University of Virginia Library

LVIII.—THE FISHERMAN'S SON.

Once upon a time there was a lord on the Danube who had
a fisherman to catch fish for him. This lord was preparing
a great banquet, and ordered his fisherman to catch three
hundredweight of fish in three days. On the first day the
fisherman went early in the morning to catch the fish. But
he could not obtain any. The second day he went again
very early in the morning. He made the round of the
water, but again took none. The third day came. The
fisherman went to catch fish, and went on till mid-day, but
could not net any. In the afternoon he determined to go
home by the waterside, and carried himself as if he were
very much out of sorts. Suddenly up sailed a striped
boat. In the boat sat a gentleman clad in green. He

questioned the fisherman saying: `Man, why are you so
sorrowful here by the water?' The fisherman said: `How
should I not be sorrowful? My lord ordered me to catch
three hundredweight of fish in three days; to-day is the last
day, and I have not obtained any.' Then said the gentleman:
`Promise me that which you don't know that you
have, and you shall to-day catch plenty.' The fisherman
thought to himself: `What I don't know that I have, I shall
easily do without, if I do promise him.' And the gentleman
at the same time added: `And I will wait twenty years.
In twenty years you will be able to fulfil your promise.'
`Agreed,' said the fisherman. He cast his nets and drew
them out full of fish. He cast them a second time, and it
was just the same. He cast them once more. The gentleman
said to him: `Only send home for them to come with a
waggon and four horses.' They came with four horses.
They packed the fish in, so that they scarcely drew them
with the four horses. But before they went home the gentleman
asked the fisherman: `But do you know what you have
promised me?' The fisherman said: `My lord, I do not.
What I don't know that I have, I have promised you, be it
what it may.' The gentleman smiled, and said: `You don't
know that your wife will be the mother of a son, and this
son you have promised to me. When twenty years have
elapsed, you must just bring him here.' Then the fisherman
took the fish home. On the one hand he was glad, on the
other very downcast. When he brought them home his
lord began to grumble, saying: `You're a thorough fool!
Why did a messenger come to me to say that you could
not obtain any? Now you have brought me such a quantity
that I hardly know where to stow them.' The fisherman
excused himself, and related to his lord the whole series of
occurrences from beginning to end. Afterwards he put a
question to his lord: `God only knows how it will be now,
since I have done such an evil thing, that I have promised
him my son.' His lord said: `What of that? Twenty
years is a long time. By then all may be changed.'

It came to pass. The fisherman's wife became the mother
of a boy. He grew up right handsome. When he became
a little older they sent him to school. At school he learnt
so well, that at sixteen he had learnt enough to be ordained
a priest. But his father and mother said: `Not a priest,
for he is promised. Let us rather place him for four years
more in the black school.' When he had completed the
course of the black school, he came back to the Danube,
with all before him in the future, as if he were about to
succeed, and behind in the past, because he had already
been successful. Then said he to his father: `Father, now
it is time for us to go.' The father: `To go? whither?'
The son: `Whither you promised me.' The father:
`Who promised you any whither?' The son: `What?
don't you know to whom you promised me twenty years
ago? Let us go to that piece of water, where you then
went to catch fish.' The father became very sorrowful.
The son then said: `Don't be afraid. Only quickly coat
over arm and follow me. Only you must do what I instruct
you to do. If you obey me, no harm will happen to you
and me.' On the way he also instructed his father as
follows: `When we come to that piece of water, the striped
boat will sail up just as when you caught the fish. In it will
sit the gentleman in green to whom you promised me. The
gentleman will push the boat to the shore in shallow water.
I shall step on it with one foot, and stand on dry land with
the other. Then say: "My son, I commend you to God
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. May these
three always be with you!" When you have uttered these
holy words I shall spring into the boat.' Everything happened
exactly as the son told his father and instructed him

on the way. The striped boat sailed up on the water. In
it was the gentleman dressed in green. The son stepped
with one foot on the boat, and stood with the other on dry
land. His father commended him to God the Father, and
the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The son sprang on board
the boat, and the gentleman pushed it from the shore. All
at once all sank, the boat, the gentleman, and the son.
The father was terribly frightened, and cried out at the top
of his voice: `Jesus, Maria! my son has gone down to
hell!' He then crept home very sorrowful.

