Trusty John

TRUSTY JOHN

Once upon a time there was an old king who was so ill that he thought to

himself, “I am most likely on my death-bed.” Then he said, “Send Trusty

John to me.” Now Trusty John was his favorite servant, and was so called

because all his life he had served him so faithfully. When he approached

the bed the King spake to him: “Most trusty John, I feel my end is

drawing near, and I could face it without a care were it not for my son.

He is still too young to decide everything for himself, and unless you

promise me to instruct him in all he should know, and to be to him as a

father, I shall not close my eyes in peace.” Then Trusty John answered:

“I will never desert him, and will serve him faithfully, even though it

should cost me my life.” Then the old King said: “Now I die comforted

and in peace”; and then he went on: “After my death you must show him

the whole castle, all the rooms and apartments and vaults, and all the

treasures that lie in them; but you must not show him the last room in

the long passage, where the picture of the Princess of the Golden Roof

is hidden. When he beholds that picture he will fall violently in love

with it and go off into a dead faint, and for her sake he will encounter

many dangers; you must guard him from this.” And when Trusty John had

again given the King his hand upon it the old man became silent, laid

his head on the pillow, and died.

When the old King had been carried to his grave Trusty John told the

young King what he had promised his father on his death-bed, and added:

“And I shall assuredly keep my word, and shall be faithful to you as I

have been to him, even though it should cost me my life.”

Now when the time of mourning was over, Trusty John said to him: “It

is time you should see your inheritance. I will show you your ancestral

castle.” So he took him over everything, and let him see all the riches

and splendid apartments, only the one room where the picture was he

did not open. But the picture was placed so that if the door opened

you gazed straight upon it, and it was so beautifully painted that

you imagined it lived and moved, and that it was the most lovable and

beautiful thing in the whole world. But the young King noticed that

Trusty John always missed one door, and said: “Why do you never open

this one for me?” “There is something inside that would appall you,” he

answered. But the King replied: “I have seen the whole castle, and shall

find out what is in there”; and with these words he approached the door

and wanted to force it open. But Trusty John held him back, and said: “I

promised your father before his death that you shouldn’t see what that

room contains. It might bring both you and me to great grief.” “Ah!

no,” answered the young King; “if I don’t get in, it will be my certain

destruction; I should have no peace night or day till I had seen what

was in the room with my own eyes. Now I don’t budge from the spot till

you have opened the door.”

Then Trusty John saw there was no way out of it, so with a heavy heart

and many sighs he took the key from the big bunch. When he had opened

the door he stepped in first, and thought to cover the likeness so that

the King might not perceive it; but it was hopeless: the King stood on

tiptoe and looked over his shoulder. And when he saw the picture of the

maid, so beautiful and glittering with gold and precious stones, he fell

swooning to the ground. Trusty John lifted him up, carried him to bed,

and thought sorrowfully: “The curse has come upon us; gracious heaven!

what will be the end of it all?” Then he poured wine down his throat

till he came to himself again. The first words he spoke were: “Oh! who

is the original of the beautiful picture?” “She is the Princess of the

Golden Roof,” answered Trusty John. Then the King continued: “My love

for her is so great that if all the leaves on the trees had tongues they

could not express it; my very life depends on my winning her. You are my

most trusty John: you must stand by me.”

The faithful servant pondered long how they were to set about the

matter, for it was said to be difficult even to get into the presence of

the Princess. At length he hit upon a plan, and spoke to the King: “All

the things she has about her--tables, chairs, dishes, goblets, bowls,

and all her household furniture--are made of gold. You have in

your treasure five tons of gold; let the goldsmiths of your kingdom

manufacture them into all manner of vases and vessels, into all sorts of

birds and game and wonderful beasts; that will please her. We shall

go to her with them and try our luck.” The King summoned all his

goldsmiths, and they had to work hard day and night, till at length the

most magnificent things were completed. When a ship had been laden with

them the faithful John disguised himself as a merchant, and the King had

to do the same, so that they should be quite unrecognizable. And so

they crossed the seas and journeyed till they reached the town where the

Princess of the Golden Roof dwelt.

Trusty John made the King remain behind on the ship and await his

return. “Perhaps,” he said, “I may bring the Princess back with me, so

see that everything is in order; let the gold ornaments be arranged and

the whole ship decorated.” Then he took a few of the gold things in his

apron, went ashore, and proceeded straight to the palace. When he came

to the courtyard he found a beautiful maiden standing at the well,

drawing water with two golden pails. And as she was about to carry away

the glittering water she turned round and saw the stranger, and asked

him who he was. Then he replied: “I am a merchant,” and opening his

apron, he let her peep in. “Oh! my,” she cried; “what beautiful gold

wares!” she set down her pails, and examined one thing after the other.

