The Thoughtless Word
Once upon a time an old man lived in a village with his wife, and they were very poor: they had only one son. And when he grew up, the mother said to her husband: “It is full time that we secured a wife for our son.”
“Well, go and see if you can bargain for a wife.”
The old woman went to her neighbour and asked him if her son could marry his daughter. But the neighbour said, “No!” And she went to the next peasant, who also declined the honour. And she searched the whole village, and not a single soul would hear a single word of it. When she came back she said: “Goodman, I fear our son is born under an unlucky star!”
“Why?”
“I went through the whole village, and there is nobody who will give me his daughter.”
“That looks bad!” said the husband. “It will soon be summer, and we shall not have anybody to help us at the harvest. Woman, go into the next village, as you may find somebody there.”
The old woman went to the next village, went from one end to the other, went through all the courtyards and houses of the peasants, but it was all in vain. Wherever she showed her nose, she was put off. And she came back home as she had left. “No one wants to be kin with such poor folk as us!”
“In that case it is no good running oneself off one’s legs. Go and sit behind the oven.”
But the son was indignant, and asked: “Father, bless me, and I will go and seek my own fate.”
“Where then will you go?”
“Wherever my eyes lead me!”
So they blessed him and they let him go wherever the four winds blow.
When the boy was on the road, he wept bitterly and spoke to himself: “Am I then the feeblest man in the world, and no maiden will really have me? If the Devil would only send me a bride I think I would rake her!”
Suddenly, just as though he had grown out of the earth, an old man came to meet him. “Good day, doughty youth!”
“Good day, old father!”
“What were you saying just now?”
Then the boy was frightened and did not know what to answer.
“You need not fear me. I will do you no harm, and perhaps I can help you in your need. Speak out boldly.”
So the boy told him all the truth. “Oh, I am a sorry fellow, and no maiden will marry me. That is making me angry; and I said in my indignation that if the Devil himself came and gave me a girl, I would make her my bride.”
So the old man laughed and said: “I can give you a bride, oh, as many brides as you like”; and they then came to a lake. “Stand with your back to the water, and step backwards,” the old man told the boy.
As soon as he had turned round, and had gone four steps, he found himself under the water, in a white stone palace.20 All the rooms were splendidly furnished and finely decorated.
The old man gave him meat and drink, and afterwards showed him twelve maidens, each of whom was fairer than the others. “Choose which you will of them. You shall have any of them.”
“It is a difficult choice, grandfather! Let me have till tomorrow to think of it.”
“Well, you can have until tomorrow,” said the old man, and he took him into a large room.
The boy lay down to sleep and began to think which he would take. Suddenly the door opened and a beautiful maiden came in. “Are you asleep, doughty youth, or not?”
“No, fair maiden, I cannot sleep. I am thinking which is the bride I shall take.”
“That is the very reason I came to see you, in order to give you counsel; for, good man, you have become the Devil’s guest. So, listen to me; if you ever wish to return to the light of day, you must do as I say. If you do not, you will not leave this place alive.”
“Give me your counsel, fair maiden. I shall not forget it all my life long.”
“Tomorrow the Evil Spirit will show you twelve maidens, one like the other. You