His son passed through the water into a town which is
called Perdonkorten.[8] In this town all the population was
enchanted. He walked and walked about the town, but nowhere
was there anybody. Hunger took possession of him, but
he could get nothing to eat. He bethought himself of going to
catch some fish. He went to the water, caught some, lit a
fire, cooked them, and ate his fill. He then went into the
shade, laid himself down, and fell asleep. He dreamt that
he was told to go to pass the night in a lordly castle, to seat
himself at table, to light a taper on each side of him, and
wait. He did according as he had dreamt. The clock struck
midnight, when suddenly the door opened outside of itself.
A huge snake glided into the house. It came up opposite
the young man, and besought him: `Kiss me.' He cursed
it, and said: `Take thyself off from me, Satan! Thou hast
no power over me.' The snake retired through the door.
Thereupon day broke. The young man walked and walked
again about the town. He saw here and there carriages
ready harnessed, but no human being. In the afternoon he
went again to the water to catch fish. When he had eaten
his fill, he went into the shade. He lay down, and soon fell
asleep. Erelong he dreamt what would have happened,
if he had kissed the snake. He woke up, and thought:

`This evening I will go back, and will kiss it if it comes.
In fact, he went again into the same house, seated himself
at table, lit two tapers, and waited. The clock struck
twelve. The door opened. Through it glided a very much
larger snake, with two heads. It came up the room opposite
him, and besought him again: `Kiss me!' Terror seized
him, for it was much more horrible than the one he had
seen the preceding night. Therefore he cursed it again:
`Take thyself off from me, Satan! Thou hast no power
over me.' The snake again quitted the house. Afterwards
day broke. He went again into the town, caught fish, and
ate his fill. When he had eaten, he went into the shade,
lay down, and fell asleep. Ere long he dreamt again:
`Thou wouldst, nevertheless, have only done rightly if thou
hadst kissed the snake.' He woke up, and said: `This
evening I will kiss it, even if it appears still more terrible.'
In the evening he went into the same house. He seated
himself at table, lit two tapers, and waited. When the
tower clock struck twelve, the door opened. A terrible
snake glided in. It had three heads, and was still larger
than the one he saw the preceding evening. It came puffing
opposite him. It began to twine round him, and beseech
him: `Kiss me!' He pressed his lips to it, and kissed it.

As soon as he had kissed it, the snake turned into a
beautiful maiden, as beautiful as a damsel could be. The
snake was the enchanted daughter of the lord of the castle.
After the kiss, all belonging to the castle, and the whole
town, were disenchanted. Erelong the father and mother
of the disenchanted daughter came into the room. They
welcomed him with the greatest joy. The father said to
him: `Friend, I give you my kingdom and my daughter, if
she pleases you.' He replied: `Let us wait a bit, that we
may make a little acquaintance with each other.' Thereupon
they prepared a grand supper. They supped, and

did not go to bed till late. In the morning they got up.
The young man and the damsel went a walk in the town.
The whole town rejoiced over him, and pointed at him,
saying: `That is our deliverer.'

Now the young man was content with all. Only he still
felt sorry, when he bethought himself: `Here am I in such
good fortune, while my father on the Danube is thinking
that I have fallen into the abyss of hell. If I could only
just go to my father on the Danube, to tell him of my luck,
I should then be completely content.' Thereupon the
damsel said to him: `I have something such that you could
easily go to your father, if you would but be sure to come
back.' He said: `You know that I shall come. Nowhere
have I had such good fortune as here.' Now they agreed
that she would wait for him seven years, if he did not return
before. The damsel gave him a certain ring, and said:
`Here is this ring, look through it, and think to yourself
that you would like to be with your father by the Danube,
and you will find yourself there. When you wish to come
back to me, look again through the ring, and think to yourself
that you would like to be with me, and you will find
yourself here with me. But you must not show it to anybody,
lest you lose it. If you lose it, it will be very difficult
for you ever to come to us.' The young man looked through
the ring, thought to himself that he would like to be with his
father by the Danube, and in a moment there he was.
His father and mother were very, very glad to see him safe
and sound once more. They asked him all manner of
questions. He related to them how he had darted through
the water into an enchanted city, and what had been his
hap afterwards. The whole household jumped for joy at
hearing how fortunate he had been. Especially rejoiced
was his mother, who walked continually on tiptoe for joy.
Afterwards his father took him to his lord, for whom he still

caught fish. There, again, the whole household rejoiced
greatly over him. The lord had two daughters. Erelong he
said to him: `Stay with us. I will give you a portion of my
kingdom and one daughter, if it pleases you.' He thought
to himself: `There there awaits me a whole kingdom, and a
larger one than this. The lady, too, there, is handsomer than
this one.' Nevertheless he said within himself: `Suppose
I stay here a day or two. I shall easily go back before the
time is out. Seven years don't pass so quickly.'

