Page:The fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen (c1899).djvu/199

 THE FELLOW-TRAVELLER

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before any of the others were astir, and crossed the larp;-e forest of fir-trees, in their way up the high mountains. They climbed to such a height that the church steeples be- low looked like little blue berries in the green grass, and they could see for miles and miles around, where they had never yet been. Johannes had never before seen so much at once of the beauties of this lovely world. And then the sun shone so warmlj' through the fresh blue air, and the hunts- men's horns echoed so beautifully between the mountains, that tears came into his ej'es, and he could not forbear exclaiming, " All- merciful God ! what a kind Father Thou art to us, to have given us all the fine things to be seen in the world ! "

His fellow-traveller likewise stood with folded hands, and gazed upon the forest, and the towns that lay in the bright sunshine. At the same moment, they heard a lovel)' sound above their heads, and, on looking up, they perceived a large white swan hovering in the air, and singing as no bird had ever sung before. But its voice grew weaker and weaker, till its head drooped, and it slowly dropped down to their feet, where the poor bird lay quite dead.

"Two such beautiful wings," said the fellow-traveller, " so white and so large as this bird's, are worth some money ; so I will take them with me. You see it was well that I obtained a sword." And he cut off the two wings of the dead swan at a single blow, and kept them.

They now travelled many miles across the mountains, till they at length reached a large city, containing hundreds of towers, that shone like silver in the sunshine. In the midst of the town stood a handsome marble palace, roofed with pure red gold, in which dwelt the king.

Johannes and his fellow-traveller did not care to enter the town immediately, but went into an inn, situated in the outskirts, in order to dress themselves ; for they wished to look tidy when they walked through the streets. The landlord informed them how good a man the king was, and that he never injured anybody ; but as to his daughter — Heaven defend us ! — she was a bad princess indeed ! Beauty she possessed in abundance : nobody was prettier or more elegant than herself But what of that ? She was a wicked witch, and was the cause of many accomplished princes having lost their lives. She had given leave to everybody to woo her. Any one might present himself, be he a prince or a beggar ; it was all the same to her. Only he must guess three things that she had thought of and questioned him about. If he succeeded, he was to marry her, and become king over all the land at her father's death ; but if he f-ould not guess the three things, he was then

to be hung, or to have his head struck off Her father, the (lid king, was deeply c( mcerned at all this ; but he could not for- bid her being so wicked, because he had once declared that he would never meddle with her

CUT OFF THE TWO WI.NCs OF THE DEAD SWAN AT A SINGLE BLOW, AND KEPT THEM.

HE AND ALL HIS SOLDIERS UsED TO KNEEL AND I'KAV THAT THE PKlNCEr.:, .MIGH L GKOW GOOD.