🧚 The Story of the Boy With the Deformed Head.

Once upon a time there lived a poor man and his wife who had only one child, and this Boy, as it happened, was born with a deformed head, which projected in front and behind, and gave him a very ugly appearance.1 The parents, although much grieved at their son’s deformity, were, nevertheless, very fond of him and brought him up very carefully.2 Every day, when he grew big enough, he used to drive the cows out to pasture, and all day long he sat about on the hillsides watching the cattle graze.3 And so he passed his life very happily until, when he reached the age of fifteen, he began to think he should like to marry a wife as other young men did, but he feared that owing to his deformity no girl would ever look at him.4

One day it chanced that he drove his cows to graze on the rich pasture on the edge of a small lake, and as he was sitting near the shore of the lake all of a sudden he saw a large white Drake descend from the sky, and light upon the surface of the water.5 As soon as it was seated upon the water it swam round the lake three times to the right and then three times to the left, and having done so it flew away again and disappeared into the sky.6

The Boy watched the behaviour of this Drake with some interest.7 He had never before seen so large and beautiful a bird, nor one that behaved so strangely.8 So next day he again sat down in the same place, and kept a sharp look-out for the bird.9 At the same hour as on the previous day the Drake again appeared in the sky, and descending upon the lake, acted in precisely the same manner as before.10 And it continued to do so for several days, the Boy always watching its behaviour with increased interest.11

At last he determined that he would try to catch this Drake for himself, so he wove himself a long rope of yaks’ hair, big enough to completely encircle the lake, and he laid this upon the shore in a loop extending right round the lake; and at short intervals along the rope he fastened loops made of the finest horse hair, the loose ends of which he left floating in the water.12

Next day the Drake came as usual and began to swim round the lake to the right.13 It had not gone very far when it put its foot into one of the loops and was caught.14 The Boy at once ran down to the shore of the lake, and taking the Drake in his hands, he tied its wings and legs together, and set it down on the grass beside him.15

“Now,” thought he to himself, “what shall I do with this fine white Drake?16 I will take him home and kill him, and he will make a nice dinner for father and mother and me.”17

Just as he was thinking this, to his intense surprise, the Drake spoke to him as follows:18

“I beg of you not to kill me, my good boy,” said he, “for you must know I am not in reality a Drake as I appear to be, but I am a fairy King just come from the region of the gods.19 It is my habit every day to descend to this lake in the form of a white Drake, and to amuse myself by swimming round and round.20 If you will now consent to let me go I will reward you liberally.21 You shall have gold and silver and jewels and coral, as much as you wish, and sumptuous food every day for the rest of your life.”22

On hearing this the Boy laughed, and replied:23

“You should not tell me such stories as these.24 How am I to know that you are really a fairy?25 It seems to me that all you are in a position to give me is your feathers.”26

“I hope you will not disbelieve my word,” replied the Drake very earnestly; “I assure you I can do all this, and even more, if you will release me.”27

“Well,” said the Boy, “if that is really so I will make a bargain with you.28 I do not care at all for your gold or your jewels, but what I really want is a wife.29 If you can promise to supply me with a wife I will let you go.”30

“Well,” said the Drake, “that, too, can be arranged.31 I have three daughters living in my kingdom in the skies, and I will give you as wife any one of them whom you desire.32 Would you prefer the eldest, or the youngest, or the middle one?”33

The Boy was greatly pleased on hearing this offer of the Drake’s, and he thought to himself:34

“I will not take the eldest girl, for fear she should be too old, nor the youngest, for fear she should be too young.35 I will select the middle one.”36

So he told the Drake that he would like his middle daughter.37

“Very well,” said the Drake, “I will arrange the matter accordingly, and I will meet you here to-morrow with my middle daughter.38 But there is one condition which always attaches to the marriage of a mortal with a fairy, and that is that she can only live with you for nine years.39 At the conclusion of that time she is bound to return to her home in the heavens.”40

The Boy agreed to this condition, and when all the details had been satisfactorily arranged he cut the cords which bound the Drake and let him go.41 The bird spread his wings and flew up into the sky; and after circling for a few minutes he flew straight upwards and disappeared from sight, whilst the Boy went home to his father and mother.42

The Drake flew far up into the blue sky until he arrived at the country of the gods, where he changed at once into the form and raiment of the King of the Fairies.43 Seating himself upon his throne, he summoned his three daughters before him and informed them of what had occurred; and he gave orders to his middle daughter to prepare herself forthwith to go and marry a mortal.44 The girl wept bitterly on hearing this, but nevertheless she prepared to carry out her father’s orders, and got ready a large stock of beautiful clothes and much gold and silver and jewels to take with her.45

Next day, at the appointed hour, the Boy went down to the lake as usual, and seated himself in his usual place; and not long afterwards he saw the white Drake and a white Duck flying towards him from the sky.46 They descended swiftly until they touched the ground, where they were at once transformed into the Fairy King and his beautiful daughter.47 The boy was overcome with joy when he saw the lovely wife that had been brought to him; but the girl was horrified at his ugly appearance, and begged her father to take her back to her abode in the skies.48 The Fairy King, however, insisted upon her carrying out her share of the bargain, so leaving his daughter with the Boy, he again turned himself into a Drake and, flying up into the sky, he disappeared from view.49

The Boy now led his bride home to his father and mother, and next day the marriage was duly completed.50 The Fairy wife, by means of her magic, was able to erect a magnificent palace, and to furnish it in the most luxurious manner with everything necessary for comfort; and she supplied, moreover, horses and servants, and everything else that a married couple could desire.51 So the two took up their abode in this fine house and, together with the old father and mother, they lived there happily for several years; and as time passed away the fairy wife became accustomed to her husband’s forbidding appearance, and year by year became more and more attached to him.52

So the time slipped by and at last the nine years of the Fairy wife’s abode upon earth came to an end.53 The young Man, however, had become so accustomed to her presence that he could hardly believe that the Fairy King’s words would come true and that he should really be deprived of his wife when the appointed time arrived.54 So on the last night of the ninth year he went to bed as usual in his magnificent chamber, clothed in rich silks, and surrounded by all the evidences of wealth and luxury.55