East india was besieged by an enemy who would not retire until
he had received six hundred dollars. Then the townsfolk caused
it to be proclaimed by beat of drum that whosoever was able to
procure the money should be burgomaster. Now there was a poor
fisherman who fished on the sea with his son, and the enemy came
and took the son prisoner, and gave the father six hundred
dollars for him. So the father went and gave them to the great
men of the town, and the enemy departed, and the fisherman became
burgomaster. Then it was proclaimed that whosoever did not say
'mr. Burgomaster, should be put to death on the gallows.
The son got away again from the enemy, and came to a great
forest on a high mountain. The mountain opened, and he went
into a great enchanted castle, wherein chairs, tables, and
benches were all hung with black. Then came three young
princesses who were dressed entirely in black, but had a little
white on their faces. They told him he was not to be afraid,
they would not hurt him, and that he could rescue them. He
said he would gladly do that, if he did but know how. At
this, they told him he must for a whole year not speak to them
and also not look at them, and what he wanted to have he was
just to ask for, and if they dared give him an answer they would
do so. When he had been there for a long while he said
he should like to go to his father, and they told him he might
go. He was to take with him this purse with money, put on this
coat, and in a week he must be back there again.
Then he was lifted up, and was instantly in east india. He could
no longer find his father in the fisherman's hut, and asked the
people where the poor fisherman could be, and they told him he
must not say that, or he would come to the gallows. Then he
went to his father and said, fisherman, how have you got here.
Then the father said, you must not say that, if the great men
of the town knew of that, you would come to the gallows. He,
however, would not give in, and was brought to the gallows.
When he was there, he said, o, my masters, just give me leave to
go to the old fisherman's hut. Then he put on his old smock, and
came back to the great men, and said, do you not now see. Am I
not the son of the poor fisherman. Did I not earn bread for my
father and mother in this dress. Hereupon his father knew him
again, and begged his pardon, and took him home with him, and then
related all that had happened to him, and how he had got into a
forest on a high mountain, and the mountain had opened and he
had gone into an enchanted castle, where all was black, and three
young princesses had come to him who were black except a little
white on their faces. And they had told him not to fear, and
that he could rescue them. Then his mother said that might
very likely not be a good thing to do, and that he ought to take
a blessed candle with him, and drop some boiling wax on their
faces.
He went back again, and he was in great fear, and he dropped
the wax on their faces as they were sleeping, and they all
turned half-white. Then all the three princesses sprang up, and
said, you accursed dog, our blood shall cry for vengeance on you.
Now there is no man born in the world, nor will any ever be born
who can set us free. We have still three brothers who are bound
by seven chains - they shall tear you to pieces. Then there was
a loud shrieking all over the castle, and he sprang out of the
window, and broke his leg, and the castle sank into the earth
again, the mountain closed again, and no one knew where the castle
had stood.