It came to pass that he went a walk one day with the
two daughters. On the road the silly fellow showed
them the ring, and told them how he had come back
into that country. They thought to themselves: `Behold!
if we could but take that ring from him, then he would
be glad to stay with us.' They went a little farther on,
and one of them said: `Let us sit down a bit here in
the shade.' They sat down on the grass under a tree.
They had not sat there long when one of them said to him:
`Listen! listen! What have you got in your hair?' He:
`I don't know that I've anything.' She: `You have something;
you have indeed. Let me look at your head.' Now
she began to examine and stroke his head till he fell fast
asleep. The other, on seeing this, put her hand quickly
into his pocket, and took out his ring. They rose up, and
prolonged their walk. They walked and walked about the
country, when he put his hand into his pocket, and found
that the ring was no longer there. He said: `I've lost my
ring. What shall I do now?' They said: `Let us go
back. We will look for it. Maybe we shall find it.' They
went back to the selfsame place where they had been sitting.
They helped him to look for it carefully. They looked for
it in vain, for one of them had got it in her own pocket.

After this, he remained five years more in that house.
When the fifth year had elapsed, he said: `This won't do.

If I remain here, I shall never get to Perdonkorten. Now
go I must. There will be two years for me, eventually, to
get there.' Once upon a time he was benighted. He went
through thickets, where there was no living soul. He espied
a light on another hill. He said: `Thither I must go.
There will be people there.' He went thither. There was
nobody at home but a woman. He asked whether they
would take him in for the night. The woman said to him:
`I would willingly take you in for the night, but I do not
advise you to stay here. My three brothers are three
thieves. When night is over, they will come home, and
will soon put you to death.' He said: `Never fear! Only
bring me a pint of wine, that I may drink and wait for
them here at the table.' When night was over, up came
the three brothers home. He sat in the house at the table,
and busied himself with the wine. They asked him: `Who
are you?' He replied: `I don't know who I am. I'm a
poor fellow who roams hither and thither in the world,
wheresoever I must.' They said: `But to what family do
you belong?' He said: `That also I don't know. All
through I am knocking about in the world. Nowhere am I at
home.' They said: `What is your name? How do you
write yourself?' He had gone through the course of study
at the black school; therefore he knew how they wrote their
names, and that they had lost a brother. He therefore told
them their surname, and the name of their lost brother.
They said: `You are indeed our own brother, whom we
lost many years ago.' He said: `It is easy to see that I
am.' They asked him: `But are you willing to take up our
business?' He said: `Why not, if your business is honest,
and one can easily get one's living from it?' They said:
`From our handicraft a living is got right easily. At home
we do nothing at all, and have always plenty to eat and
plenty to drink.' He inquired: `What have you gained today?'
They replied: `To-day we have gained more than
we ever gained before. We have obtained shoes: whoever
puts them on will fly two hundred miles in half an hour.
We have obtained a mantle: whoever wraps himself in it,
nobody sees him. We have obtained a hat: whoever puts
it on his head, and throws it before him, hills open themselves
to him, so that he follows it whithersoever he will.'
He: `But is this true?' They: `It is.' He: `Now, then,
let's try this dress on me. We'll see how it will fit me.' He
put on the shoes, wrapped himself in the mantle, clapped
the hat on his head, and stepped a little way from them. He
asked them: `But don't you really see me?' They said:
`Nobody sees you.' Then he gave a jump, so that the earth
quaked. They hurried after him, as it were, in the dark;
but he escaped them, for nobody saw him.

He then flew to the place where the sun rises. He
thought to himself: `The sun gives light in all regions; he
will therefore know the way to Perdonkorten.' When he
came to the sun's house, he asked the servant: `Is my lord
the sun at home?' The servant: `He is not; he is gone
to give light on the earth. He will come home in the
evening. You must wait for him if you want to speak with
him. Only I tell you that when he comes home, there will
be such a heat, that you will curl up like a rasher of bacon,
if you don't hide yourself.' The traveller: `If it is so, I
will bury myself in the ground. When the sun comes home,
come and call me.' He went, and did bury himself deep
in the ground. When the sun came home and flew down,
the servant came to call him. `Now, then, my lord the sun
is at home.' He got up and went to the sun. When
he came into the house the sun asked him: `What have
you got to say?' He said: `I have come to ask you
the road to the city of Perdonkorten. You enlighten all
lands; surely you know the way thither.' The sun: `I

don't know the way thither. It must be somewhere among
hills and narrow dales, where I never go. The moon
gives light more in hollow places; you must go where she
rises.'

