Jack My Hedgehog

JACK MY HEDGEHOG

There was once a farmer who lived in great comfort. He had both lands

and money, but, though he was so well off, one thing was wanting to

complete his happiness; he had no children. Many and many a time, when

he met other farmers at the nearest market town, they would teaze him,

asking how it came about that he was childless. At length he grew so

angry that he exclaimed: 'I must and will have a child of some sort or

kind, even should it only be a hedgehog!'

Not long after this his wife gave birth to a child, but though the lower

half of the little creature was a fine boy, from the waist upwards it

was a hedgehog, so that when his mother first saw him she was quite

frightened, and said to her husband, 'There now, you have cursed the

child yourself.' The farmer said, 'What's the use of making a fuss? I

suppose the creature must be christened, but I don't see how we are to

ask anyone to be sponsor to him, and what are we to call him?'

'There is nothing we can possibly call him but Jack my Hedgehog,'

replied the wife.

So they took him to be christened, and the parson said: You'll never be

able to put that child in a decent bed on account of his prickles.'

Which was true, but they shook down some straw for him behind the stove,

and there he lay for eight years. His father grew very tired of him and

often wished him dead, but he did not die, but lay on there year after

year.

Now one day there was a big fair at the market town to which the farmer

meant to go, so he asked his wife what he should bring her from it.

'Some meat and a couple of big loaves for the house,' said she. Then he

asked the maid what she wanted, and she said a pair of slippers and some

stockings. Lastly he said, 'Well, Jack my Hedgehog, and what shall I

bring you?'

'Daddy,' said he, 'do bring me a bagpipe.' When the farmer came home he

gave his wife and the maid the things they had asked for, and then he

went behind the stove and gave Jack my Hedgehog the bagpipes.

When Jack had got his bagpipes he said, 'Daddy, do go to the smithy and

have the house cock shod for me; then I'll ride off and trouble you no

more.' His father, who was delighted at the prospect of getting rid of

him, had the cock shod, and when it was ready Jack my Hedgehog mounted

on its back and rode off to the forest, followed by all the pigs and

asses which he had promised to look after.

[Illustration]

Having reached the forest he made the cock fly up to the top of a very

tall tree with him, and there he sat looking after his pigs and donkeys,

and he sat on and on for several years till he had quite a big herd; but

all this time his father knew nothing about him.

As he sat up in his tree he played away on his pipes and drew the

loveliest music from them. As he was playing one day a King, who had

lost his way, happened to pass close by, and hearing the music he was

much surprised, and sent one of his servants to find out where it came

from. The man peered about, but he could see nothing but a little

creature which looked like a cock with a hedgehog sitting on it, perched

up in a tree. The King desired the servant to ask the strange creature

why it sat there, and if it knew the shortest way to his kingdom.

On this Jack my Hedgehog stepped down from his tree and said he would

undertake to show the King his way home if the King on his part would

give him his written promise to let him have whatever first met him on

his return.

The King thought to himself, 'That's easy enough to promise. The

creature won't understand a word about it, so I can just write what I

choose.'

[Illustration]

So he took pen and ink and wrote something, and when he had done Jack my

Hedgehog pointed out the way and the King got safely home.

Now when the King's daughter saw her father returning in the distance

she was so delighted that she ran to meet him and threw herself into his

arms. Then the King remembered Jack my Hedgehog, and he told his

daughter how he had been obliged to give a written promise to bestow

whatever he first met when he got home on an extraordinary creature

which had shown him the way. The creature, said he, rode on a cock as

though it had been a horse, and it made lovely music, but as it

certainly could not read he had just written that he would not give it

anything at all. At this the Princess was quite pleased, and said how

cleverly her father had managed, for that of course nothing would induce

her to have gone off with Jack my Hedgehog.

Meantime Jack minded his asses and pigs, sat aloft in his tree, played

his bagpipes, and was always merry and cheery. After a time it so

happened that another King, having lost his way, passed by with his

servants and escort, wondering how he could find his way home, for the

forest was very vast. He too heard the music, and told one of his men to

find out whence it came. The man came under the tree, and looking up to

the top there he saw Jack my Hedgehog astride on the cock.

The servant asked Jack what he was doing up there. 'I'm minding my pigs

and donkeys; but what do you want?' was the reply. Then the servant told

him they had lost their way, and wanted some one to show it them. Down

came Jack my Hedgehog with his cock, and told the old King he would show

him the right way if he would solemnly promise to give him the first

thing he met in front of his royal castle.

The King said 'Yes,' and gave Jack a written promise to that effect.

