The Five Servants
by Unknown · from Tales of Laughter: A third fairy book
Adapted Version
Once upon a time, there was a queen. She had a beautiful daughter, a princess. Many princes wanted to marry her. But the Queen gave them hard jobs. If they failed, she sent them away. The Queen was not kind.
A young Prince heard about the Princess. He wanted to meet her. His father said, "No." The Prince was sad. He stayed in his bed. Then father said yes. The Prince was happy.
The Prince went on his way. He met Fat Man. Fat Man ate much food. Listener heard all sounds. Long Man was very tall. Freezing Man was always cold. Keen-Sighted Man saw very far. These special friends joined the Prince.
The Prince came to the palace. He met The Queen. He asked to marry The Princess. The Queen said, "You must do three jobs. These jobs are hard." The Prince said, "Yes."
The first job was to find a ring. The Queen dropped it in the sea. Keen-Sighted Man looked. He saw the ring deep down. Fat Man drank all the sea water. The sea became dry land. Long Man took one big step. He picked up the ring. He gave it to The Prince.
The second job was to eat much food. The Prince invited Fat Man. Fat Man ate all the food. He ate lots and lots. He drank all the wine. He drank lots and lots. He was still hungry. The Queen was very surprised.
The third job was to watch The Princess. The Queen brought The Princess. The special friends watched her. But The Queen used magic. A sleep spell came. Everyone fell asleep. The Princess was spirited away. She was gone.
The friends woke up. The Princess was gone. Listener heard her cry. She was far, far away. Keen-Sighted Man saw her. She sat on a rock. Long Man took two big steps. He went to the rock. He brought The Princess back. She was safe.
The Queen was very angry. She saw The Princess. She told The Princess, "The Prince did nothing. His friends did all work. Princess felt proud. She thought she was better.
The Princess gave a new job. She made a big, warm fire. Someone must sit on it. Freezing Man said, "I will sit." He sat. He was very cold. The fire did not hurt him. He was very special. He sat for many days.
The Queen tried to stop the wedding. Listener heard her plan. He told The Prince. They went to the church fast. The Queen could not stop them. The Prince and The Princess married. They were safe.
The special friends said goodbye. They left The Prince. They were happy for him. They went on their way.
The Princess was still proud. The Prince took her away. They went to a small house. She had to work hard. She cared for pigs. This was a simple life. She wore old clothes. She learned many things.
After some days, The Princess changed. She was not proud. She was kind. The Prince took her to a big palace. He said, "I am a prince." She was happy. She loved him.
They had a big party. The Prince and The Princess were very happy. They lived happily ever after. The Princess learned to be kind. Being kind is better than being proud.
Original Story
The Five Servants
Once upon a time, in a country far away, there lived and ruled an old queen who had such a wicked heart that she was not happy unless she was working evil to others. She had one daughter who was very beautiful, and whom she made use of to further her own evil plans; for, whenever a suitor came to apply for her hand, the old queen set him an impossible task, and chopped off his head without any pity when he could not perform it.
Now, in another country there lived a young prince who had heard of this lovely girl, and he begged his father to let him go and try his luck.
“Not a bit of it,” said the king. “You would only lose your head like the rest.”
But the prince was very anxious to go, and when he found his father was firm, he fell ill and took to his bed for seven years, and not all the doctors in the land could make him well again or restore his fallen spirits. Then the father knew that the lad must die, unless he was allowed to have his own way, so he said:
“Get up, my son, and try your fate.”
At these joyful words the boy jumped out of bed, quite recovered, and you may be sure it was not long before he was ready for his journey and on the road.
One day, as he was swinging along over hill and dale, and fern and brake, he saw a great big thing lying by the roadside. At first he thought it was a huge animal, but as he drew nearer he saw that it was really an enormously fat man, who was as round and jolly as you can imagine. Seeing the traveler, he rose to his feet, and I do believe the earth trembled as he did so.
185“If you are in need of a servant, take me, and you will not repent,” he said, pulling off his cap and bowing.
“Why, whatever should I do with such a fat fellow as you?” answered the prince.
“If I were three thousand times as fat it would not matter, so long as I served you well,” said the man.
“Hum! well, that is very true,” replied the prince. “You may come along, and I dare say I shall be able to put you to some use.”
So they journeyed on together, and presently they came upon a man lying with his ear pressed to the ground.
“What are you doing?” asked the prince.
“I am listening,” answered the man. “I can hear everything that is going on in the world, even the growing of the grass.”
