University of Virginia Library

I.—LONG, BROAD, AND SHARPSIGHT.

There was a king, who was already old, and had but one
son. Once upon a time he called this son to him, and said
to him, `My dear son! you know that old fruit falls to
make room for other fruit. My head is already ripening,
and maybe the sun will soon no longer shine upon it; but
before you bury me, I should like to see your wife, my
future daughter. My son, marry!' The prince said, `I
would gladly, father, do as you wish; but I have no bride,
and don't know any.' The old king put his hand into his
pocket, took out a golden key and showed it to his son,
with the words, `Go up into the tower, to the top story,

look round there, and then tell me which you fancy.' The
prince went without delay. Nobody within the memory of
man had been up there, or had ever heard what was up
there.

When he got up to the last story, he saw in the ceiling a
little iron door like a trap-door. It was closed. He opened
it with the golden key, lifted it, and went up above it.
There there was a large circular room. The ceiling was blue
like the sky on a clear night, and silver stars glittered on it;
the floor was a carpet of green silk, and around in the wall
were twelve high windows in golden frames, and in each
window on crystal glass was a damsel painted with the
colours of the rainbow, with a royal crown on her head, in
each window a different one in a different dress, each handsomer
than the other, and it was a wonder that the prince
did not let his eyes dwell upon them. When he had gazed
at them with astonishment, the damsels began to move as
if they were alive, looked down upon him, smiled, and did
everything but speak.

Now the prince observed that one of the twelve windows
was covered with a white curtain; he drew the curtain to
see what was behind it. There there was a damsel in a white
dress, girt with a silver girdle, with a crown of pearls on her
head; she was the most beautiful of all, but was sad and
pale, as if she had risen from the grave. The prince stood
long before the picture, as if he had made a discovery, and
as he thus gazed, his heart pained him, and he cried, `This
one will I have, and no other.' As he said the words the
damsel bowed her head, blushed like a rose, and that instant
all the pictures disappeared.

When he went down and related to his father what he
had seen and which damsel he had selected, the old king
became sad, bethought himself, and said, `You have done
ill, my son, in uncovering what was curtained over, and

have placed yourself in great danger on account of those
words. That damsel is in the power of a wicked wizard,
and kept captive in an iron castle; of all who have attempted
to set her free, not one has hitherto returned. But what's
done cannot be undone; the plighted word is a law. Go!
try your luck, and return home safe and sound!'

The prince took leave of his father, mounted his horse,
and rode away in search of his bride. It came to pass that
he rode through a vast forest, and through the forest he
rode on and on till he lost the road. And as he was
wandering with his horse in thickets and amongst rocks
and morasses, not knowing which way to turn, he heard
somebody shout behind him, `Hi! stop!' The prince
looked round, and saw a tall man hastening after him.
`Stop and take me with you, and take me into your service,
and you won't regret it!' `Who are you,' said the prince,
`and what can you do?' `My name is Long, and I can
extend myself. Do you see a bird's nest in that pine
yonder? I will bring you the nest down without having to
climb up.'

Long then began to extend himself; his body grew rapidly
till it was as tall as the pine; he then reached the nest, and
in a moment contracted himself again and gave it to the
prince. `You know your business well, but what's the use
of birds' nests to me, if you can't conduct me out of this
forest?' `Ahem! that's an easy matter,' said Long, and
began to extend himself till he was thrice as high as the
highest fir in the forest, looked round, and said: `Here on
this side we have the nearest way out of the forest.' He
then contracted himself, took the horse by the bridle, and
before the prince had any idea of it, they were beyond the
forest. Before them was a long and wide plain, and beyond
the plain tall gray rocks, like the walls of a large town, and
mountains overgrown with forest trees.

`Yonder, sir, goes my comrade!' said Long, and pointed
suddenly to the plain; `you should take him also into your
service; I believe he would serve you well.' `Shout to
him, and call him hither, that I may see what he is good
for.' `It is a little too far, sir,' said Long; `he would hardly
hear me, and it would take a long time before he came,
because he has a great deal to carry. I'll jump after him
instead.' Then Long again extended himself to such a
height that his head plunged into the clouds, made two or
three steps, took his comrade by the arm, and placed him
before the prince. He was a short, thick-set fellow, with a
paunch like a sixty-four gallon cask. `Who are you?'
demanded the prince, `and what can you do?' `My name,
sir, is Broad; I can widen myself.' `Give me a specimen.'
`Ride quick, sir, quick, back into the forest!' cried Broad,
as he began to blow himself out.

