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Snowdrop and Other Tales

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<h2>The Blue Light</h2> THERE was once a Soldier who had served his King well and faithfully for many years. But, on account of his many wounds, he could serve no longer. The King said: ‘You can go home now. I have no further need for you. I can only pay those who serve me.’ The Soldier did not know what to do for a living, and he went sadly away. He walked all day, till he reached a wood, where, in the distance, he saw a light. On approaching it, he found a house inhabited by a Witch. ‘Pray give me shelter for the night, and something to eat and drink,’ he said, ‘or I shall perish.’ ‘Oh ho!’ she said. ‘Who gives anything to a runaway Soldier, I should like to know. But I will be merciful and take you in, if you will do something for me.’ ‘What is it?’ asked the Soldier. ‘I want you to dig up my garden to-morrow.’ The Soldier agreed to this, and next day he worked as hard as he could, but he could not finish before evening. ‘I see,’ said the Witch, ‘that you can do no more this evening. I will keep you one night more, and to-morrow you shall split up some logs for firewood.’ The Soldier took the whole day over this task, and in the evening the Witch proposed that he should again stay another night. ‘You shall only have a very light task to-morrow,’ she said. ‘There is an old, dry well behind my house. My light, which burns blue, and never goes out, has fallen into it, and I want you to bring it back.’ Next day the Witch led him to the well, and let him down in a basket. He found the light, and made a sign to be pulled up; but when he was near the top, the Witch put out her hand, and wanted to take it from him. But he, seeing her evil designs, said: ‘No; I will not give you the light till I have both feet safe on dry land again.’ The Witch flew into a passion, let him fall back into the well again, and went away. The poor Soldier fell on to the damp ground without taking any harm, and the Blue Light burnt as brightly as ever. But what was the good of that? He saw that he could not escape death. He sat for some time feeling very sad, then happening to put his hand into his pocket, he found his pipe still half full. ‘This will be my last pleasure,’ he thought, as he lighted it at the Blue Light, and began to smoke. When the cloud of smoke he made cleared off a little, a tiny black Man appeared before him, and asked: ‘What orders, Master?’ ‘What do you mean?’ the Soldier asked in amazement. ‘I must do anything that you command,’ said the Little Man. ‘Oh, if that is so,’ said the Soldier, ‘get me out of this well first.’ The Little Man took him by the hand, and led him through an underground passage; but the Soldier did not forget to take the Blue Light with him. On the way he showed the Soldier all the treasures the Witch had amassed there, and he took as much gold as he could carry. When they reached the top he said to the Little Man: ‘Now go, bind the Witch and take her before the Judge.’ Before long she came by riding at a furious pace on a tom cat, and screaming at the top of her voice. The Little Man soon after appeared, and said: ‘Everything is done as you commanded, and the Witch hangs on the gallows. What further orders have you, Master?’ ‘Nothing at this moment,’ answered the Soldier. ‘You can go home; only be at hand when I call.’ ‘You only have to light your pipe at the Blue Light, and I will be there,’ said the Little Man, and then he vanished. The Soldier went back to the town that he had left, and ordered some new clothes, then he went to the best inn and told the landlord to give him the best rooms. <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/ill17.png" width-obs="306" height-obs="260" alt="The witch rides the cat, her cloak flying out behind her" /></div> Before long the Witch came by riding at a furious pace on a tom cat. When he had taken possession, he summoned the little black Man, and said: ‘I served my King faithfully, but he sent me away to die of hunger. Now I will have my revenge.’ ‘What do you wish me to do?’ asked the Little Man. ‘Late at night, when the Princess is asleep in her bed, bring her, sleeping, to me, and I will make her do menial service for me.’ ‘It is an easy enough thing for me to do,’ said the Little Man. ‘But it will be a bad business for you if it comes out.’ As the clock struck twelve, the door sprang open, and the Little Man bore the Maiden in. ‘Ah ha! There you are!’ cried the Soldier. ‘Set about your work at once. Fetch the broom and sweep the floor.’ When she had finished, he sat down and ordered her to take his boots off. Then he threw them at her, and made her pick them up and clean them. She did everything he ordered without resistance, silently, and with half-shut eyes. At the first cock-crow, the Little Man carried her away to the royal palace, and put her back in bed. In the morning when the Princess got up, she went to her Father, and told him that she had had an extraordinary dream. ‘I was carried through the streets at lightning speed, and taken to the room of a Soldier, whom I had to serve as a maid, and do all kinds of menial work. I had to sweep the room, and clean his boots. Of course, it was only a dream, and yet I am as tired this morning as if I had done it all.’ ‘The dream could not have been true,’ said the King. ‘But I will give you a piece of advice. Fill your pocket with peas, and cut a little hole in it, then if you are carried away again, they will drop out and leave a track on the road.’ When the King said this, the Little Man was standing by, invisible, and heard it all. At night, when he again carried off the Princess, the peas certainly fell out of her pocket, but they were useless to trace her by, for the cunning Little Man had scattered peas all over the streets. Again the Princess had to perform her menial duties till cock-crow. The next morning the King sent out people who were to find the track; but they were unable to do so, because in every street the poor children were picking up peas, and saying: ‘It must have rained peas in the night.’ ‘We must devise a better plan,’ said the King. ‘Keep your shoes on when you go to bed, and before you come away from the place where you are taken, hide one of them. I shall be sure to find it.’ The Little Man heard this plan also; and when the Soldier told him to bring the Princess again, he advised him to put it off. He said he knew no further means against their craftiness; and if the shoe were found, it would be very dangerous for his master. ‘Do what I tell you,’ answered the Soldier; and for the third time the Princess was brought and made to work like a servant. But before leaving she hid one of her shoes under the bed. Next morning the King ordered the whole town to be searched for his Daughter’s shoe, and it was soon found in the Soldier’s room. He himself, at the request of the Little Man, had gone outside the gates; but before long he was seized and thrown into prison. In his flight he had forgotten his greatest treasures, the Blue Light and his gold. He had but one ducat in his pocket. As he stood at his window in the prison, loaded with chains, he saw one of his comrades going by. He tapped on the pane, and said: ‘Be so good as to fetch me the little bundle I left behind at the inn, and I will give you a ducat.’ His comrade hurried off and brought him the bundle. As soon as the Soldier was alone, he lighted his pipe and summoned the Little Man. ‘Don’t be afraid,’ he said to his Master. ‘Go where they take you, and let what will happen, only take the Blue Light with you.’ Next day a trial was held, and although the Soldier had done no harm, the Judge sentenced him to death. When he was led out to execution he asked a last favour of the King. ‘What is your wish?’ asked the King. ‘That I may smoke a last pipe.’ ‘You may smoke three,’ answered the King. ‘But don’t imagine that I will therefore grant you your life.’ Then the Soldier drew out his pipe, and lighted it at the Blue Light. As soon as a few rings of smoke arose, the Little Man appeared with a little cudgel in his hand, and said: ‘What is my Master’s command?’ ‘Strike the false Judge and his minions to the ground, and do not spare the King either for all his cruelty to me.’ Then the Little Man flew about like lightning, zig-zag, hither and thither, and whomever he touched with his cudgel fell to the ground, and dared not move. The King was now seized with alarm, and, begging on his knees that his life might be spared, he rendered up his kingdom and gave his Daughter to the Soldier to be his wife. <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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