Chapter XIII - The Blue Riband

There was once a man, who was very poor, and sick into the bargain. When he felt that his end was drawing nigh, he summoned his wife to his bedside, and said to her: “My dear wife, I feel that my end approaches, but I should die tranquil and free from solicitude, if I only knew that all would go well with thee and our Hans, when I shall be no more. I can leave you nothing to protect you from want; but when I am dead, go with our son to my brother, who dwells in a village on the other side of the great forest. He is wealthy and has always cherished brotherly feelings towards me, and will, I doubt not, provide for you.” He then died. After his burial, the widow and her son set out on their way to her brother-in-law, as her husband had recommended. Now it must be observed that the mother hated her son, and was hostile to him in every way possible, though Hans was a good youth and approaching to manhood. When they had been journeying for some time, they observed a blue riband lying in the path. Hans stooped to take it up, but his mother said: “Let the old riband lie; what, dost thou want with it?” But Hans thought within himself: “Who knows what it may be good for? It would be a real pity to let so pretty a riband lie here;” so he took it up, and bound it, without his mother’s knowledge, under his jacket round his arm. He now became so strong, that no one, as long as he wore that riband, could prevail against him, and every one must stand in awe of him.

When they had proceeded some way further, and had entered the large forest, after having wandered about for a long time, they came to a cave, in which stood a covered table, loaded with a profusion of the daintiest viands in silver dishes. Hans said: “We are come just in the right moment. I have been hungry a long while; I will now make a hearty meal.” So they sat down and ate and drank to their hearts’ content. They had scarcely finished when the giant, to whom the cave belonged, returned home; but he was quite friendly, and said: “You were right to help yourselves and not wait for me; if you find it pleasant, you can remain always here in the cave with me.” To the woman he said that she might be his wife. To his proposal they both agreed, and now for a while lived content in the cave with the giant.

From day to day the giant became more and more attached to Hans; but his mother’s hatred to him increased every hour, and when she observed how strong he was become, she was still more embittered, and said one day to the giant: “Dost thou notice how strong Hans is? He may become dangerous to us the older he grows and the more he increases in strength, and may one day easily strike us both dead, that he may possess the cave alone; or he may drive us from it. It would be well and prudent on thy part, if thou wert to provide in time, and take an opportunity of getting rid of him.” But the giant answered: “Never again speak to me in that strain. Hans is a good youth, and will do us no harm; I will not hurt a hair of his head.”

When the woman found that the giant would not lend himself to her purpose, she lay in bed on the following day and pretended to be ill. She then called her son, and said: “My dear Hans, I am so ill that I shall certainly die. There is, nevertheless, one remedy that may save me. I dreamed that if I could get a draught of the milk of the lioness that has her den not far from here, I should surely recover. If thou lovest me, thou canst help me; thou art so strong and fearest nothing; thou couldst go and fetch me some of the milk.” “Certainly, dear mother,” answered Hans; “that I will most readily do, if I only knew that it would do you good.” So he took a bowl and went to the den of the lioness. There she lay suckling her young ones; but Hans, laying the young ones aside, began to milk, which the lioness allowed quite quietly; but then in came the old lion roaring, and attacked Hans from behind, who, turning round, took the lion’s neck under his arm and squeezed him so firmly that he began to whine most piteously, and became quite tame. Hans then released him, and he went and lay in the corner, and Hans proceeded with his milking, until the basin was full. When he left the den, the lioness sprang after him with her young ones, and were soon followed by the old lion. Hans then carried the milk to his mother, who was so terrified at the sight of the lions that she cried: “Hans, send the savage beasts away, or I shall die of fright.” The lions thereupon went away of their own accord and lay down before the door, and when Hans came out they ran to him and appeared glad.

When this attempt of the wicked mother had thus failed, she again said to the giant: “If thou hadst directly followed my counsel, we should now have nothing more to fear; but now it is wore than before, and as he has got the wild beasts we cannot so easily do anything to harm him.” The giant answered: “I know not why w^Te should do anything to injure him. Hans is a good youth, and the animals are tame. I would on no account lay a hand on him.” To this the mother replied: “It may, notwithstanding, easily enter his mind either to drive us from the cave, or even destroy us outright, in order to become its master. I cannot feel happy so long as I must live in fear.”

