Therewasonceaking'ssonwhohadabridewhomhelovedverymuch.
Andwhenhewassittingbesideherandveryhappy,newscamethathis
fatherlaysickuntodeath,anddesiredtoseehimonceagainbefore
hisend.Thenhesaidtohisbeloved,Imustnowgoandleaveyou,I
giveyouaringasaremembranceofme.WhenIamking,Iwill
returnandfetchyou.
Soherodeaway,andwhenhereachedhisfather,thelatterwas
dangerouslyill,andnearhisdeath.Hesaidtohim,dearson,I
wishedtoseeyouonceagainbeforemyend,promisemetomarryasI
wish,andhenamedacertainking'sdaughterwhowastobehiswife.
Thesonwasinsuchtroublethathedidnotthinkwhathewasdoing,
andsaid,yes,dearfather,yourwillshallbedone,andthereupon
thekingshuthiseyes,anddied.
Whenthereforethesonhadbeenproclaimedking,andthetimeof
mourningwasover,hewasforcedtokeepthepromisewhichhehad
givenhisfather,andcausedtheking'sdaughtertobeaskedin
marriage,andshewaspromisedtohim.Hisfirstbetrothedheardof
this,andfrettedsomuchabouthisfaithlessnessthatshenearly
died.Thenherfathersaidtoher,dearestchild,whyareyouso
sad.Youshallhavewhatsoeveryouwill.Shethoughtforamoment
andsaid,dearfather,Iwishforelevengirlsexactlylikemyselfin
face,figure,andsize.Thefathersaid,ifitbepossible,your
desireshallbefulfilled,andhecausedasearchtobemadeinhis
wholekingdom,untilelevenyoungmaidenswerefoundwhoexactly
resembledhisdaughterinface,figure,andsize.
Whentheycametotheking'sdaughter,shehadtwelvesuitsof
huntsmen'sclothesmade,allalike,andtheelevenmaidenshadtoput
onthehuntsmen'sclothes,andsheherselfputonthetwelfthsuit.
Thereuponshetookleaveofherfather,androdeawaywiththem,and
rodetothecourtofherformerbetrothed,whomshelovedsodearly.
Thensheaskedifherequiredanyhuntsmen,andifhewouldtakeall
ofthemintohisservice.Thekinglookedatheranddidnotknow
her,butastheyweresuchhandsomefellows,hesaid,yes,andthat
hewouldwillinglytakethem,andnowtheyweretheking'stwelve
huntsmen.
Theking,however,hadalionwhichwasawondrousanimal,forhe
knewallconcealedandsecretthings.Itcametopassthatone
eveninghesaidtotheking,youthinkyouhavetwelvehuntsmen.
Yes,saidtheking,theyaretwelvehuntsmen.Thelioncontinued,you
aremistaken,theyaretwelvegirls.
Thekingsaid,thatcannotbetrue.Howwillyouprovethattome.
Oh,justletsomepeasbestrewnintheante-chamber,answeredswered
thelion,andthenyouwillsoonsee.Menhaveafirmstep,andwhen
theywalkoverthepeasnoneofthemstir,butgirlstripandskip,
anddragtheirfeet,andthepeasrollabout.Thekingwaswell
pleasedwiththecounsel,andcausedthepeastobestrewn.
Therewas,however,aservantoftheking'swhofavoredthehuntsmen,
andwhenheheardthattheyweregoingtobeputtothistesthewent
tothemandrepeatedeverything,andsaid,thelionwantstomakethe
kingbelievethatyouaregirls.Thentheking'sdaughterthanked
him,andsaidtohermaidens,showsomestrength,andstepfirmlyon
thepeas.Sonextmorningwhenthekinghadthetwelvehuntsmen
calledbeforehim,andtheycameintotheante-chamberwherethepeas
werelying,theysteppedsofirmlyonthem,andhadsuchastrong,
surewalk,thatnotoneofthepeaseitherrolledorstirred.
Thentheywentawayagain,andthekingsaidtothelion,youhave
liedtome,theywalkjustlikemen.Thelionsaid,theyhavebeen
informedthattheyweregoingtobeputtothetest,andhaveassumed
somestrength.Justlettwelvespinning-wheelsbebroughtintothe
ante-chamber,andtheywillgotothemandbepleasedwiththem,and
thatiswhatnomanwoulddo.Thekinglikedtheadvice,andhadthe
spinning-wheelsplacedintheante-chamber.
Buttheservant,whowaswelldisposedtothehuntsmen,wenttothem,
anddisclosedtheproject.Sowhentheywerealonetheking's
daughtersaidtoherelevengirls,showsomeconstraint,anddonot
lookroundatthespinning-wheels.Andnextmorningwhentheking
hadhistwelvehuntsmensummoned,theywentthroughtheante-chamber,
andneveroncelookedatthespinningwheels.
Thenthekingagainsaidtothelion,youhavedeceivedme,theyare
men,fortheyhavenotlookedatthespinning-wheels.Thelion
replied,theyhavelearntthattheyweregoingtobeputtothetest,
andhaverestrainedthemselves.Theking,however,wouldnolonger
believethelion.
Thetwelvehuntsmenalwaysfollowedthekingtothechase,andhis
likingforthemcontinuallyincreased.Nowitcametopassthatonce
whentheywerehunting,newscamethattheking'sbridewas
approaching.Whenthetruebrideheardthat,ithurthersomuch
thatherheartwasalmostbroken,andshefellfaintingtothe
ground.Thekingthoughtsomethinghadhappenedtohisdear
huntsman,ranuptohim,wantedtohelphim,anddrewhisgloveoff.
Thenhesawtheringwhichhehadgiventohisfirstbride,andwhen
helookedinherfaceherecognizedher.
Thenhisheartwassotouchedthathekissedher,andwhensheopened
hereyeshesaid,youaremine,andIamyours,andnooneinthe
worldcanalterthat.Hesentamessengertotheotherbride,and
entreatedhertoreturntoherownkingdom,forhehadawife
already,andsomeonewhohadfoundanoldkeydidnotrequireanew
one.Thereupontheweddingwascelebrated,andthelionwasagain
takenintofavor,because,afterall,hehadtoldthetruth.
