Lovely Ilonka

Lovely Ilonka

There was once a king’s son who told his father that he wished to

marry.

“No, no!” said the king; “you must not be in such a hurry. Wait till

you have done some great deed. My father did not let me marry till I

had won the golden sword you see me wear.”

The prince was much disappointed, but he never dreamed of disobeying

his father, and he began to think with all his might what he could do.

It was no use staying at home, so one day he wandered out into the

world to try his luck, and as he walked along he came to a little hut

in which he found an old woman crouching over the fire.

“Good evening, mother. I see you have lived long in this world; do you

know anything about the three bulrushes?”

“Yes, indeed, I’ve lived long and been much about in the world, but I

have never seen or heard anything of what you ask. Still, if you will

wait till to-morrow I may be able to tell you something.”

Well, he waited till the morning, and quite early the old woman

appeared and took out a little pipe and blew in it, and in a moment all

the crows in the world were flying about her. Not one was missing. Then

she asked if they knew anything about the three bulrushes, but not one

of them did.

The prince went on his way, and a little further on he found another

hut in which lived an old man. On being questioned the old man said he

knew nothing, but begged the prince to stay overnight, and the next

morning the old man called all the ravens together, but they too had

nothing to tell.

The prince bade him farewell and set out. He wandered so far that he

crossed seven kingdoms, and at last, one evening, he came to a little

house in which was an old woman.

“Good evening, dear mother,” said he politely.

“Good evening to you, my dear son,” answered the old woman. “It is

lucky for you that you spoke to me or you would have met with a

horrible death. But may I ask where are you going?”

“I am seeking the three bulrushes. Do you know anything about them?”

“I don’t know anything myself, but wait till to-morrow. Perhaps I can

tell you then.” So the next morning she blew on her pipe, and lo! and

behold every magpie in the world flew up. That is to say, all the

magpies except one who had broken a leg and a wing. The old woman sent

after it at once, and when she questioned the magpies the crippled one

was the only one who knew where the three bulrushes were.

Then the prince started off with the lame magpie. They went on and on

till they reached a great stone wall, many, many feet high.

“Now, prince,” said the magpie, “the three bulrushes are behind that

wall.”

The prince wasted no time. He set his horse at the wall and leaped over

it. Then he looked about for the three bulrushes, pulled them up and

set off with them on his way home. As he rode along one of the

bulrushes happened to knock against something. It split open and, only

think! out sprang a lovely girl, who said: “My heart’s love, you are

mine and I am yours; do give me a glass of water.”

But how could the prince give it her when there was no water at hand?

So the lovely maiden flew away. He split the second bulrush as an

experiment and just the same thing happened.

How careful he was of the third bulrush! He waited till he came to a

well, and there he split it open, and out sprang a maiden seven times

lovelier than either of the others, and she too said: “My heart’s love,

I am yours and you are mine; do give me a glass of water.”

This time the water was ready and the girl did not fly away, but she

and the prince promised to love each other always. Then they set out

for home.

They soon reached the prince’s country, and as he wished to bring his

promised bride back in a fine coach he went on to the town to fetch

one. In the field where the well was, the king’s swineherds and

cowherds were feeding their droves, and the prince left Ilonka (for

that was her name) in their care.

Unluckily the chief swineherd had an ugly old daughter, and whilst the

prince was away he dressed her up in fine clothes, and threw Ilonka

into the well.

The prince returned before long, bringing with him his father and

mother and a great train of courtiers to escort Ilonka home. But how

they all stared when they saw the swineherd’s ugly daughter! However,

there was nothing for it but to take her home; and, two days later, the

prince married her, and his father gave up the crown to him.

But he had no peace! He knew very well he had been cheated, though he

could not think how. Once he desired to have some water brought him

from the well into which Ilonka had been thrown. The coachman went for

it and, in the bucket he pulled up, a pretty little duck was swimming.

He looked wonderingly at it, and all of a sudden it disappeared and he

found a dirty looking girl standing near him. The girl returned with

him and managed to get a place as housemaid in the palace.

Of course she was very busy all day long, but whenever she had a little

spare time she sat down to spin. Her distaff turned of itself and her

spindle span by itself and the flax wound itself off; and however much

she might use there was always plenty left.

When the queen—or, rather, the swineherd’s daughter—heard of this, she

very much wished to have the distaff, but the girl flatly refused to

give it to her. However, at last she consented on condition that she

might sleep one night in the king’s room. The queen was very angry, and

scolded her well; but as she longed to have the distaff she consented,

though she gave the king a sleeping draught at supper.

Then the girl went to the king’s room looking seven times lovelier than

ever. She bent over the sleeper and said: “My heart’s love, I am yours

and you are mine. Speak to me but once; I am your Ilonka.” But the king

was so sound asleep he neither heard nor spoke, and Ilonka left the

room, sadly thinking he was ashamed to own her.

Soon after the queen again sent to say that she wanted to buy the

spindle. The girl agreed to let her have it on the same conditions as

before; but this time, also, the queen took care to give the king a

sleeping draught. And once more Ilonka went to the king’s room and

spoke to him; whisper as sweetly as she might she could get no answer.

Now some of the king’s servants had taken note of the matter, and

warned their master not to eat and drink anything that the queen

offered him, as for two nights running she had given him a sleeping

draught. The queen had no idea that her doings had been discovered; and

when, a few days later, she wanted the flax, and had to pay the same

price for it, she felt no fears at all.

At supper that night the queen offered the king all sorts of nice

things to eat and drink, but he declared he was not hungry, and went

early to bed.

The queen repented bitterly her promise to the girl, but it was too

late to recall it; for Ilonka had already entered the king’s room,

where he lay anxiously waiting for something, he knew not what. All of

a sudden he saw a lovely maiden who bent over him and said: “My dearest

love, I am yours and you are mine. Speak to me, for I am your Ilonka.”

At these words the king’s heart bounded within him. He sprang up and

embraced and kissed her, and she told him all her adventures since the

moment he had left her. And when he heard all that Ilonka had suffered,

and how he had been deceived, he vowed he would be revenged; so he gave

orders that the swineherd, his wife and daughter should all be hanged;

and so they were.

The next day the king was married, with great rejoicings, to the fair

Ilonka; and if they are not yet dead—why, they are still living.

[From Ungarische Mährchen.]