The prince didn't understand why he was to ride away;
but seeing that Long made all haste to get into the forest,
he spurred his horse, and rode full gallop after him. It was
high time that he did ride away, or else Broad would have
squashed him, horse and all, as his paunch rapidly grew in
all directions; it filled everything everywhere, just as if a
mountain had rolled up. Broad then ceased to blow himself
out, and took himself in again, raising such a wind that
the trees in the forest bowed and bent, and became what
he was at first. `You've played me a nice trick,' said the
prince, `but I shan't find such a fellow every day; come
with me.'

They proceeded further. When they approached the
rocks, they met a man who had his eyes bandaged with a
handkerchief. `Sir, this is our third comrade,' said Long,
`you ought to take him also into your service. I'm sure he
won't eat his victuals for naught.' `Who are you?' the
prince asked him, `and why are your eyes bandged? You

don't see your way!' `No, sir, quite the contrary! It is
just because I see too well that I am obliged to bandage
my eyes; I see with bandaged eyes just as well as others
with unbandaged eyes; and if I unbandage them I look
everything through and through, and when I gaze sharply
at anything, it catches fire and bursts into flame, and what
can't burn splits into pieces. For this reason my name is
Sharpsight.' He then turned to a rock opposite, removed
the bandage, and fixed his flaming eyes upon it; the rock
began to crackle, pieces flew on every side, and in a very
short time nothing of it remained but a heap of sand, on
which something glittered like fire. Sharpsight went to fetch
it, and brought it to the prince. It was pure gold.

`Heigho! you're a fellow that money can't purchase!'
said the prince. `He is a fool who wouldn't make use of
your services, and if you have such good sight, look and
tell me whether it is far to the iron castle, and what is now
going on there?' `If you rode by yourself, sir,' answered
Sharpsight, `maybe you wouldn't get there within a year;
but with us you'll arrive to-day—they're just getting supper
ready for us.' `And what is my bride doing?'

The prince cried, `Whoever is well disposed, help me to
set her free!' They all promised to help him. They
guided him among the gray rocks through the breach that
Sharpsight had made in them with his eyes, and further and
further on through rocks, through high mountains and deep
forests, and wherever there was any obstacle in the road,
forthwith it was removed by the three comrades. And
when the sun was declining towards the west, the mountains
began to become lower, the forests less dense, and the

rocks concealed themselves amongst the heath; and when
it was almost on the point of setting, the prince saw not far
before him an iron castle; and when it was actually setting,
he rode by an iron bridge to the gate, and as soon as it had
set, up rose the iron bridge of itself, the gate closed with a
single movement, and the prince and his companions were
captives in the iron castle.

When they had looked round in the court, the prince put
his horse up in the stable, where everything was ready for it,
and then they went into the castle. In the court, in the
stable, in the castle hall, and in the rooms, they saw in the
twilight many richly-dressed people, gentlemen and servants,
but not one of them stirred—they were all turned to stone.
They went through several rooms, and came into the
supper-room. This was brilliantly lighted up, and in the
midst was a table, and on it plenty of good meats and
drinks, and covers were laid for four persons. They waited
and waited, thinking that someone would come; but when
nobody came for a long time, they sat down and ate and
drank what the palate fancied.

When they had done eating, they looked about to find
where to sleep. Thereupon the door flew open unexpectedly
all at once, and into the room came the wizard; a bent old
man in a long black garb, with a bald head, a gray beard
down to his knees, and three iron hoops instead of a girdle.
By the hand he led a beautiful, very beautiful damsel,
dressed in white; she had a silver girdle round her waist,
and a crown of pearls on her head, but was pale and sad, as
if she had risen from the grave. The prince recognised her
at once, sprang forward, and went to meet her; but before
he could utter a word the wizard addressed him: `I know
for what you have come; you want to take the princess
away. Well, be it so! Take her, if you can keep her in
sight for three nights, so that she doesn't vanish from you.

If she vanishes, you will be turned into stone as well as your
three servants; like all who have come before you.' He
then motioned the princess to a seat and departed.

The prince could not take his eyes off the princess, so
beautiful was she. He began to talk to her, and asked her
all manner of questions, but she neither answered nor
smiled, nor looked at anyone any more than if she had
been of marble. He sat down by her, and determined
not to sleep all night long lest she should vanish from
him, and, to make surer, Long extended himself like a
strap, and wound himself round the whole room along the
wall; Broad posted himself in the doorway, swelled himself
up, and stopped it up so tight that not even a mouse could
have slipped through; while Sharpsight placed himself
against a pillar in the midst of the room on the look-out.
But after a time they all began to nod, fell asleep, and slept
the whole night, just as if the wizard had thrown them into
the water.

