Hello there.
Thank you so much for joining me for this reading of another two of the Grimm's Fairy Tales.
As you may know,
The Brothers Grimm,
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm,
Collected up more than 200 different folk tales from around Germany and published them in their collection in the early 1800s.
There were so many different stories and by our modern standards many of them are indeed quite Grimm,
Yet they do form the backbones of so many of our modern fairy tales.
There are so many familiar themes and characters and they certainly provide a fascinating insight into the life and times and thoughts and fears of people in Europe a couple of hundred years ago.
So for now let's just take a moment here to have a nice deep exhale,
Letting go of the day,
Letting go of whichever baggage we might be bringing along with us into this moment.
For right now there's nowhere else we have to go,
Nothing else we have to be doing.
So we can just relax,
Get ourselves comfortable and enjoy another couple of the fascinating Grimm's Fairy Tales.
The King of the Golden Mountain.
There was once a merchant who had only one child,
A son,
That was very young and barely able to run alone.
He had two richly laden ships,
Then making a voyage upon the seas in which he had embarked all his wealth in the hope of making great gains,
When the news came that both were lost.
Thus from being a rich man he became all at once so very poor that nothing was left to him but one small plot of land and there he often went in an evening to take his walk and ease his mind of a little of his trouble.
One day as he was roaming along in a brown study thinking with no great comfort on what he had been and what he now was and was like to be,
All on a sudden there stood before him a little rough-looking black dwarf.
Pretty friend,
Why so sorrowful?
Said he to the merchant.
What is it you take so deeply to heart?
If you would do me any good I would willingly tell you,
Said the merchant.
Who knows,
But I may,
Said the little man.
Tell me what ails you and perhaps you will find I may be of some use.
Then the merchant told him how all his wealth was gone to the bottom of the sea and how he had nothing left but that little plot of land.
Oh,
Trouble not yourself about that,
Said the dwarf.
Only undertake to bring me here twelve years hence.
Whatever meets you first on your going home and I will give you as much as you please.
The merchant thought this was no great thing to ask,
That it would most likely be his dog or his cat or something of that sort,
But forgot his little boy Heinel.
So he agreed to the bargain and signed and sealed the bond to do what was asked of him.
But as he drew near home his little boy was so glad to see him that he crept behind him and laid fast hold of his legs and looked up in his face and laughed.
Then the father started trembling with fear and horror and saw what it was that he had bound himself to do.
But as no gold was come he made himself easy by thinking that it was only a joke that the dwarf was playing him and that at any rate when the money came he should see the bearer and would not take it in.
About a month afterwards he went upstairs into a lumber room to look for some old iron that he might sell it and raise a little money and there instead of his iron he saw a large pile of gold lying on the floor.
At the sight of this he was overjoyed and forgetting all about his son went into trade again and became a richer merchant than before.
Meantime little Heinel grew up and as the end of the 12 years drew near the merchant began to call to mind his bond and became very sad and thoughtful so that care and sorrow were written upon his face.
The boy one day asked what was the matter but his father would not tell for some time.
At last however he said that he had,
Without knowing it,
Sold him for gold to a little ugly-looking black dwarf and that the 12 years were coming round when he must keep his word.
Then Heinel said father give yourself very little trouble about that.
I shall be too much for the little man.
When the time came the father and son went out together to the place agreed upon and the son drew a circle on the ground and set himself and his father in the middle of it.
The little black dwarf soon came and walked round and round about the circle but could not find any way to get into it and he either could not or dared not jump over it.
At last the boy said to him have you anything to say to us my friend or what do you want?
Now Heinel had found a friend in a good fairy that was fond of him and had told him what to do for this fairy knew what good luck was in store for him.
Have you brought me what you said you would?
Said the dwarf to the merchant.
The old man held his tongue but Heinel said again what do you want here?
The dwarf said I come to talk with your father not with you.
You have cheated and taken in my father said the son.
Pray give him up his bond at once fair and softly said the little old man.
Right is right.
I have paid my money and your father has had it and spent it so be so good as to let me have what I paid it for.
You must have my consent to that first said Heinel.
So please to step in here and let us talk it over.
The old man grinned and showed his teeth as if he should have been very glad to get into the circle if he could.
Then at last after a long talk they came to terms.
Heinel agreed that his father must give him up and that so far the dwarf should have his way but on the other hand the fairy had told Heinel what fortune was in store for him if he followed his own course and he did not choose to be given up to his hump backed friend who seemed so anxious for his company.
So to make a sort of drawn battle of the matter it was settled that Heinel should be put into an open boat that lay on the seashore hard by that the father should push him off with his own hand and that he should thus be set adrift and left to the bad or good luck of wind and weather.
