Part 19 (1/2)
”As a Princess I think it is my duty to marry this brave shepherd who has delivered my country from this terrible dragon, and--and I think I should want to marry him anyway.”
She said the last part of her speech in such a very low voice that only the shepherd himself heard it. But that was right enough because after all it was intended only for him.
So then and there beside the lake before even the shepherd had time to wash his face and hands and put on his smock the Tsar put the Princess's hand in his hand and p.r.o.nounced them betrothed.
After that the shepherd bathed in the lake and then refreshed and clean he sounded his bagpipes and he and the Princess and the Tsar and all the courtiers returned to the city driving the sheep before them.
All the townspeople came out to meet them and they danced to the music of the bagpipes and there was great rejoicing both over the death of the dragon and over the betrothal of the Princess and the brave shepherd.
The wedding took place at once and the wedding festivities lasted a week. Such feasting as the townspeople had! Such music and dancing!
When the wedding festivities were ended, the shepherd told the Tsar who he really was.
”You say you're a Prince!” the Tsar cried, perfectly delighted at this news. Then he declared he wasn't in the least surprised. In fact, he said, he had suspected as much from the first!
”Do you think it likely,” he asked somewhat pompously, ”that any daughter of mine would fall in love with a man who wasn't a prince?”
”I think I'd have fallen in love with you whatever you were!” whispered the Princess to her young husband. But she didn't let her father hear her!
The Prince told the Tsar about his brothers' captivity and how he must go home to release them, and the Tsar at once said that he and his bride might go provided they returned as soon as possible.
They agreed to this and the Tsar fitted out a splendid escort for them and sent them away with his blessing.
So the Prince now traveled back through the towns and villages of three kingdoms, across rivers and over mountains, no longer a humble shepherd on foot, but a rich and mighty personage riding in a manner that befitted his rank.
When he reached the deserted mill, his friend the old woman was waiting for him.
”I know, my Prince, you have succeeded for the monster has disappeared.”
”Yes, granny, you are right: I have succeeded. I found the dragon in the lake, and the boar in the dragon, and the rabbit in the boar, and the pigeon in the rabbit, and the sparrow in the pigeon. I took the sparrow and killed it. So you are free now, granny, to return to your home. And soon all those other poor captives will be free.”
He went behind the mill and found the three willow saplings. He cut them off and struck the old root. Sure enough a heavy iron door opened. This led down into a deep dungeon which was crowded with unfortunate prisoners. The Prince led them all out and sent them their various ways.
He found his own two brothers among them and led them home to his father.
There was great rejoicing in the King's house, and in the King's heart, too, for he had given up hope of ever seeing any of his sons again.
The King was so charmed with the Princess that he said it was a pity that she couldn't marry his oldest son so that she might one day be Queen.
”The Youngest Prince is a capable young man,” the King said, ”and there's no denying that he managed this business of killing the dragon very neatly. But he is after all only the Youngest Prince with very little hope of succeeding to the kingdom. If you hadn't married him in such haste one of his older brothers might easily have fallen in love with you.”
”I don't regret my haste,” the Princess said. ”Besides he is now my father's heir. But that doesn't matter for I should be happy with the Youngest Prince if he were only a shepherd.”
THE LITTLE SINGING FROG
[Ill.u.s.tration]
_The Story of a Girl Whose Parents Were Ashamed of Her_