The Fisherman’s Son
Adapted from an old tale
There was once upon a time a fisherman. He lived close to a palace and fished for the King’s table. One day he was out fishing, but caught nothing at all. No matter what he did, he had nothing to show for his efforts at the end of the long afternoon. Just as he was preparing to go home, a huge fish rose up out of the water, and said, “If you will give me the first thing your wife shows you when you go home, you shall catch fish enough.”
The man agreed in a moment, and then he caught fish in plenty. When he got home at night, he found that his wife had given birth to their first child that day, and she proudly showed him their new son. Immediately, the fisherman fell a-weeping and wailing when he told her of the promise which he had given to the huge fish he had met at sea.
All this was soon told to the King up at the palace, and when he heard what sorrow the fisherman and his wife were in, and the reason for it, he said that he himself would take the child and see if he could not save it. The baby was a boy, and the King took him at once and brought him up as his own son until the lad grew up.
One day the boy begged to have permission to go out with his fisherman father to fish, as he had a very strong desire to try his hand at fishing. The King was very unwilling to allow it, but at last the lad got permission. He stayed with his father, and they had a wonderful time together. All went well with them the whole day, until they came back to land in the evening. Then the boy found that he had lost his pocket-handkerchief, and he decided to go out in the boat after it. No sooner had he got into the boat than it began to move off with him so quickly that the water foamed all round about, and all that the lad did to keep the boat back with the oars did no good. The boat went on and on like this the whole night through, and at last it brought him to a white beach that lay far, far away. He climbed out of the boat, and when he had walked on for some distance he met an old man with a long white beard.
“What is the name of this country?” said the youth.
“Whittland,” answered the man. He begged the lad to tell him where he had come from and what he was going to do, and the youth did so.
“Well, then,” said the man, “if you walk farther along the seashore here, you will come to three princesses who are standing in the earth so that only their heads are sticking up out of it. Then the first of them, who is the eldest, will call you. She will beg you very politely to come to her and help her. The second one will do the same, but you must not go near either of them. Hurry past them both, as if you neither see nor hear them. Go to the third princess and do what she bids you; it will bring you good fortune.”
When the youth came to the first princess, she called to him and begged very sweetly, asking him to come to her. But he walked on as if he did not even see her, and he passed by the second in the same way. When he got to third, he went up to her.
“If you will do what I tell you, you shall choose among us three for a bride,” said the Princess.
The lad said that he was most willing. Then she told him that three Trolls had planted them all three there in the earth, but that formerly they had lived in the castle which he could see at some distance in the wood.
“Now,” she said, “go into the castle, and let the Trolls fight you one night for each of us. If you can endure it, you will set us free.”
“Yes,” answered the lad, “I will certainly try to do so.”
“When you go in,” continued the Princess, “two lions will stand by the doorway. If you go straight between them they will do you no harm. Go straight forward into a small dark room, and there, lie down. Then the Troll will come and fight you. Take the flask which is hanging on the wall, and anoint yourself in all the places where you hurt, and then you shall be completely healed. Then take the sword which is hanging by the side of the flask, and smite the Troll with it, and the Troll will disappear.”
The youth did what the Princess had told him. He walked straight in between the lions just as if he did not see them, and then into the small chamber, and lay down on the bed.
The first night a Troll came with three heads and three sticks, and fought with the lad most unmercifully. Bravely, he held out until the Troll was done with him, and then he took the flask and rubbed himself. Having done this, he grasped the sword and smote the Troll, who instantly vanished.
In the morning when he went to the seashore the Princesses were out of the earth as far as their waists.
The next night everything happened in the same way, but the Troll who came then had six heads and six sticks, and he fought the fisherman’s son much more severely than the first had done. But when the lad went out of doors next morning, the Princesses were out of the earth as far as their knees.
On the third night a Troll came who had nine heads and nine sticks, and he fought the lad so hard and so long that at last the young man fainted away. The Troll took him up and flung him against the wall. This made the flask of ointment fall down, and it splashed all over the youth, and he became as strong as ever again.
Then, without loss of time, he grasped the sword and struck the Troll so it disappeared. In the morning when he went out of the castle, the Princesses were standing there entirely out of the earth. So he took the youngest for his Queen, and lived with her very happily for a long time.
At last, however, he took a fancy to go home for a short time to see his parents. His Queen did not like this, but when his longing grew so great that he told her he must and would go, she said, “One thing you must promise me. That is, to do what your father tells you, but not what your mother tells you.” The young King promised, and his wife gave him a special ring which gave two wishes to whoever wore it.