Then he took leave of his father and set himself in the boat but before it got far off a wave struck it and it fell with one side low in the water so the merchant thought that poor Heinel was lost and went home very sorrowful while the dwarf went his way thinking that at any rate he had had his revenge.
The boat however did not sink for the good fairy took care of her friend and soon raised the boat up again and it went safely on.
The young man sat safe within till at length it ran ashore upon an unknown land.
As he jumped upon the shore he saw before him a beautiful castle but empty and dreary within for it was enchanted.
Here said he to himself must I find the prize the good fairy told me of.
So he once more searched the whole palace through till at last he found a white snake lying coiled up on a cushion in one of the chambers.
Now the white snake was an enchanted princess and she was very glad to see him and said are you at last come to set me free?
Twelve long years have I waited here for the fairy to bring you hither as she promised for you alone can save me.
This night 12 men will come their faces will be black and they will be dressed in chain armour.
They will ask what you do here but give no answer and let them do what they will beat whip pinch prick or torment you bare all only speak not a word and at 12 o'clock they must go away.
The second night 12 others will come and the third night 24 who will even cut off your head but at the 12th hour of that night their power is gone and I shall be free and will come and bring you the water of life and will wash you with it and bring you back to life and health and all came to pass as she had said.
Heinl bore all and spoke not a word and the third night the princess came and fell on his neck and kissed him.
Joy and gladness burst forth throughout the castle the wedding was celebrated and he was crowned king of the golden mountain.
They lived together very happily and the queen had a son and thus eight years had passed over their heads when the king thought of his father and he began to long to see him once again but the queen was against his going and said I know well that misfortunes will come upon us if you go however he gave her no rest till she agreed at his going away she gave him a wishing ring and said take this ring and put it on your finger whatever you wish it will bring you only promise never to make use of it to bring me hence to your father's house then he said he would do what she asked and put the ring on his finger and wished himself near the town where his father lived.
Heinl found himself at the gates in a moment but the guards would not let him go in because he was so strangely clad so he went up to a neighboring hill where a shepherd dwelt and borrowed his old frock and passed unknown into the town when he came to his father's house he said he was his son but the merchant would not believe him and said he had had but one son his poor Heinl who he knew was long since dead and as he was only dressed like a poor shepherd he would not even give him anything to eat the king however still vowed that he was his son and said is there no mark by which you would know me if i am really your son yes said his mother our Heinl had a mark like a raspberry on his right arm then he showed them the mark and they knew that what he had said was true he next told them how he was king of the golden mountain and was married to a princess and had a son seven years old but the merchant said that can never be true he must be a fine king truly who travels about in a shepherd's frock at this the son was vexed and forgetting his word turned his ring and wished for his queen and son in an instant they stood before him but the queen wept and said he had broken his word and bad luck would follow he did all he could to soothe her and she at last seemed to be appeased but she was not so in truth and was only thinking how she should punish him one day he took her to walk with him out of the town and showed her the spot where the boat was set adrift upon the wide waters then he sat himself down and said i am very much tired sit by me i will rest my head in your lap and sleep a while as soon as he had fallen asleep however she drew the ring from his finger and crept softly away and wished herself and her son at home in their kingdom and when he awoke he found himself alone and saw that the ring was gone from his finger i can never go back to my father's house said he he would say i am a sorcerer i will journey forth into the world till i come again to my kingdom so saying he set out and traveled till he came to a hill where three giants were sharing their father's goods and as they saw him pass they cried out and said little men have sharp wits he shall part the goods between us now there was a sword that cut off an enemy's head whenever the wearer gave the words heads off a cloak that made the owner invisible or gave him any form he pleased and a pair of boots that carried the wearer wherever he wished heinl said they must first let him try these wonderful things then he might know how to set a value upon them then they gave him the cloak and he wished himself a fly he and in a moment he was a fly the cloak is very well said he now give me the sword no said they not unless you undertake not to say heads off for if you do we are all dead men so they gave it to him charging him to try it on a tree he next asked for the boots also and the moment he had all three in his power he wished himself at the golden mountain and there he was at once so the giants were left behind with no goods to share or quarrel about as heinl came near his castle he heard the sound of merry music and the people around told him that his queen was about to marry another husband then he threw his cloak around him and passed through the castle hall and placed himself by the side of the queen where no one saw him but when anything to eat was put upon her plate he took it away and ate it himself and when a glass of wine was handed to her he took it and drank it and thus though they kept on giving her meat and drink her plate and cup were always empty upon this fear and remorse came over her and she went into her chamber alone and sat there weeping and he followed her there alas said