Then she said: “The Princess must see this, she has such a fancy for

gold things that she will buy up all you have.” She took him by the hand

and let him into the palace, for she was the lady’s maid.

When the Princess had seen the wares she was quite enchanted, and said:

“They are all so beautifully made that I shall buy everything you have.”

But Trusty John said: “I am only the servant of a rich merchant, what

I have here is nothing compared to what my master has on his ship; his

merchandise is more artistic and costly than anything that has ever been

made in gold before.” She desired to have everything brought up to her,

but he said: “There is such a quantity of things that it would take many

days to bring them up, and they would take up so many rooms that

you would have no space for them in your house.” Thus her desire and

curiosity were excited to such an extent that at last she said: “Take me

to your ship; I shall go there myself and view your master’s treasures.”

Then Trusty John was quite delighted, and brought her to the ship; and

the King, when he beheld her, saw that she was even more beautiful than

her picture, and thought every moment that his heart would burst. She

stepped on to the ship, and the King led her inside. But Trusty John

remained behind with the steersman, and ordered the ship to push off.

“Spread all sail, that we may fly on the ocean like a bird in the air.”

Meanwhile the King showed the Princess inside all his gold wares, every

single bit of it--dishes, goblets, bowls, the birds and game, and all

the wonderful beasts. Many hours passed thus, and she was so happy that

she did not notice that the ship was sailing away. After she had seen

the last thing she thanked the merchant and prepared to go home; but

when she came to the ship’s side she saw that they were on the high

seas, far from land, and that the ship was speeding on its way under

full canvas. “Oh!” she cried in terror, “I am deceived, carried away and

betrayed into the power of a merchant; I would rather have died!” But

the King seized her hand and spake: “I am no merchant, but a king of as

high birth as yourself; and it was my great love for you that made me

carry you off by stratagem. The first time I saw your likeness I fell to

the ground in a swoon.” When the Princess of the Golden Roof heard this

she was comforted, and her heart went out to him, so that she willingly

consented to become his wife.

Now it happened one day, while they were sailing on the high seas,

that Trusty John, sitting on the forepart of the ship, fiddling away to

himself, observed three ravens in the air flying toward him. He ceased

playing, and listened to what they were saying, for he understood their

language. The one croaked: “Ah, ha! so he’s bringing the Princess of

the Golden Roof home.” “Yes,” answered the second, “but he’s not got her

yet.” “Yes, he has,” spake the third, “for she’s sitting beside him on

the ship.” Then number one began again and cried: “That’ll not help him!

When they reach the land a chestnut horse will dash forward to greet

them: the King will wish to mount it, and if he does it will gallop away

with him, and disappear into the air, and he will never see his bride

again.” “Is there no escape for him?” asked number two. “Oh! yes, if

someone else mounts quickly and shoots the horse dead with the pistol

that is sticking in the holster, then the young King is saved. But who’s

to do that? And anyone who knows it and tells him will be turned into

stone from his feet to his knees.” Then spake number two: “I know more

than that: even if the horse is slain, the young King will still not

keep his bride: when they enter the palace together they will find a

ready-made wedding shirt in a cupboard, which looks as though it were

woven of gold and silver, but is really made of nothing but sulphur and

tar: when the King puts it on it will burn him to his marrow and bones.”

Number three asked: “Is there no way of escape, then?” “Oh! yes,”

answered number two: “If someone seizes the shirt with gloved hands and

throws it into the fire, and lets it burn, then the young King is saved.

But what’s the good? Anyone knowing this and telling it will have half

his body turned into stone, from his knees to his heart.” Then number

three spake: “I know yet more: though the bridal shirt too be burnt, the

King hasn’t even then secured his bride: when the dance is held after

the wedding, and the young Queen is dancing, she will suddenly grow

deadly white, and drop down like one dead, and unless some one lifts her

up and draws three drops of blood from her right side, and spits them

out again, she will die. But if anyone who knows this betrays it, he

will be turned into stone from the crown of his head to the soles of his

feet.” When the ravens had thus conversed they fled onward, but Trusty

John had taken it all in, and was sad and depressed from that time

forward; for if he were silent to his master concerning what he had

heard, he would involve him in misfortune; but if he took him into his

confidence, then he himself would forfeit his life. At last he said: “I

will stand by my master, though it should be my ruin.”

