The Trade That No One Knows

A long while ago there lived a poor old couple, who had an only son.

The old man and his wife worked very hard to nourish their child well

and bring him up properly, hoping that he, in return, would take care

of them in their old age.

When, however, the boy had grown up, he said to his parents, 'I am a

man now, and I intend to marry, so I wish you to go at once to the

king and ask him to give me his daughter for wife.' The astonished

parents rebuked him, saying, 'What can you be thinking of? We have

only this poor hut to shelter us, and hardly bread enough to eat, and

we dare not presume to go into the king's presence, much less can we

venture to ask for his daughter to be your wife.'

The son, however, insisted that they should do as he said, threatening

that if they did not comply with his wishes he would leave them, and

go away into the world. Seeing that he was really in earnest in what

he said, the unhappy parents promised him they would go and ask for

the king's daughter. Then the old mother made a wedding cake in her

son's presence, and, when it was ready, she put it in a bag, took her

staff in her hand, and went straight to the palace where the king

lived. There the king's servants bade her come in, and led her into

the hall where his Majesty was accustomed to receive the poor people

who came to ask alms or to present petitions.

The poor old woman stood in the hall, confused and ashamed at her

worn-out, shabby clothes, and looking as if she were made of stone,

until the king said to her kindly, 'What do _you_ want from me, old

mother?'

She dared not, however, tell his Majesty why she had come, so she

stammered out in her confusion, 'Nothing, your Majesty.'

Then the king smiled a little and said, 'Perhaps you come to ask

alms?'

Then the old woman, much abashed, replied, 'Yes, your Majesty, if you

please!'

Thereupon the king called his servants and ordered them to give the

old woman ten crowns, which they did. Having received this money, she

thanked his Majesty, and returned home, saying to herself, 'I dare say

when my son sees all this money he will not think any more of going

away from us.'

In this thought, however, she was quite mistaken, for no sooner had

she entered the hut than the son came to her and asked impatiently,

'Well, mother, have you done as I asked you?'

At this she exclaimed, 'Do give up, once for all, this silly fancy, my

son. How could you expect me to ask the king for his daughter to be

your wife? That would be a bold thing for a rich nobleman to do, how

then can _we_ think of such a thing? Anyhow, _I_ dared not say one

word to the king about it. But only look what a lot of money I have

brought back. Now you can look for a wife suitable for you, and then

you will forget the king's daughter.'

When the young man heard his mother speak thus, he grew very angry, and

said to her, 'What do I want with the king's money? I don't want his

money, but I _do_ want his daughter! I see you are only playing with

me, so I shall leave you. I will go away somewhere--anywhere--wherever

my eyes lead me.'

Then the poor old parents prayed and begged him not to go away from

them, and leave them alone in their old age; but they could only quiet

him by promising faithfully that the mother should go again next day

to the king, and this time really ask him to give his daughter to her

son for a wife.

In the morning, therefore, the old woman went again to the palace, and

the servants showed her into the same hall she had been in before. The

king, seeing her stand there, inquired, 'What want you, my old woman,

now?'

She was, however, so ashamed that she could hardly stammer, 'Nothing,

please your Majesty.'

The king, supposing that she came again to beg, ordered his servants

to give her this time also ten crowns.

With this money the poor woman returned to her hut, where her son met

her, asking, 'Well, mother, _this_ time I hope you have done what I

asked you?' But she replied, 'Now, my dear son, do leave the king's

daughter in peace. How can you really think of such a thing? Even if

she would marry you, where is the house to bring her to? So be quiet,

and take this money which I have brought you.'

At these words the son was more angry than before, and said sharply,

'As I see you will not let me marry the king's daughter, I will leave

you this moment and never come back again;' and, rushing out of the

hut, he ran away. His parents hurried after him, and at length

prevailed on him to return, by swearing to him that his mother should

go again to the king next morning, and really and in truth ask his

Majesty this time for his daughter.

So the young man agreed to go back home and wait until the next day.

On the morrow the old woman, with a heavy heart, went to the palace,

and was shown as before into the king's presence. Seeing her there for

the third time, his Majesty asked her impatiently, 'What do you want

this time, old woman?' And she, trembling all over, said, 'Please your

Majesty--nothing.' Then the king exclaimed, 'But it cannot be nothing.

