There was once on a time a poor man, who could no longer
support his only son. Then said the son, dear father, things go so
badly with us that I am a burden to you. I would
rather go away and see how I can earn my bread. So the father gave
him his blessing, and with great sorrow took leave of him. At this
time the king of a mighty empire was at war and the youth took
service with him, and went out to fight. And when he came before
the enemy, there was a battle, and great danger, and it rained shot
until his comrades fell on all sides, and when the leader also was
killed, those left were about to take flight, but the youth stepped
forth, spoke boldly to them, and cried, we will not let our
father-land be ruined. Then the others followed him, and he pressed
on and conquered the enemy. When the king heard that he owed the
victory to him alone, he raised him above all the others, gave him
great treasures, and made him the first in the kingdom.
The king had a daughter who was very beautiful, but she was
also very strange. She had made a vow to take no one as her lord
and husband who did not promise to let himself be buried alive
with her if she died first. If he loves me with all his heart, said
she, of what use will life be to him afterwards. On her side she
would do the same, and if he died first, would go down to the grave
with him. This strange oath had up to this time frightened away
all wooers, but the youth became so charmed with her beauty that
he cared for nothing, but asked her father for her. But do you
know what you must promise, said the king. I must be buried
with her, he replied, if I outlive her, but my love is so great that
I do not mind the danger. Then the king consented, and the wedding
was solemnized with great splendor.
They lived now for a while happy and contented with each other,
and then it befell that the young queen was attacked by a severe
illness, and no physician could save her. And as she lay there dead,
the young king remembered what he had been obliged to promise, and
was horrified at having to lie down alive in the grave, but there
was no escape. The king had placed sentries at all the gates, and
it was not possible to avoid his fate. As the day came when the
corpse was to be buried, he was taken down with it into the royal
vault and then the door was shut and bolted.
Near the coffin stood a table on which were four candles, four
loaves of bread, and four bottles of wine, and when this provision
came to an end, he would have to die of hunger. And now he sat
there full of pain and grief, ate every day only a little piece of
bread, drank only a mouthful of wine, and nevertheless saw death
daily drawing nearer. Whilst he thus gazed before him, he saw a
snake creep out of a corner of the vault and approach the dead body.
And as he thought it came to gnaw at it, he drew his sword and said,
as long as I live, you shall not touch her, and hewed the snake in
three pieces. After a time a second snake crept out of the hole,
and when it saw the other lying dead and cut in pieces, it went back,
but soon came again with three green leaves in its mouth. Then it
took the three pieces of the snake, laid them together, as they
fitted, and placed one of the leaves on each wound. Immediately the
severed parts joined themselves together, the snake moved, and
became alive again, and both of them hastened away together. The
leaves were left lying on the ground, and a desire came into the
mind of the unhappy man who had been watching all this, to know
if the wondrous power of the leaves which had brought the snake
to life again, could not likewise be of service to a human being.
So he picked up the leaves and laid one of them on the mouth of his
dead wife, and the two others on her eyes. And hardly had he done
this than the blood stirred in her veins, rose into her pale face,
and colored it again. Then she drew breath, opened her eyes, and
said, ah, God, where am I. You are with me, dear wife, he answered,
and told her how everything had happened, and how he
had brought her back again to life. Then he gave her some wine and
bread, and when she had regained her strength, he raised her up
and they went to the door and knocked, and called so loudly that
the sentries heard it, and told the king. The king came down
himself and opened the door, and there he found both strong and
well, and rejoiced with them that now all sorrow was over. The
young king, however, took the three snake-leaves with him, gave
them to a servant and said, keep them for me carefully, and carry
them constantly about you. Who knows in what trouble they may yet
be of service to us.
But a change had taken place in his wife. After she had been
restored to life, it seemed as if all love for her husband had gone
out of her heart. After some time, when he wanted to make a voyage
over the sea, to visit his old father, and they had gone on board a
ship, she forgot the great love and fidelity which he had shown
her, and which had been the means of rescuing her from death,
and conceived a wicked inclination for the skipper. And once when
the young king lay there asleep, she called in the skipper and
seized the sleeper by the head, and the skipper took him by the
feet, and thus they threw him down into the sea. When the
shameful deed was done, she said, now let us return home, and say
that he died on the way. I will extol and praise you so to my
father that he will marry me to you, and make you the heir to his
crown. But the faithful servant who had seen all that they did,
unseen by them, unfastened a little boat from the ship, got into it,
sailed after his master, and let the traitors go on their way. He
fished up the dead body, and by the help of the three snake-leaves
which he carried about with him, and laid on the eyes and mouth,
he fortunately brought the young king back to life.
They both rowed with all their strength day and night, and their
little boat sailed so swiftly that they reached the old king
before the others. He was astonished when he saw them come alone,
and asked what had happened to them. When he learnt the wickedness
of his daughter he said, I cannot believe that she has behaved so
ill, but the truth will soon come to light, and bade both go into a
secret chamber and keep themselves hidden from everyone. Soon
afterwards the great ship came sailing in, and the godless woman
appeared before her father with a troubled countenance. He said,
why do you come back alone. Where is your husband. Ah, dear
father, she replied, I come home again in great grief. During
the voyage, my husband became suddenly ill and died, and if the
good skipper had not given me his help, it would have gone ill with
me. He was present at his death, and can tell you all. The king
said, I will make the dead alive again, and opened the chamber,
and bade the two come out. When the woman saw her husband, she
was thunderstruck, and fell on her knees and begged for mercy.
The king said, there is no mercy. He was ready to die with you
and restored you to life again, but you have murdered him in his
sleep, and shall receive the reward that you deserve. Then she was
placed with her accomplice in a ship which had been pierced with
holes, and sent out to sea, where they soon sank amid the waves.