“Ah,” said the prince, “then you can tell me what you hear in the palace of the old queen.”
“I hear the cutting off of a suitor’s head.”
“Come with me, then,” said the prince, “for I can see that you will be useful.”
A little farther on they came upon a pair of legs lying stretched on the grass, but they were so long that the travelers had to walk an hour before they came to the body, and then nearly another hour before they reached the head.
“Well, what a long strip of a chap you are!” said the prince.
“Why, master, you have only seen me when I am lying down,” replied the man. “Just you wait till I stand up. I am thrice as tall as the highest mountain you have ever seen on your travels. Just let me come and be your servant, and I promise that you will find me useful.”
“Willingly,” answered the prince.
Then they all went on their way again till they came to a wood, and here they found a man who, though he was lying in the full heat of the sun, was shivering and shaking so that it was a wonder his teeth did not fall out of his head.
186“Why, my good man,” said the prince, “what makes you shiver so on this hot day?”
“Alas!” groaned the man, “the hotter the day the colder I am; the sun freezes the very marrow in my bones; and when it is what you call cold, I begin to grow hot, so that I nearly burn to death. I cannot bear cold because it is so hot, nor heat because it is so cold.”
“Well, you are an odd fellow,” said the prince. “Suppose you get up and join my train?” So the man agreed.
The next man they met was standing in a field turning his head from side to side in a way that made your neck ache to watch him.
“What are you looking for?” asked the prince.
“I am looking for nothing,” answered the man. “But I have such keen sight that I can see all over the world, through woods and forests, and hills and mountains; nothing can escape my eyes.”
“Well,” said the prince, “if you are willing to take service, join my train, for I have need of such as you.”
Then they all journeyed on together in a very merry fashion, for the prince was light-hearted at the thought of his beautiful bride that was to be. You see, he had quite made up his mind to get the better of the wicked queen. Soon they reached the palace, and the prince presented himself to the queen, and said:
“I am come to ask the hand of your daughter in marriage. Set me what task you like, so long as I may marry her when it is done.”
“Three tasks I will set you,” said the queen, “and when they are done you shall be her husband. First, you must find me the ring that I have dropped in the sea near the palace.”
The prince went home to his servants, and said:
“Now is your chance to prove your worth. You must find me a ring that lies at the bottom of the sea.”
“I will see where it lies,” said the keen-sighted one; and suddenly he shouted: “There it is; it lies on a rock at the bottom of the waves!”
187“I would soon fetch it, if I could see it,” said the long man.
“I can arrange that,” chimed in the fat one, and he lay down beside the sea and began to drink.
And he drank and drank till the sea disappeared, and the bottom lay stretched out before them as dry as a meadow. Then the long man took one stride, and picked up the ring and brought it to the prince.
The old queen was very much surprised to see the ring, but she concealed her annoyance, and, leading the youth to the window, said:
“In yonder field a hundred fat oxen are feeding. You must eat them all before noon, and, in case you are thirsty, you must drink the contents of the hundred casks of wine that are in the cellar.”
“Certainly,” said the youth, cheerfully. “But I should like to invite a friend to eat with me.”
“Oh, by all means,” replied the old hag, with a smile.
So the prince went to his friends and told them the news.
“You will help me to-day?” he said, turning to the fat man; “and for once you will have a good meal.”
So they went straightway to the field where the oxen were, and in no time at all the fat man had gobbled up every one, and still looked hungry. Then the prince took him down to the cellar, and he quenched his thirst with the hundred casks of wine.
Again the youth presented himself to the witch, and astonished her with the news that the task was done.
“Oho! my fine fellow,” she grumbled to herself, “I will catch you yet.
“To-night,” she added aloud, “I will bring the princess and leave her to sit with you; but beware lest you fall asleep, for if I come at twelve and find the princess gone, you are a lost man!”
“That does not sound difficult,” thought the prince. “Surely I can keep awake, if I want to.”
So he told his servants what the third task was to be, and 188they all agreed that a watch had better be kept, lest the old woman should play some trick.
At nightfall the old queen brought her daughter to the prince’s house and returned to the palace. As soon as she was gone, the long man wound himself around the house; the listener lay with his ear to the ground; the fat one stood in the doorway, completely blocking the entrance, and the keen-eyed one kept watch. Within sat the princess, silent as a statue, the moonlight lighting up her beautiful face with a radiant glory, so that the prince could only gaze at her in awe and wonder. So far it was well; but at half past eleven a spell, cast by the old queen, fell on them all, and they slept, and immediately the princess was spirited away.
