The Crimson Fairy Book, part 4 · page 21 2101“That is very clever of you,” answered the king; “and what does Simon the fifth do?”102“My work, your Majesty, is mere smith’s work.103Order me to build a smithy and I will make you a cross-bow, but from which neither the eagle in the sky nor the wild beast in the forest is safe.104The bolt hits whatever the eye sees.”105“That sounds very useful,” said the king.106“And now, Simon the sixth, tell me your trade.”107“Sire, it is so simple I am almost ashamed to mention it.108If my brother hits any creature I catch it quicker than any dog can.109If it falls into the water I pick it up out of the greatest depths, and if it is in a dark forest I can find it even at midnight.”110The king was much pleased with the trades and talk of the six brothers, and said: “Thank you, good people; your father did well to teach you all these things.111Now follow me to the town, as I want to see what you can do.112I need such people as you about me; but when harvest time comes I will send you home with royal presents.”113The brothers bowed and said: “As the king wills.”114Suddenly the king remembered that he had not questioned the seventh Simon, so he turned to him and said: “Why are you silent?115What is your handicraft?”116And the seventh Simon answered: “I have no handicraft, O king; I have learnt nothing.117I could not manage it.118And if I do know how to do anything it is not what might properly be called a real trade—it is rather a sort of performance; but it is one which no one—not the king himself—must watch me doing, and I doubt whether this performance of mine would please your Majesty.”119“Come, come,” cried the king; “I will have no excuses, what is this trade?”120“First, sire, give me your royal word that you will not kill me when I have told you.121Then you shall hear.”122“So be it, then; I give you my royal word.”123Then the seventh Simon stepped back a little, cleared his throat, and said: “My trade, King Archidej, is of such a kind that the man who follows it in your kingdom generally loses his life and has no hopes of pardon.124There is only one thing I can do really well, and that is—to steal, and to hide the smallest scrap of anything I have stolen.125Not the deepest vault, even if its lock were enchanted, could prevent my stealing anything out of it that I wished to have.”126When the king heard this he fell into a passion.127“I will not pardon you, you rascal,” he cried; “I will shut you up in my deepest dungeon on bread and water till you have forgotten such a trade.128Indeed, it would be better to put you to death at once, and I’ve a good mind to do so.”129“Don’t kill me, O king!130I am really not as bad as you think.131Why, had I chosen, I could have robbed the royal treasury, have bribed your judges to let me off, and built a white marble palace with what was left.132But though I know how to steal I don’t do it.133You yourself asked me my trade.134If you kill me you will break your royal word.”135“Very well,” said the king, “I will not kill you.136I pardon you.137But from this hour you shall be shut up in a dark dungeon.138Here, guards! away with him to the prison.139But you six Simons follow me and be assured of my royal favour.”140So the six Simons followed the king.141The seventh Simon was seized by the guards, who put him in chains and threw him in prison with only bread and water for food.142Next day the king gave the first Simon carpenters, masons, smiths and labourers, with great stores of iron, mortar, and the like, and Simon began to build.143And he built his great white pillar far, far up into the clouds, as high as the nearest stars; but the other stars were higher still.144Then the second Simon climbed up the pillar and saw and heard all that was going on through the whole world.checked by a teacher145When he came down he had all sorts of wonderful things to tell.146How one king was marching in battle against another, and which was likely to be the victor.147How, in another place, great rejoicings were going on, while in a third people were dying of famine.148In fact there was not the smallest event going on over the earth that was hidden from him.1 2← previousThe Crimson Fairy Book, part 3next →The Crimson Fairy Book, part 5↑ back to The Crimson Fairy BookThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2435/4/page/2/