Chapter II. MYTHOLOGICAL, part 8 · page 21 2101"I was," says the King, "but still I said to myself, 'Perhaps it will pull me out.'"102"Well, my lord King! now you have felt what the fear of death is like!103What I have done was in payment of an old score.104Do you remember my sitting on an oak, and your wanting to shoot me?105Three times you were going to let fly, but I kept on entreating you not to shoot, saying to myself all the time, 'Perhaps he won't kill me; perhaps he'll relent and take me home with him!'"106Afterwards they flew beyond thrice nine lands: long, long did they fly.107Says the Eagle, "Look, my lord King! what is above us and what below us?"108The King looked.109"Above us," he says, "is the sky, below us the earth."110"Look again; what is on the right hand and on the left?"111"On the right hand is an open plain, on the left stands a house."112"We will fly thither," said the Eagle; "my youngest sister lives there."113They went straight into the courtyard.114The sister came out to meet them, received her brother cordially, and seated him at the oaken table.115But on the King she would not so much as look, but left him outside, loosed greyhounds, and set them at him.116The Eagle was exceedingly wroth, jumped up from table, seized the King, and flew away with him again.117Well, they flew and flew.118Presently the Eagle said to the King, "Look round; what is behind us?"119The King turned his head, looked, and said, "Behind us is a red house."120"That is the house of my youngest sister--on fire, because she did not receive you, but set greyhounds at you."121They flew and flew.122Again the Eagle asked:123"Look again, my lord King; what is above us, and what below us?"124"Above us is the sky, below us the earth."125"Look and see what is on the right hand and on the left."126"On the right is the open plain, on the left there stands a house."127"There lives my second sister; we'll go and pay her a visit."128They stopped in a wide courtyard.129The second sister received her brother cordially, and seated him at the oaken table; but the King was left outside, and she loosed greyhounds, and set them at him.130The Eagle flew into a rage, jumped up from table, caught up the King, and flew away farther with him.131They flew and flew.132Says the Eagle:133"My lord King! look round! what is behind us?"134The King looked back.135"There stands behind us a red house."136"That's my second sister's house burning!" said the Eagle. "137Now we'll fly to where my mother and my eldest sister live."138Well, they flew there.139The Eagle's mother and eldest sister were delighted to see them, and received the King with cordiality and respect.140"Now, my lord King," said the Eagle, "tarry awhile with us, and afterwards I will give you a ship, and will repay you for all I ate in your house, and then--God speed you home again!"141So the Eagle gave the King a ship and two coffers--the one red, the other green--and said:142"Mind now! don't open the coffers until you get home.143Then open the red coffer in the back court, and the green coffer in the front court."144The King took the coffers, parted with the Eagle, and sailed along the blue sea.145Presently he came to a certain island, and there his ship stopped.146He landed on the shore, and began thinking about the coffers, and wondering whatever there could be in them, and why the Eagle had told him not to open them.147He thought and thought, and at last couldn't hold out any more--he longed so awfully to know all about it.148So he took the red coffer, set it on the ground, and opened it--and out of it came such a quantity of different kinds of cattle that there was no counting them: the island had barely room enough for them.149When the King saw that, he became exceedingly sorrowful, and began to weep and therewithal to say:150"What is there now left for me to do? how shall I get all this cattle back into so little a coffer?"151Lo! there came out of the water a man--came up to him, and asked:152"Wherefore are you weeping so bitterly, O lord King?"153"How can I help weeping!" answers the King. "154How shall I be able to get all this great herd into so small a coffer?"155"If you like, I will set your mind at rest.156I will pack up all your cattle for you.157But on one condition only.158You must give me whatever you have at home that you don't know of."159The King reflected.160"Whatever is there at home that I don't know of?" says he. "161I fancy I know about everything that's there."162He reflected, and consented. "163Pack them up," says he. "164I will give you whatever I have at home that I know nothing about."165So that man packed away all his cattle for him in the coffer.166The King went on board ship and sailed away homewards.167When he reached home, then only did he learn that a son had been born to him.168And he began kissing the child, caressing it, and at the same time bursting into such floods of tears!169"My lord King!" says the Queen, "tell me wherefore thou droppest bitter tears?"170"For joy!" he replies.171He was afraid to tell her the truth, that the Prince would have to be given up.172Afterwards he went into the back court, opened the red coffer, and thence issued oxen and cows, sheep and rams; there were multitudes of all sorts of cattle, so that all the sheds and pastures were crammed full.173He went into the front court, opened the green coffer, and there appeared a great and glorious garden.174What trees there were in it to be sure!175The King was so delighted that he forgot all about giving up his son.1 2← previousChapter II. 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