At a quarter to twelve the spell lost its power, and they awoke to discover what a calamity had fallen upon them.
“Oh, woe is me! woe is me!” cried the prince. “What can save us now?” and the faithful servants wept in unison.
Suddenly the listener said:
“Hark! be still, and I will listen.”
They were quiet at once, and he listened for a moment.
“I hear her bewailing her fate!” he cried.
Then the keen-sighted man turned his head from side to side and cried joyfully:
“I see her sitting on a rock, three hundred miles away. Our long friend can reach her in two strides.”
“Willingly,” cried the man, and he was up and at the foot of the rock before the others could look round. He took the princess in his arms, and she was back in the prince’s house just one moment before twelve, and they all sat down together and rejoiced.
As the clock struck twelve, the old queen came creeping along, looking very spiteful, as she thought she had really won this time; for was not her daughter three hundred miles away? She was not, as we know, and when the queen saw this she felt so angry she would like to have ordered all their heads to be chopped off.
“There must be some one here who is cleverer than I!” 189she screamed, and then she fell to crying, but it was of no use. The prince was firm as a rock, and she had to consent to the wedding; but she whispered to her daughter:
“His servants have done everything for him. Aren’t you ashamed to have a husband who can do nothing at all for himself?”
The daughter had a proud and haughty temper, and her pride began to rise up angrily. So next day she commanded three hundred loads of wood to be brought and piled up in the palace yard and set alight. Then she told the prince that he had performed the tasks only by the help of his servants, and before she would marry him some one must sit upon the woodpile and stay there till it was burned out; for she thought no servant would do so much for him, and he surely would have to do this himself. However, she was wrong, for the freezing man claimed this as his share of the work, and he mounted the woodpile without delay.
For three days and three nights it blazed away, till only ashes were left, and there stood the freezing man shivering like a jelly.
“If it had burned much longer, I should have been benumbed with the cold,” he said, with chattering teeth.
Now, the princess saw that she could delay no longer, so they set off to the church, but the queen made yet another attempt to prevent the wedding. She called her attendants, and sent them to waylay the party and kill every one but the princess. However, the listener had been keeping his ears open, and he heard this order; so they put on more speed and reached the church first, and were married. At the church door the five servants took leave of their master and went out into the world to try their fortune alone.
The prince and his wife set forth on their homeward journey, and at the end of the first day they came upon a village where a swineherd stood feeding his pigs.
“Do you know who I am?” said the prince to his wife. “Yonder man is my father, and our duty now is to tend the pigs with him.”
190They went into the cottage, and during the night the prince took away her splendid clothes, so that in the morning she had to put on an old dress and shoes belonging to the swineherd’s wife.
These were given to her grudgingly, and only for her husband’s sake, as the woman told her. So the princess was now very miserable, and believed that her husband was really a swineherd; but she determined to make the best of it, and turn to and do her share of the work, and said to herself:
“It is a punishment for all my pride.”
This went on for a week, and then she was so worn out that she sat down by the wayside and burst into tears. Some kindly villagers asked her what was the matter, and if she knew what her husband was?
“He is a swineherd,” she answered, “and has just gone to market with some of his pigs.”
“Come with us, and we will show you where he is,” they said; and they took her away over the hill to the king’s palace, and there in the hall stood her husband surrounded by courtiers, and so richly dressed that she did not know him, till he fell upon her neck, saying:
“We have borne much for each other, now let us be happy.”
Then there was great rejoicing, and the marriage-feast was celebrated, and all I can say is, that I wish we had been there to share the merrymaking.
Story DNA
Moral
Pride and cruelty lead to unhappiness, while humility and kindness are rewarded.
Plot Summary
A determined prince, seeking the hand of a beautiful princess, must overcome the wicked queen's impossible tasks. He recruits five extraordinary servants—a fat man, a listener, a long man, a freezing man, and a keen-sighted man—whose unique abilities allow him to succeed where others have failed. After completing three tasks and a final challenge set by the proud princess, the prince marries her. To humble her, he disguises himself as a swineherd, making her live in poverty until she sheds her pride, after which he reveals his true identity, and they live happily ever after.
Themes
Emotional Arc
suffering to triumph
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The motif of a hero gaining magical helpers to overcome impossible tasks is common in European folklore, often reflecting a desire for justice against tyrannical rulers or overcoming social barriers.
Plot Beats (15)
- A wicked queen executes suitors who fail her impossible tasks for her beautiful daughter.
