black crape off their sugar-pigs, for now there was joy in the land. Three whole roasted oxen, filled with ducks and fowls, were placed in the middle of the market-place, where every one might cut a piece for himself; the fountains ran with the finest wine, and all who bought a penny cake at the bakers' got six large buns into the bargain, and they were buns with raisins in them.

In the evening the whole town was illuminated, and the soldiers fired salutes with guns and the boys with percussion caps, and there was eating