The Boys With the Golden Stars · page 21 2101‘To FORCE their way in?102Who dares to use force in my palace?103What boys are they?’ said the emperor all in one breath.104‘We know not, O mighty emperor,’ answered the servant, ‘but they must surely be akin to you, for they have the strength of lions, and have scattered the guards at the gate.105And they are as proud as they are strong, for they will not take their caps from their heads.’106The emperor, as he listened, grew red with anger.107‘Thrust them out,’ cried he.108‘Set the dogs after them.’109‘Leave us alone, and we will go quietly,’ said the princes, and stepped backwards, weeping silently at the harsh words.110They had almost reached the gates when a servant ran up to them.111‘The emperor commands you to return,’ panted he: ‘the empress wishes to see you.’112The princes thought a moment: then they went back the way they had come, and walked straight up to the emperor, their caps still on their heads.113He sat at the top of a long table covered with flowers and filled with guests.114And beside him sat the empress, supported by twelve cushions.115When the princes entered one of the cushions fell down, and there remained only eleven.116‘Take off your caps,’ said one of the courtiers.117‘A covered head is among men a sign of honour.118We wish to seem what we are.’119‘Never mind,’ said the emperor, whose anger had dropped before the silvery tones of the boy’s voice.120‘Stay as you are, but tell me WHO you are!121Where do you come from, and what do you want?’122‘We are twins, two shoots from one stem, which has been broken, and half lies in the ground and half sits at the head of this table.123We have travelled a long way, we have spoken in the rustle of the wind, have whispered in the wood, we have sung in the waters, but now we wish to tell you a story which you know without knowing it, in the speech of men.’124And a second cushion fell down.125‘Let them take their silliness home,’ said the empress.126‘Oh, no, let them go on,’ said the emperor.127‘You wished to see them, but I wish to hear them.128Go on, boys, sing me the story.’129The empress was silent, but the princes began to sing the story of their lives.130‘There was once an emperor,’ began they, and the third cushion fell down.131When they reached the warlike expedition of the emperor three of the cushions fell down at once.132And when the tale was finished there were no more cushions under the empress, but the moment that they lifted their caps, and showed their golden hair and the golden stars, the eyes of the emperor and of all his guests were bent on them, and they could hardly bear the power of so many glances.133And there happened in the end what should have happened in the beginning.134Laptitza sat next her husband at the top of the table.135The stepmother’s daughter became the meanest sewing maid in the palace, the stepmother was tied to a wild horse, and every one knew and has never forgotten that whoever has a mind turned to wickedness is sure to end badly.136(Rumanische Marchen.)1 2← previousThe Young Man Who Would Have His Eyes Openednext →The Frog↑ back to The Violet Fairy BookThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg641/35/page/2/