Then Jack rode on in front pointing out the way, and the King reached

his own country in safety.

Now he had an only daughter who was extremely beautiful, and who,

delighted at her father's return, ran to meet him, threw her arms round

his neck and kissed him heartily. Then she asked where he had been

wandering so long, and he told her how he had lost his way and might

never have reached home at all but for a strange creature, half-man,

half-hedgehog, which rode a cock and sat up in a tree making lovely

music, and which had shown him the right way. He also told her how he

had been obliged to pledge his word to give the creature the first thing

which met him outside his castle gate, and he felt very sad at the

thought that she had been the first thing to meet him.

But the Princess comforted him, and said she should be quite willing to

go with Jack my Hedgehog whenever he came to fetch her, because of the

great love she bore to her dear old father.

Jack my Hedgehog continued to herd his pigs, and they increased in

number till there were so many that the forest seemed full of them. So

he made up his mind to live there no longer, and sent a message to his

father telling him to have all the stables and outhouses in the village

cleared, as he was going to bring such an enormous herd that all who

would might kill what they chose. His father was much vexed at this

news, for he thought Jack had died long ago. Jack my Hedgehog mounted

his cock, and driving his pigs before him into the village, he let every

one kill as many as they chose, and such a hacking and hewing of pork

went on as you might have heard for miles off.

Then said Jack, 'Daddy, let the blacksmith shoe my cock once more; then

I'll ride off, and I promise you I'll never come back again as long as I

live.' So the father had the cock shod, and rejoiced at the idea of

getting rid of his son.

Then Jack my Hedgehog set off for the first kingdom, and there the King

had given strict orders that if anyone should be seen riding a cock and

carrying a bagpipe he was to be chased away and shot at, and on no

account to be allowed to enter the palace. So when Jack my Hedgehog rode

up the guards charged him with their bayonets, but he put spurs to his

cock, flew up over the gate right to the King's windows, let himself

down on the sill, and called out that if he was not given what had been

promised him, both the King and his daughter should pay for it with

their lives. Then the King coaxed and entreated his daughter to go with

Jack and so save both their lives.

The Princess dressed herself all in white, and her father gave her a

coach with six horses and servants in gorgeous liveries and quantities

of money. She stepped into the coach, and Jack my Hedgehog with his cock

and pipes took his place beside her. They both took leave, and the King

fully expected never to set eyes on them again. But matters turned out

very differently from what he had expected, for when they had got a

certain distance from the town Jack tore all the Princess's smart

clothes off her, and pricked her all over with his bristles, saying:

'That's what you get for treachery. Now go back, I'll have no more to

say to you.' And with that he hunted her home, and she felt she had been

disgraced and put to shame till her life's end.

Then Jack my Hedgehog rode on with his cock and bagpipes to the country

of the second King to whom he had shown the way. Now this King had given

orders that, in the event of Jack's coming the guards were to present

arms, the people to cheer, and he was to be conducted in triumph to the

royal palace.

When the King's daughter saw Jack my Hedgehog, she was a good deal

startled, for he certainly was very peculiar looking; but after all she

considered that she had given her word and it couldn't be helped. So she

made Jack welcome and they were betrothed to each other, and at dinner

he sat next her at the royal table, and they ate and drank together.

[Illustration]

When they retired to rest the Princess feared lest Jack should kiss her

because of his prickles, but he told her not to be alarmed as no harm

should befall her. Then he begged the old King to place a watch of four

men just outside his bedroom door, and to desire them to make a big

fire. When he was about to lie down in bed he would creep out of his

hedgehog skin, and leave it lying at the bedside; then the men must rush

in, throw the skin into the fire, and stand by till it was entirely

burnt up.

And so it was, for when it struck eleven, Jack my Hedgehog went to his

room, took off his skin and left it at the foot of the bed. The men

rushed in, quickly seized the skin and threw it on the fire, and

directly it was all burnt Jack was released from his enchantment and lay

in his bed a man from head to foot, but quite black as though he had

been severely scorched.

The King sent off for his physician in ordinary, who washed Jack all

over with various essences and salves, so that he became white and was a

remarkably handsome young man. When the King's daughter saw him she was

greatly pleased, and next day the marriage ceremony was performed, and

the old King bestowed his kingdom on Jack my Hedgehog.

After some years Jack and his wife went to visit his father, but the

farmer did not recognise him, and declared he had no son; he had had

one, but that one was born with bristles like a hedgehog, and had gone

off into the wide world. Then Jack told his story, and his old father

rejoiced and returned to live with him in his kingdom.

Grimm.