In the morning, when it began to dawn, the prince was
the first to wake, but—as if a knife had been thrust into his
heart—the princess was gone! He forthwith awoke his
servants, and asked what was to be done. `Never mind,
sir,' said Sharpsight, and looked sharply out through the
window, `I see her already. A hundred miles hence is a
forest, in the midst of the forest an old oak, and on the top
of the oak an acorn, and she is that acorn.' Long immediately
took him on his shoulders, extended himself, and went
ten miles at a step, while Sharpsight showed him the way.

No more time elapsed than would have been wanted to
move once round a cottage before they were back again,
and Long delivered the acorn to the prince. `Sir, let it
fall on the ground.' The prince let it fall, and that moment
the princess stood beside him. And when the sun began
to show itself beyond the mountains, the folding doors flew

open with a crash, and the wizard entered the room and
smiled spitefully; but when he saw the princess he frowned,
growled, and bang! one of the iron hoops which he wore
splintered and sprang off him. He then took the damsel
by the hand and led her away.

The whole day after the prince had nothing to do but
walk up and down the castle, and round about the castle,
and look at the wonderful things that were there. It
was everywhere as if life had been lost in a single moment.
In one hall he saw a prince, who held in both hands a
brandished sword, as if he intended to cleave somebody in
twain; but the blow never fell: he had been turned into
stone. In one chamber was a knight turned into stone,
just as if he had been fleeing from some one in terror, and,
stumbling on the threshold, had taken a downward direction,
but not fallen. Under the chimney sat a servant, who
held in one hand a piece of roast meat, and with the other
lifted a mouthful towards his mouth, which never reached
it; when it was just in front of his mouth, he had also been
turned to stone. Many others he saw there turned to
stone, each in the position in which he was when the wizard
said, `Be turned into stone.' He likewise saw many fine
horses turned to stone, and in the castle and round the castle
all was desolate and dead; there were trees, but without
leaves; there were meadows, but without grass; there was
a river, but it did not flow; nowhere was there even a singing
bird, or a flower, the offspring of the ground, or a white
fish in the water.

Morning, noon, and evening the prince and his companions
found good and abundant entertainment in the
castle; the viands came of themselves, the wine poured
itself out. After supper the folding doors opened again,
and the wizard brought in the princess for the prince to
guard. And although they all determined to exert themselves

with all their might not to fall asleep, yet it was of no
use, fall asleep again they did. And when the prince awoke
at dawn and saw the princess had vanished, he jumped up
and pulled Sharpsight by the arm, `Hey! get up, Sharpsight,
do you know where the princess is?' He rubbed his eyes,
looked, and said, `I see her. There's a mountain 200
miles off, and in the mountain a rock, and in the rock a
precious stone, and she's that precious stone. If Long
carries me thither, we shall obtain her.'

Long took him at once on his shoulders, extended himself,
and went twenty miles at a step. Sharpsight fixed his
flaming eyes on the mountain, the mountain crumbled, and
the rock in it split into a thousand pieces, and amongst
them glittered the precious stone. They took it up and
brought it to the prince, and when he let it fall on the
ground, the princess again stood there. When afterwards
the wizard came and saw her there, his eyes flashed with
spite, and bang! again an iron hoop cracked upon him and
flew off. He growled and led the princess out of the room.

That day all was again as it had been the day before.
After supper the wizard brought the princess in again, looked
the prince keenly in the face, and scornfully uttered the
words, `It will be seen who's a match for whom; whether
you are victorious or I,' and with that he departed. This
day they all exerted themselves still more to avoid going to
sleep. They wouldn't even sit down, they wanted to walk
about all night long, but all in vain; they were bewitched;
one fell asleep after the other as he walked, and the princess
vanished away from them.

In the morning the prince again awoke earliest, and when
he didn't see the princess, woke Sharpsight. `Hey! get up,
Sharpsight! look where the princess is!' Sharpsight looked
out for a long time. `Oh sir,' says he, `she is a long way
off, a long way off! Three hundred miles off is a black sea,

and in the midst of the sea a shell on the bottom, and in
the shell is a gold ring, and she's the ring. But never
mind! we shall obtain her, but to-day Long must take
Broad with him as well; we shall want him.' Long took
Sharpsight on one shoulder, and Broad on the other, and
went thirty miles at a step. When they came to the black
sea, Sharpsight showed him where he must reach into the
water for the shell. Long extended his hand as far as he
could, but could not reach the bottom.