After a time the woman again lay in bed, saying she was sick, and again called to her son and said: “I have had another dream, that if I could get a few of the apples that grow in the garden of the three giants, I should again be well; otherwise I feel that I must die.” Hans said: “My dear mother, as you have such great need of them, I will go to the giants and fetch you some.” So, taking a sack, he was instantly on his way, and the lions after him. But the wicked mother thought that this time he would surely never return. Hans went straight into the garden and gathered a sackful of apples; and having so done, ate a few himself; immediately after which he fell into a deep sleep and sank down under one of the trees. This was caused by the apples, which possessed that property. Had the faithful lions now not been with him, he must have perished; for instantly there rushed a huge giant through the garden, crying: “Who has stolen our apples?” But Hans slept on and answered not. On perceiving Hans, the giant ran fiercely at him, and would have finished him, but then up sprang the lions, fell upon the giant, and in a short time tore him in pieces. Now came the second giant, also crying out: “Who has stolen our apples?” and when he was about to rush on Hans, the lions again sprang up, and in like manner despatched him. Lastly came the third giant, and cried: “Who is stealing our apples here?” Hans slept on, but the lions seized this giant also and killed him. Hans then opened his eyes and went wandering about the garden. When he came near the castle, in which the giants had dwelt, he heard, from a deep underground chamber, a voice of lamentation. He descended and found a princess of exquisite beauty, whom the giants had carried away from her father, and here confined, loaded with heavy chains. But Hans had scarcely touched the chains, when they flew in fragments, and he conducted the beautiful princess up into the most magnificent apartment of the castle, that she might recover herself, and wait until he returned. She entreated him to accompany her to her father’s court, but he answered: “I must first go and carry the apples to my mother, who is sick to death.” He then left the princess in the castle, took his sack of apples, and returned to the cave to his mother. When she saw him coming she could scarcely believe her eyesight, so great was her astonishment at seeing him unscathed and bearing a sackful of apples. She instantly asked him how he had been able to accomplish his errand. “My dear mother,” said he, “since I wear the blue riband, that you would not have had me take with me, I am so strong that nothing can prevail against me. On this occasion my lions killed all the giants, and now you shall go with me and leave this old den. Henceforth we will live at the castle in joy and splendour; I have found there a most beautiful princess, who shall remain with us.” The mother and the giant now went with Hans to the castle; but when the former saw all the magnificence there, and how beautiful the princess was, she grudged Hans his good fortune more than ever, and was constantly on the watch for an opportunity to destroy him; for she now knew whence he derived his strength. So one day, as Hans was lying at rest on his bed, with his riband hanging by him on a nail, she stole softly in, and, before he was aware, pierced out both his eyes; then took the riband, and as Hans was now blind and helpless, thrust him out of the castle, and said, that henceforward she would be sole mistress there. Poor Hans would soon have perished, had not the faithful lions conducted the princess to him. She attended him and led him; for she would proceed to her fathers kingdom, hoping there to find a cure for her deliverer. But the way was long, and long they wandered about; at length, however, they arrived in the neighbourhood of the city in which the father of the princess resided. Here she observed a blind hare running in the road before her, which, on coming to a brook that flowed by, dived thrice under the water, and ran, with its sight restored, away. She then led Hans to the water, who, when he had plunged into it three times, could see as before.

Full of joy they now entered the city, and when the old king was informed that Hans was the deliverer of his daughter, he would have no other son-in-law but him, nor could the princess have chosen a husband more agreeable to her than Hans. But when his mother had learned that Hans was restored to sight and had married the princess, she became suddenly ill through spite, and this time in earnest, and she died. Shortly after the giant also died. When looking under their pillow, Hans found the blue riband, which he wore as long as he lived, never laying it aside. He afterwards succeeded his father-in-law in the kingdom, and as king was feared by all his enemies far and near, and regarded as a true protector of his people.