she to herself was i not once set free why then does this enchantment still seem to bind me false and fickle one said he one indeed came who set thee free and he is now near thee again but how have you used him ought he to have had such treatment from thee then he went out and sent away the company and said the wedding was at an end for that he was come back to the kingdom but the prince's peers and great men mocked at him however he would enter into no parley with them but only asked them if they would go in peace or not then they turned upon him and tried to seize him but he drew his sword heads off cried he and with the word the traitor's heads fell before him and heinl was once more king of the golden mountain there was once an old castle that stood in the middle of a deep gloomy wood and in the castle lived an old fairy now this fairy could take any shape she pleased all the day long she flew about in the form of an owl or crept about the country like a cat but at night she always became an old woman again when any young man came within a hundred paces of her castle he became quite fixed and could not move a step till she came and set him free which she would not do till he had given her his word never to come there again but when any pretty maiden came within that space she was changed into a bird and the fairy put her into a cage and hung her up in a chamber in the castle there were 700 of these cages hanging in the castle and all with beautiful birds in them now there was once a maiden whose name was yorinda she was prettier than all the pretty girls that ever were seen before and a shepherd lad whose name was yorindel was very fond of her and they were soon to be married one day they went to walk in the wood that they might be alone and yorindel said we must take care that we don't go too near to the fairy's castle it was a beautiful evening the last rays of the setting sun shone bright through the long stems of the trees upon the green underwood beneath yorinda sat down to gaze upon the sun yorindel sat by her side and both felt sad they knew not why but it seemed as if they were to be parted from one another forever they had wandered a long way and when they looked to see which way they should go home they found themselves at a loss to know what path to take the sun was setting fast and already half of its circle had sunk behind the hill yorindel on a sudden looked behind him and saw through the bushes that they had without knowing it sat down close under the old walls of the castle then he shrank for fear turned pale and trembled yorinda was just singing the ring dove sang from the willow spray well a day well a day he mourned for the fate of his darling mate well a day when her song stopped suddenly yorindel turned to see the reason and beheld his yorinda changed into a nightingale so that her song ended with a mournful chug chug an owl with fiery eyes flew three times around them and three times screamed oh yorindel could not move he stood fixed as a stone and could neither weep nor speak nor stir hand or foot and now the sun went quite down the gloomy night came the owl flew into a bush and a moment after the old fairy came forth pale and meager with staring eyes and a nose and chin that almost met one another she mumbled something to herself seized the nightingale and went away with it in her hand poor yorindel saw the nightingale was gone but what could he do he could not speak he could not move from the spot where he stood at last the fairy came back and sang with a hoarse voice till the prisoner is fast and her doom is cast there stay oh stay when the charm is around her and the spell has bound her uh hi away away on a sudden yorindel found himself free then he fell on his knees before the fairy and prayed her to give him back his dear yorinda but she laughed at him and said he should never see her again then she went her way he prayed he wept he sorrowed but all in vain alas he said what will become of me he could not go back to his own home so he went to a strange village and employed himself in keeping sheep many a time did he walk round and round as near to the hated castle as he dared go but all in vain he heard or saw nothing of yorinda at last he dreamt one night that he found a beautiful purple flower and that in the middle of it lay a costly pearl and he dreamt that he plucked the flower and went with it in his hand into the castle and that everything he touched with it was disenchanted and that there he found his yorinda again in the morning when he awoke he began to search over hill and dale for this pretty flower and eight long days he sought for it in vain but on the ninth day early in the morning he found the beautiful purple flower and in the middle of it was a large dew drop as big as a costly pearl then he plucked the flower and set out and traveled day and night till he came again to the castle he walked nearer than a hundred paces to it and yet he did not become fixed as before but found that he could go quite close up to the door yorindale was very glad indeed to see this then he touched the door with the flower and it sprang open so that he went in through the court and listened when he heard so many birds singing at last he came to the chamber where the fairy sat with the 700 birds singing in the 700 cages when she saw yorindale she was very angry and screamed with rage but she could not come within two yards of him for the flower he held in his hand was his safeguard he looked around at the birds but alas there were many many nightingales and how then should he find out which was his yorinda while he was thinking what to do he saw the fairy had taken down one of the cages and was making the best of her way off through the door he ran or flew after her touched the cage with the flower and yorinda stood before him and threw her arms around his neck looking as beautiful as ever as beautiful as when they walked together in the wood then he touched all the other birds with the flower so that they all took their old forms again and he took yorinda home where they were married and lived happily together many years and so did a good many other lads whose maidens had been forced to sing in the old fairy's cages by themselves much longer than they liked