`Wait, comrades! wait only a little and I'll help you,'
said Broad, and swelled himself out as far as his paunch
would stretch; he then lay down on the shore and drank.
In a very short time the water fell so low that Long easily
reached the bottom and took the shell out of the sea. Out
of it he extracted the ring, took his comrades on his
shoulders, and hastened back. But on the way he found it
a little difficult to run with Broad, who had half a sea of
water inside him, so he cast him from his shoulder on to the
ground in a wide valley. Thump he went like a sack let
fall from a tower, and in a moment the whole valley was
under water like a vast lake. Broad himself barely crawled
out of it.

Meanwhile the prince was in great trouble in the castle.
The dawn began to display itself over the mountains, and
his servants had not returned; the more brilliantly the rays
ascended, the greater was his anxiety; a deadly perspiration
came out upon his forehead. Soon the sun showed itself
in the east like a thin strip of flame—and then with a loud
crash the door flew open, and on the threshold stood the
wizard. He looked round the room, and seeing the
princess was not there, laughed a hateful laugh and entered
the room. But just at that moment, pop! the window flew
in pieces, the gold ring fell on the floor, and in an instant
there stood the princess again. Sharpsight, seeing what was

going on in the castle, and in what danger his master was,
told Long. Long made a step, and threw the ring through
the window into the room. The wizard roared with rage,
till the castle quaked, and then bang! went the third iron
hoop that was round his waist, and sprang off him; the
wizard turned into a raven, and flew out and away through
the shattered window.

Then, and not till then, did the beautiful damsel speak
and thank the prince for setting her free, and blushed like
a rose. In the castle and round the castle everything
became alive again at once. He who was holding in the hall
the outstretched sword, swung it into the air, which whistled
again, and then returned it to its sheath; he who was
stumbling on the threshold, fell on the ground, but immediately
got up again and felt his nose to see whether it was
still entire; he who was sitting under the chimney put the
piece of meat into his mouth and went on eating; and thus
everybody completed what he had begun doing, and at the
point where he had left off. In the stables the horses
merrily stamped and snorted, the trees round the castle
became green like periwinkles, the meadows were full of
variegated flowers, high in the air warbled the skylark, and
abundance of small fishes appeared in the clear river.
Everywhere was life, everywhere enjoyment.

Meanwhile a number of gentlemen assembled in the room
where the prince was, and all thanked him for their liberation.
But he said, `You have nothing to thank me for; if
it had not been for my trusty servants Long, Broad, and
Sharpsight, I too should have been what you were.' He
then immediately started on his way home to the old king,
his father, with his bride and servants. On the way they
met Broad and took him with them.

The old king wept for joy at the success of his son; he
had thought he would return no more. Soon afterwards

there was a grand wedding, the festivities of which lasted three
weeks; all the gentlemen that the prince had liberated were
invited. After the wedding Long, Broad, and Sharpsight
announced to the young king that they were going again
into the world to look for work. The young king tried to
persuade them to stay with him. `I will give you everything
you want, as long as you live,' said he; `you needn't
work at all.' But they didn't like such an idle life, took
leave of him, went away and have been ever since knocking
about somewhere or other in the world.

This story appears to me to be the perfection of `Natural
Science in Allegory.' It is not a mere `Natur-myth,' exhibiting
the contests, victories, and defeats of the forces
of Nature. In interpreting it we must distinguish between
the mere machinery and the essential actors. The king's son
does nothing himself, and the whole work is performed by
the three men, whom he takes into his service. I understand
by the king's son Man, who wishes to cultivate the earth,
who is the princess imprisoned by the enchanter, the drought.
She is released by the agency of the three phenomena
that usher in the rainy season, the rainbow (Long), the
cloud (Broad), and the lightning (Sharpsight). Man, by the aid
of these three phenomena, is enabled to cultivate the earth.
Such a story could only originate in a country of periodic
rains. The rapid recovery of vegetation and almost instantaneous
reappearance of fish in dried-up brooks in India
are well known. The common story of the Sleeping Beauty is
evidently a fragment from the myth which exhibits figuratively
the speedy wake up of all things when released from
the bondage of the drought.

It is possible also to consider the prince as the sun, who
cannot marry the drought-enslaved earth, until he has taken

into his service and obtained the aid of the same three
phenomena. Those who had previously attempted to set
the princess free would then be the suns immediately preceding
the rainy season, which had not had the aid of
Long, Broad, and Sharpsight.