(back to part one)

The brothers rode on as fast as they could, and arrived at the town gates a whole hour before him. At the gate the suitors received tickets, in the order of their arrival, and they were arranged in rows, six in each file, and so close together that they could not move their arms which was a very good thing, or they would have torn each other's garments off, merely because one stood in front of the other. All the other inhabitants of the town stood round the castle, peeping in at the windows to see the king's daughter receive the suitors, and as each one came into the room he lost the power of speech.

"No good," said the princess, "away with him!"

Now came the brother who could repeat the Lexicon, but he had entirely forgotten it while standing in the ranks. The floor creaked and the ceiling was made of looking-glass, so that he saw himself standing on his head; and at every window sat three clerks and an alderman, who wrote down all that was said, so that it might be sent to the papers at once, and sold for a halfpenny at the street corners. It was terrible, and the stoves had been heated to such a degree that they got red-hot at the top.

"It is terribly hot in here," said the suitor.
"That is because my father is roasting cockerels today," said the princess.

Bah! There he stood like a fool; he had not expected a conversation of this kind, and he could not think of a word to say, just when he wanted to be specially witty.

"no good," said the king's daughter, "away with him," and he had to go.

Then came the second brother. "There's a fearful heat here," said he.
"Yes, we are roasting cockerels today," said the king's daughter.
"What did – what?" said he, and all the reporters duly wrote "What did - what?"
"No good," said the king's daughter, "away with him."

Then came Hans Clodhopper. He rode the billy goat right into the room.

"What a burning heat you have here," said the king's daughter.
"That is very convenient, said Hans, "then I suppose I can get a crow roasted too."
"Yes, very well," said the princess, "but have you anything to roast it in? For I have neither pot nor pan."
"But I have," said Hans. "Here is a cooking pot." And he brought out the wooden shoe and put the crow into it.
"Why, you have enough for a whole meal," said the king's daughter, "but where shall we get any dripping to baste it with?"
"Oh, I have some in my pocket," said Hans, "I have enough and to spare," and he poured a little of the sand out of his pocket.

"Now I like that," said the princess, "you have an answer for everything, and you have something to say for yourself. I will have you for a husband. But do you know that every word we have said will be in the paper tomorrow, for at every window sit three clerks and an alderman, and the alderman is the worst, for he doesn't understand." She said this to frighten him. All the clerks sniggered and made blots of ink on the floor.

"Oh, those are the gentry," said Hans, "then I must give the alderman the best thing I have," and he turned out his pockets and threw the sand in his face.

"That was cleverly done," said the princess, "I couldn't have done it, but I will try to learn."

So Hans Clodhopper became king, gained a wife and a crown and sat upon the throne. We have this straight out of the alderman's newspaper, but it is not to be depended upon.



liveforever says  In Danish, "wife", "crown" and "throne" rhyme - it's a sort of pun. ("kone", "krone", "trone")

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.