Now when they drew near the land it came to pass just as the ravens had

predicted, and a splendid chestnut horse bounded forward. “Capital!”

said the King; “this animal shall carry me to my palace,” and was about

to mount, but Trusty John was too sharp for him, and, springing up

quickly, seized the pistol out of the holster and shot the horse dead.

Then the other servants of the King, who at no time looked favorably on

Trusty John, cried out: “What a sin to kill the beautiful beast that was

to bear the King to his palace!” But the King spake: “Silence! let him

alone; he is ever my most trusty John. Who knows for what good end he

may have done this thing?” So they went on their way and entered

the palace, and there in the hall stood a cupboard in which lay the

ready-made bridal shirt, looking for all the world as though it were

made of gold and silver. The young King went toward it and was about to

take hold of it, but Trusty John, pushing him aside, seized it with his

gloved hands, threw it hastily into the fire, and let it burn The

other servants commenced grumbling again, and said: “See, he’s actually

burning the King’s bridal shirt.” But the young King spoke: “Who knows

for what good purpose he does it? Let him alone, he is my most trusty

John.” Then the wedding was celebrated, the dance began, and the bride

joined in, but Trusty John watched her countenance carefully. Of a

sudden she grew deadly white, and fell to the ground as if she were

dead. He at once sprang hastily toward her, lifted her up, and bore her

to a room, where he laid her down, and kneeling beside her he drew three

drops of blood from her right side, and spat them out. She soon

breathed again and came to herself; but the young King had watched the

proceeding, and not knowing why Trusty John had acted as he did, he flew

into a passion, and cried: “Throw him into prison.” On the following

morning sentence was passed on Trusty John, and he was condemned to be

hanged. As he stood on the gallows he said: “Every one doomed to

death has the right to speak once before he dies; and I too have that

privilege?” “Yes,” said the King, “it shall be granted to you.” So

Trusty John spoke: “I am unjustly condemned, for I have always been

faithful to you”; and he proceeded to relate how he had heard the

ravens’ conversation on the sea, and how he had to do all he did in

order to save his master. Then the King cried: “Oh! my most trusty John,

pardon! pardon! Take him down.” But as he uttered the last word Trusty

John had fallen lifeless to the ground, and was a stone.

The King and Queen were in despair, and the King spake: “Ah! how ill

have I rewarded such great fidelity!” and made them lift up the stone

image and place it in his bedroom near his bed. As often as he looked at

it he wept and said: “Oh! if I could only restore you to life, my most

trusty John!” After a time the Queen gave birth to twins, two small

sons, who throve and grew, and were a constant joy to her. One day when

the Queen was at church, and the two children sat and played with their

father, he gazed again full of grief on the stone statue, and sighing,

wailed: “Oh, if I could only restore you to life, my most trusty John!”

Suddenly the stone began to speak, and said: “Yes, you can restore me

to life again if you are prepared to sacrifice what you hold most dear.”

And the King cried out: “All I have in the world will I give up for your

sake.” The stone continued: “If you cut off with your own hand the heads

of your two children, and smear me with their blood, I shall come back

to life.” The King was aghast when he heard that he had himself to put

his children to death; but when he thought of Trusty John’s fidelity,

and how he had even died for him, he drew his sword, and with his own

hand cut the heads off his children. And when he had smeared the stone

with their blood, life came back, and Trusty John stood once more safe

and sound before him. He spake to the King: “Your loyalty shall be

rewarded,” and taking up the heads of the children, he placed them on

their bodies, smeared the wounds with their blood, and in a minute they

were all right again and jumping about as if nothing had happened.

Then the King was full of joy, and when he saw the Queen coming, he hid

Trusty John and the two children in a big cupboard. As she entered he

said to her: “Did you pray in church?” “Yes,” she answered, “but my

thoughts dwelt constantly on Trusty John, and of what he has suffered

for us.” Then he spake: “Dear wife, we can restore him to life, but the

price asked is our two little sons; we must sacrifice them.” The Queen

grew white and her heart sank, but she replied: “We owe it to him on

account of his great fidelity.” Then he rejoiced that she was of the

same mind as he had been, and going forward he opened the cupboard, and

fetched the two children and Trusty John out, saying: “God be praised!

Trusty John is free once more, and we have our two small sons again.”

Then he related to her all that had passed, and they lived together

happily ever afterward.(1)

(1) Grimm.