The Crimson Fairy Book | Page 5

he looked
about for the three bulrushes, pulled them up and set off with them on his way home. As
he rode along one of the bulrushes happened to knock against something. It split open
and, only think! out sprang a lovely girl, who said: 'My heart's love, you are mine and I
am yours; do give me a glass of water.'
But how could the prince give it her when there was no water at hand? So the lovely
maiden flew away. He split the second bulrush as an experiment and just the same thing
happened.
How careful he was of the third bulrush! He waited till he came to a well, and there he
split it open, and out sprang a maiden seven times lovelier than either of the others, and
she too said: 'My heart's love, I am yours and you are mine; do give me a glass of water.'

This time the water was ready and the girl did not fly away, but she and the prince
promised to love each other always. Then they set out for home.
They soon reached the prince's country, and as he wished to bring his promised bride
back in a fine coach he went on to the town to fetch one. In the field where the well was,
the king's swineherds and cowherds were feeding their droves, and the prince left Ilonka
(for that was her name) in their care.
Unluckily the chief swineherd had an ugly old daughter, and whilst the prince was away
he dressed her up in fine clothes, and threw Ilonka into the well.
The prince returned before long, bringing with him his father and mother and a great train
of courtiers to escort Ilonka home. But how they all stared when they saw the swineherd's
ugly daughter! However, there was nothing for it but to take her home; and, two days
later, the prince married her, and his father gave up the crown to him.
But he had no peace! He knew very well he had been cheated, though he could not think
how. Once he desired to have some water brought him from the well into which Ilonka
had been thrown. The coachman went for it and, in the bucket he pulled up, a pretty little
duck was swimming. He looked wonderingly at it, and all of a sudden it disappeared and
he found a dirty looking girl standing near him. The girl returned with him and managed
to get a place as housemaid in the palace.
Of course she was very busy all day long, but whenever she had a little spare time she sat
down to spin. Her distaff turned of itself and her spindle span by itself and the flax wound
itself off; and however much she might use there was always plenty left.
When the queen--or, rather, the swineherd's daughter--heard of this, she very much
wished to have the distaff, but the girl flatly refused to give it to her. However, at last she
consented on condition that she might sleep one night in the king's room. The queen was
very angry, and scolded her well; but as she longed to have the distaff she consented,
though she gave the king a sleeping draught at supper.
Then the girl went to the king's room looking seven times lovelier than ever. She bent
over the sleeper and said: 'My heart's love, I am yours and you are mine. Speak to me but
once; I am your Ilonka.' But the king was so sound asleep he neither heard nor spoke, and
Ilonka left the room, sadly thinking he was ashamed to own her.
Soon after the queen again sent to say that she wanted to buy the spindle. The girl agreed
to let her have it on the same conditions as before; but this time, also, the queen took care
to give the king a sleeping draught. And once more Ilonka went to the king's room and
spoke to him; whisper as sweetly as she might she could get no answer.
Now some of the king's servants had taken note of the matter, and warned their master
not to eat and drink anything that the queen offered him, as for two nights running she
had given him a sleeping draught. The queen had no idea that her doings had been
discovered; and when, a few days later, she wanted the flax, and had to pay the same
price for it, she felt no fears at all.

At supper that night the queen offered the king all sorts of nice things to eat and drink,
but he declared he was not hungry, and went early to bed.
The queen repented bitterly her promise to the girl, but it was too late to recall it;