Oh, If I Could But Shiver! · page 21 2101He looked on quietly for some time, but at last, getting angry, he took up his knife and called out, "Away with you, you vagabonds!" and chased them about until a part ran off, and the rest he killed and threw into the pond.102As soon as he returned he blew up the sparks of his fire again and warmed himself, and while he sat his eyes began to feel very heavy and he wished to go to sleep.103So looking around he saw a great bed in one corner, in which he lay down; but no sooner had he closed his eyes, than the bed began to move of itself and travelled all round the castle. "104Just so," said he, "only better still"; whereupon the bed galloped away as if six horses pulled it up and down steps and stairs, until at last, all at once, it overset, bottom upward, and lay upon him like a mountain; but up he got, threw pillows and mattresses into the air, and saying, "Now he who wishes may travel," laid himself down by the fire and slept till day broke.105In the morning the King came, and, seeing the youth lying on the ground, he thought that the spectres had killed him, and that he was dead; so he said, "It is a great misfortune that the finest men are thus killed"; but the youth, hearing this, sprang up, saying, "It is not come to that with me yet!"106The King was much astonished, but very glad, and asked him how he had fared. "107Very well," replied he; "as one night has passed, so also may the other two."108Soon after he met his landlord, who opened his eyes when he saw him. "109I never thought to see you alive again," said he; "have you learnt now what shivering means?" "110No," said he; "it is all of no use.111Oh, if any one would but tell me!"112The second night he went up again into the castle, and sitting down by the fire, began his old song, "If I could but shiver!"113When midnight came, a ringing and a rattling noise was heard, gentle at first and louder and louder by degrees; then there was a pause, and presently with a loud outcry half a man's body came down the chimney and fell at his feet. "114Holloa," he exclaimed; "only half a man answered that ringing; that is too little."115Then the ringing began afresh, and a roaring and howling was heard, and the other half fell down. "116Wait a bit," said he; "I will poke up the fire first."117When he had done so and looked round again, the two pieces had joined themselves together, and an ugly man was sitting in his place. "118I did not bargain for that," said the youth; "the bench is mine."119The man tried to push him away, but the youth would not let him, and giving him a violent push sat himself down in his old place.120Presently more men fell down the chimney, one after the other, who brought nine thigh-bones and two skulls, which they set up, and then they began to play at ninepins.121At this the youth wished also to play, so he asked whether he might join them. "122Yes, if you have money!" "123Money enough," he replied, "but your balls are not quite round"; so saying he took up the skulls, and, placing them on his lathe, turned them round. "124Ah, now you will roll well," said he. "125Holloa! now we will go at it merrily."126So he played with them and lost some of his money, but as it struck twelve everything disappeared.127Then he lay down and went to sleep quietly.128On the morrow the King came for news, and asked him how he had fared this time. "129I have been playing ninepins," he replied, "and lost a couple of dollars." "130Have you not shivered?" "131No!132I have enjoyed myself very much; but I wish some one would teach me that!"133On the third night he sat down again on his bench, saying in great vexation, "Oh, if I could only shiver!"134When it grew late, six tall men came in bearing a coffin between them. "135Ah, ah," said he, "that is surely my little cousin, who died two days ago"; and beckoning with his finger he called, "Come, little cousin, come!"136The men set down the coffin upon the ground, and he went up and took off the lid, and there lay a dead man within, and as he felt the face it was as cold as ice. "137Stop a moment," he cried; "I will warm it in a trice"; and stepping up to the fire he warmed his hands, and then laid them upon the face, but it remained cold.138So he took up the body, and sitting down by the fire, he laid it on his lap and rubbed the arms that the blood might circulate again.checked by a teacher139But all this was of no avail, and he thought to himself if two lie in a bed together they warm each other; so he put the body in the bed, and covering it up laid himself down by its side.140After a little while the body became warm and began to move about. "141See, my cousin," he exclaimed, "have I not warmed you?"142But the body got up and exclaimed, "Now I will strangle you." "143Is that your gratitude?" cried the youth. "144Then you shall get into your coffin again"; and taking it up, he threw the body in, and made the lid fast.145Then the six men came in again and bore it away. "146Oh, deary me," said he, "I shall never be able to shiver if I stop here all my lifetime!"147At these words in came a man who was taller than all the others, and looked more horrible; but he was very old and had a long white beard. "148Oh, you wretch," he exclaimed, "now thou shalt learn what shivering means, for thou shalt die!"149"Not so quick," answered the youth; "if I die I must be brought to it first."150"I will quickly seize you," replied the ugly one.151"Softly, softly; be not too sure.152I am as strong as you, and perhaps stronger."153"That we will see," said the ugly man. "154If you are stronger than I, I will let you go; come, let us try"; and he led him away through a dark passage to a smith's forge.155Then taking up an axe he cut through the anvil at one blow down to the ground. "156I can do that still better," said the youth, and went to another anvil, while the old man followed him and watched him, with his long beard hanging down.157Then the youth took up an axe, and, splitting the anvil at one blow, wedged the old man's beard in it. "158Now I have you; now death comes upon you!" and taking up an iron bar he beat the old man until he groaned, and begged him to stop, and he would give him great riches.159So the youth drew out the axe, and let him loose.160Then the old man, leading him back into the castle, showed him three chests full of gold in a cellar. "161One share of this," said he, "belongs to the poor, another to the King, and a third to yourself."162And just then it struck twelve and the old man vanished, leaving the youth in the dark. "163I must help myself out here," said he, and groping round he found his way back to his room and went to sleep by the fire.164The next morning the King came and inquired, "Now have you learnt to shiver?" "165No," replied the youth; "what is it?166My dead cousin came here, and a bearded man, who showed me a lot of gold down below; but what shivering means, no one has showed me!"167Then the King said, "You have won the castle, and shall marry my daughter."168"That is all very fine," replied the youth, "but still I don't know what shivering means."169So the gold was fetched, and the wedding was celebrated, but the young Prince (for the youth was a Prince now), notwithstanding his love for his bride, and his great contentment, was still continually crying, "If I could but shiver! if I could but shiver!"170At last it fell out in this wise: one of the chambermaids said to the Princess, "Let me bring in my aid to teach him what shivering is."171So she went to the brook which flowed through the garden, and drew up a pail of water full of little fish; and, at night, when the young Prince was asleep, his bride drew away the covering and poured the pail of cold water and the little fishes over him, so that they slipped all about him.172Then the Prince woke up directly, calling out, "Oh! that makes me shiver! dear wife, that makes me shiver!173Yes, now I know what shivering means!"1 2← previousHansel and Grethelnext →Dummling and the Three Feathers↑ back to Grimm's Fairy StoriesThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg11027/9/page/2/