He wished himself at home, and instantly found himself there. His parents were so amazed and happy to see him that their wonder never ceased. They saw that he had come to harm, and that he had become a wealthy King. When he had been at home for some days his mother wanted him to go up to the palace, to show the King what a great man he had become.
The father said, “No, he must not do that, for if he does we shall not be able to enjoy any more time with him – let him stay here with us.” But the father spoke in vain, for the mother begged and prayed until at last he went.
When he arrived there he was more splendid than the old King, who did not like it, and said, “Well, you can see what kind of Queen mine is, but I can’t see yours. I do not believe you have such a pretty and loving Queen as I have.”
“I wish she were standing here, and then you would be able to see!” said the young King, and in an instant she was standing there.
But she was very sorrowful, and said to him, “Why did you not remember my words, and listen only to what your father said? You have wasted both your wishes and I must go home again at once, leaving you here alone.”
Then she tied a ring in his hair, which had her name upon it, and wished herself at home again.
And now the young King was deeply upset and sad, and day out and day in went about thinking of nothing else but how to get back again to his Queen. “I will try to see if there is any place where I can learn how to find Whittland,” he thought, and journeyed forth out into the world.
When he had gone some distance he came to a mountain, where he met a man who was lord over all the beasts in the forest, for they all came to him when he blew his special horn. The young King asked him where Whittland was.
“I do not know that,” he answered, “but I will ask the beasts of the forest.” Then he blew his horn and inquired whether any of them knew where Whittland lay, but there was not one who knew that.
So the man gave the King a pair of snowshoes. “When you have these on,” he said, “you will come to my brother, who lives hundreds of miles from here. He is lord over all the birds in the air. Ask him if he knows where Whittland is. When you have got there, just turn the shoes so that the toes point this way, and then they will come home again all by themselves.”
When the King arrived with the brother who was lord over the birds of the air, he turned the shoes as the lord of the beasts had bidden him, and they went back by themselves.
And now he once more asked after Whittland, and the man summoned all the birds together, and inquired if any of them knew where Whittland lay. No, none knew this. Long after the others there came an old eagle. He had been absent ten whole years, but he too knew no more than the rest.
“Well, well,” said the man, “then you shall have the loan of a pair of snowshoes of mine. If you wear them you will get to my other brother, who lives hundreds of miles from here. He is lord of all the fish in the sea. You can ask him. But do not forget to turn the shoes around so they can come home.”
The King thanked him, and put on the shoes. When he had got to him who was lord of all the fish in the sea, he turned the snowshoes round, and back they went just as the others had gone, and he asked once more where Whittland was.
The man called the fish together with his horn, but none of them knew anything about it. At last came an old, old pike. When he asked the pike, it said, “Yes, Whittland is well known to me, for I have been cook there these ten years. Tomorrow morning I have to go back there, for now the Queen, whose King has gone away, is to marry someone else.”
“If that be the case I will give you a piece of advice,” said the man. “Not far from here on a moor stand three brothers, who have stood there a hundred years fighting for a hat, a cloak, and a pair of boots. If anyone has these three things he can make himself invisible, and if he desires to go to any place, he has only to wish and he is there. You may tell them that you have a desire to try these things, and then you will be able to decide which of the men is to have them.”
So the King thanked him and went, and did what he had said. “What is this that you are standing fighting about for ever and ever?” said he to the brothers, “let me make a trial of these things, and then I will judge between you.”
They willingly consented to this, but when he had got the hat, the cloak, and the boots, he said, “Next time we meet you shall have my decision,” and thereupon he wished himself away. While he was going quickly through the air he fell in with the North Wind.
“And where may you be going?” said the North Wind.
“To Whittland,” said the King, and then he related what had happened to him.
“Well,” said the North Wind, “you can easily go a little quicker than I can, for I have to puff and blow into every corner. When you get there, place yourself on the stairs by the side of the door, and then I will come blustering in as if I wanted to blow down the whole castle. When the Prince who is to have your Queen comes out to see what is happening, I will try to carry him away from the court.”
The King did just what the North Wind had said. He stood on the stairs, and when the North Wind came howling and roaring and caught the roof and walls of the castle until they shook again, the Prince went out to see what was the matter. As soon as he came out, the North Wind laid hold of him and carried him off. Then the King went into the castle. At first the Queen did not
know him, because he had grown so thin and pale from having traveled so long and so sorrowfully. But when she saw her ring she knew it was her long lost husband who she never expected to see again, and she was heartily glad to have her true husband home, safe and sound. Then another wedding was celebrated to welcome him home for good, and they lived happily together for a long time.
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