He went. He leaped, and was at once at the place
where the moon rises. Neither was she at home. He
asked her lady's maid: `Whither has my lady moon gone
that she is not at home?' The maid: `She is gone to give
light on the earth.' He: `I will wait, then.' The maid:
`It is dangerous to wait. When she flies faintly shining
home, such a frost will be caused that you will stiffen like
an icicle.' He: `I'll bury myself therefore in the ashes.
When she returns home, come and call me.' Towards
morning the moon came freezing home. He shivered in
the ashes, but didn't stiffen. When the moon had put herself
to rights, her maid went to call him, and said: `Now
come; the moon is at home.' He rose out of the ashes,
shivered a little, and went to the moon. When he entered
the house, the moon asked him: `What do you want? What
have you got to say?' He said: `Nothing wrong, my lady
moon—nothing wrong. I have come to ask you the road
to the city of Perdonkorten. You throw light into all dark
holes; therefore, you surely know which way to go thither.'
The moon: `I don't know that. It must be among such
hills that I never get there. If you wish to learn it, you
must go where the wind rises. He flies over all abysses,
therefore he will surely be able to indicate you the way
thither.'

In a jiffy he was there. The wind was just then at home.
He asked him: `My lord the wind, do you know the way
to the city of Perdonkorten?' The wind: `Of course I
do. Anyhow, I'm going thither to-morrow morning at
three. The king's daughter there is betrothed, and I am
going to blow for them at the wedding, that it may not be

too warm. But I shall go through such abysses and such
rocks, that I don't know whether you will be able to follow
me.' The traveller: `My lord the wind, never fear. No
rock will stop me. I have such a hat, that if I throw it, the
ground opens and I go after it whithersoever I will.' The
wind: `Well, then, let us go.' They went at three. They
came to a terrible rock. The wind roared, and made his
way by a hole through the terrible rock. He could not
follow him. Therefore he took off his hat and threw it
against the rock. The rock opened. The wind glided on
in front and he followed quickly behind.

When it was half-past four in the morning, they had made
their way to the city of Perdonkorten. The wind went to
blow at the wedding that it mightn't be too warm for them.
He went into the church, seated himself on a bench, and
waited for the wedding-party. At eleven music was heard,
and fifty couples of wedding guests came into the church.
One was more handsomely dressed than the rest. His
reverence the chaplain proceeded to say mass for them.
After mass he began to take the marriage service. He was
sitting on a bench, but nobody saw him, because he had
that mantle on. Suddenly he rose from the bench, and
gave a thump on the chaplain's books, so that they fell with
a bang on the floor. The chaplain said: `One of you two
must have such a sin upon him, that you are unfit to receive
this sacrament.' Now the bride began to relate how someone
had once come to deliver them. With this person a
mutual engagement had been made that she would wait for
him seven years, etc. The chaplain: `How much time has
elapsed?' She: `Five years and a half.' The chaplain:
`Now you two must wait a year and a half more. If in that
time nothing is heard of him, then you may marry.' The
chaplain, moreover, asked her: `Which would you rather
have, this one or that other?' The lady: `I should prefer

the other, should he come. But I know that I shall never
see him again.'

He heard these words, and they pleased him. Now they
went home from the church. He who had thumped the
books walked amidst the wedding-party, but nobody saw
him, because he had the mantle on. The damsel's father
thought it hard thus to send the wedding guests away home,
therefore he gave them several cups of wine. The guests
drank the wine, and he went up and down in the house, but
nobody saw him. When all the wedding guests had taken
themselves off home, he doffed his mantle, hung it on a peg,
and they recognised him as their deliverer. The beautiful
damsel met him in the middle of the house. She threw her
arms round his neck, and said: `Behold! to-day I should
have been married to another hushand, if God had not protected
me.'

Hereupon they soon prepared a marriage with this new
bridegroom. They went to the wedding. The wedding
passed off successfully. They got ready a right handsome
wedding-feast for them. They had plenty of everything—
plenty to drink, and plenty to eat. Moreover, they gave me
wine to drink out of a sieve, and bread to eat out of a glass,
and one on the back with a shovel. After that I took
myself off.