- A young prince hears of the princess and, despite his father's initial refusal, insists on seeking her hand, falling ill until he is allowed to go.
- The prince encounters and recruits five extraordinary servants: a fat man, a listener, a long man, a freezing man, and a keen-sighted man.
- The prince arrives at the queen's palace and requests her daughter's hand, agreeing to three tasks.
- For the first task, finding a ring in the sea, the keen-sighted man spots it, the fat man drinks the sea, and the long man retrieves it.
- For the second task, eating 100 oxen and drinking 100 casks of wine, the fat man consumes everything.
- For the third task, guarding the princess overnight, the servants set watch, but a spell makes them all sleep, and the princess is spirited away.
- The listener hears the princess's cries, the keen-sighted man locates her 300 miles away, and the long man retrieves her just before midnight.
- The queen, furious at being outwitted, whispers to her daughter that the prince is useless without his servants, instilling pride in the princess.
- The proud princess demands a servant sit on a burning woodpile for three days and nights; the freezing man endures it, shivering but unharmed.
- The queen makes a final attempt to ambush and kill the wedding party, but the listener overhears, and they reach the church safely and marry.
- The five servants take their leave of the prince at the church door.
- The prince takes his proud wife to a village, disguises himself as a swineherd, and makes her live in poverty, tending pigs.
- After a week of hardship, the princess, humbled, is led to the king's palace where her husband reveals his true identity as a prince.
- The prince and princess celebrate their marriage feast, now truly happy together.
Characters
The Old Queen
Her exact physical traits are not detailed, but she is described as an 'old queen'. She likely has a stern or severe countenance befitting her wicked heart. Given the European fairy tale context, she would likely be of fair complexion.
Attire: Royal, but likely dark or severe in color to reflect her wicked nature. Perhaps a heavy velvet gown in deep purples or blacks, adorned with minimal, sharp-edged jewels rather than soft, flowing designs. A high collar or stiff bodice would emphasize her rigid personality.
Wants: To maintain her power, to amuse herself by tormenting suitors, and to prevent her daughter from marrying anyone she doesn't approve of (or perhaps anyone at all).
Flaw: Overconfidence in her own cunning, underestimation of others, and her inability to accept defeat.
She remains unchanged in her wickedness, but is ultimately defeated and forced to consent to her daughter's marriage, though she tries to sabotage it until the very end.
Wicked, cruel, cunning, prideful, spiteful.
The Princess
Very beautiful, with a radiant glory when lit by moonlight. Her exact height and build are not specified, but she is delicate enough to be carried by the Long Man. Given the European fairy tale context, she would likely have fair skin.
Attire: Initially, splendid royal clothes befitting a princess. Later, an old, ill-fitting dress and shoes belonging to a swineherd's wife. Her royal attire would be of fine silks or brocades, perhaps in light, elegant colors, contrasting with her mother's dark wardrobe.
Wants: Initially, she seems to passively follow her mother's will. Later, she is driven by pride to test her husband, and then by a desire to endure her perceived punishment and make the best of her situation.
Flaw: Her pride and haughty temper, which makes her susceptible to her mother's manipulations.
She transforms from a proud, haughty princess who tests her husband into a humble, resilient woman who accepts her fate and learns the value of true love and partnership, shedding her pride.
Beautiful, proud, haughty, initially influenced by her mother's wickedness, but capable of humility and determination when faced with hardship.
The Prince
No specific details are given, but he is a 'young prince' who is capable of swinging along over hill and dale, suggesting a healthy, active build. He is later described as 'richly dressed' and surrounded by courtiers, implying a regal appearance. Given the European fairy tale context, he would likely have fair skin.
Attire: Initially, suitable traveling clothes for a prince on a journey. Later, 'richly dressed' in his own palace, likely in fine tunics, hose, and a cloak of noble fabrics like velvet or brocade, perhaps in royal blues or reds. During his disguise, he wears simple peasant clothes.
Wants: To marry the beautiful Princess, to overcome the wicked queen, and later, to teach his proud wife a lesson in humility.
Flaw: Initially, his father's refusal makes him fall ill, showing a certain emotional vulnerability. He also relies heavily on his servants' abilities.
He begins as a determined suitor, relies on his servants to achieve his goal, and then uses a clever ruse to humble his proud wife, ultimately becoming a wise and loving husband and king.
Determined, persistent, cheerful, light-hearted, clever (in choosing his servants), firm, loving, and wise (in teaching his wife humility).
The Fat Man
Enormously fat, as round and jolly as can be imagined. So large that the earth trembles when he stands up. His size is his defining feature.
Attire: Simple, practical peasant clothing that accommodates his immense size, perhaps a loose-fitting tunic and trousers in earthy tones, made of durable linen or wool. He wears a cap.
Wants: To serve a master and prove his worth, despite his unusual size.
Flaw: His extreme size might be a hindrance in situations not requiring his specific ability, though the story doesn't highlight this.
He remains a loyal and effective servant, using his power to help the Prince achieve his goals.
Jolly, eager to serve, confident in his unique ability, loyal.
The Listener
No specific details are given beyond his posture of lying with his ear to the ground. He is likely of average build, as his power is internal.
Attire: Simple, practical peasant clothing, perhaps in muted greens or browns, suitable for lying on the ground and blending into the environment.
Wants: To use his extraordinary hearing to serve his master and be useful.
Flaw: None explicitly stated, though his power is passive and requires him to be still.
He remains a loyal and effective servant, using his power to gather crucial information.
Quiet, observant, highly perceptive, loyal, quick-thinking.
The Long Man
Extraordinarily tall, described as a 'long strip of a chap'. When lying down, travelers walk an hour to reach his body and another hour to reach his head. When standing, he is 'thrice as tall as the highest mountain'. He is thin, befitting his height.
Attire: Simple, durable clothing that stretches to accommodate his immense height, perhaps a long, flowing tunic and trousers in muted colors, made of sturdy fabric like coarse wool or thick linen.
Wants: To use his extraordinary height and stride to serve his master and prove his usefulness.
Flaw: None explicitly stated, but his extreme height might make him clumsy in confined spaces, though the story doesn't show this.
He remains a loyal and effective servant, using his power to retrieve the ring and the Princess.
Eager to serve, confident in his unique ability, loyal, quick to act.
The Freezing Man
No specific details beyond his constant shivering. He is likely of average build, but his body is in a perpetual state of extreme cold, even in heat.
Attire: Simple, practical peasant clothing, perhaps layered, but still insufficient to warm him. Muted, drab colors like grey or brown, made of coarse, insulating fabrics like wool.
Wants: To find a purpose despite his unusual affliction, and to serve his master.
Flaw: His constant extreme cold, which causes him discomfort and makes him shiver uncontrollably.
He remains a loyal and effective servant, using his unique temperature inversion to survive the burning woodpile.
Miserable due to his condition, but willing to serve, resilient, and loyal.
The Keen-Sighted Man
No specific details beyond his ability to see across the world. He is likely of average build, as his power is visual.
Attire: Simple, practical peasant clothing, perhaps in earthy tones like brown or green, suitable for someone who observes from afar.
Wants: To use his extraordinary sight to serve his master and be useful.
Flaw: None explicitly stated, though his power is passive and requires him to be still to focus.
He remains a loyal and effective servant, using his power to locate the ring and the Princess.
Observant, highly perceptive, loyal, quick to identify solutions.
Locations
The Queen's Palace
A grand, imposing palace, likely with a sinister atmosphere due to the wicked queen's nature. It features a window overlooking a field, a cellar, and a courtyard. Architectural style would be typical of a European monarchy, perhaps with heavy stone, tall windows, and a formal, somewhat cold interior.
Mood: Foreboding, dangerous, formal, later celebratory.
The prince presents himself to the queen, the tasks are set, the ring is returned, the oxen and wine are consumed, the princess is guarded, and the final woodpile challenge takes place here.
Seaside near the Palace
The coastline adjacent to the queen's palace, where the sea meets the land. It features a rocky bottom when the water is removed.
Mood: Initially serene, then dramatically altered, revealing secrets.
The first task: finding the queen's ring at the bottom of the sea, which is accomplished by the fat man drinking the entire ocean.
Field with Oxen
A large, open pasture where a hundred fat oxen graze. It is located near the palace.
Mood: Pastoral, initially peaceful, then a scene of incredible consumption.
The second task: the fat man eats all hundred oxen before noon.
Prince's Home Village / Swineherd's Cottage
A humble, rural village with a simple cottage where a swineherd lives. The cottage is small and basic, contrasting sharply with the palace. The village is surrounded by hills and fields, with paths leading to a market and the king's palace.
Mood: Rustic, humble, initially miserable for the princess, then joyful.
The prince brings his wife here to teach her humility, making her believe he is a swineherd. She works here for a week before being reunited with him at his true palace.