Something you must want, so tell me the truth at once, if you value

your life!' Thereupon the old woman was forced to tell all the story

to the king; how her son had a great desire to marry the princess, and

so had forced her to come and ask the king to give her to him for

wife.

When the king had heard everything, he said, 'Well, after all, _I_

shall say nothing against it if my daughter will consent to it.' He

then told his servants to lead the princess into his presence. When

she came he told her all about the affair, and asked her, 'Are you

willing to marry the son of this old woman?'

The princess answered, 'Why not? If only he learns first the trade

that no one knows!' Thereupon the king bade his attendants give money

to the poor woman, who now went back to her hut with a light heart.

The moment she entered, her son asked her, 'Have you engaged her?' And

she returned, 'Do let me get my breath a little! Well, _now_ I have

really asked the king; but it is of no use, for the princess declares

she will not marry you until you have learnt the trade that no one

knows!'

'Oh, that matters nothing!' exclaimed the son. 'Now I only know the

condition, it's all right!' The next morning the young man set out on

his travels through the world in search of a man who could teach him

the trade that no one knows. He wandered about a long time without

being able to find out where he could learn such a trade. At length

one day, being quite tired out with walking and very sad, he sat down

on a fallen log by the wayside. After he had sat thus a little while,

an old woman came up to him, and asked, 'Why art thou so sad, my son?'

And he answered, 'What is the use of your asking, when you cannot help

me?' But she continued, 'Only tell me what is the matter, and perhaps

I can help you.' Then he said, 'Well, if you must know, the matter is

this: I have been travelling about the world a long time to find a

master who can teach me the trade which no one knows.' 'Oh, if it is

only that,' cried the old woman, 'just listen to me! Don't be afraid,

but go straight into the forest which lies before you, and there you

will find what you want.'

The young man was very glad to hear this, and got up at once and went

to the forest. When he had gone pretty far in the wood, he saw a large

castle, and, whilst he stood looking at it and wondering what it was,

four giants came out of it and ran up to him, shouting, 'Do you wish

to learn the trade that no one knows?' He said, 'Yes; that is just the

reason why I come here.' Whereupon they took him into the castle.

Next morning the giants prepared to go out hunting, and, before

leaving, they said to him, 'You must on no account go into the first

room by the dining-hall.' Hardly, however, were the giants well out of

sight before the young man began to reason thus with himself: 'I see

very well that I have come into a place from which I shall never go

out alive with my head, so I may as well see what is in the room, come

what may afterwards.' So he went and opened the door a little and

peeped in. There stood a golden ass, bound to a golden manger. He

looked at it a little, and was just going to shut the door when the

ass said, 'Come and take the halter from my head, and keep it hidden

about you. It will serve you well if you only understand how to use

it.' So he took the halter, and, after fastening the room door,

quickly concealed it under his clothes. He had not sat very long

before the giants came home. They asked him at once if he had been in

the first room, and he, much frightened, replied, 'No, I have not been

in.' 'But we know that you have been!' said the giants in great anger,

and seizing some large sticks, they beat him so severely that he could

hardly stand on his feet. It was very lucky for him that he had the

halter wound round his body under his clothes, or else he would

certainly have been killed.

The next day the giants again prepared to go out hunting, but before

leaving him they ordered him on no account to enter the second room.

Almost as soon as the giants had gone away he became so very curious

to see what might be in the second room, that he could not resist

going to the door. He stood there a little, thinking within himself,

'Well, I am already more dead than alive, much worse cannot happen to

me!' and so he opened the door and looked in. There he was surprised

to see a very beautiful girl, dressed all in gold and silver, who sat

combing her hair, and setting in every tress a large diamond. He stood

admiring her a little while, and was just going to shut the door

again, when she spoke, 'Wait a minute, young man. Come and take this

key, and mind you keep it safely. It will serve you some time, if you

only know how to use it.' So he went in and took the key from the

girl, and then, going out, fastened the door and went and sat down in

the same place he had sat before.

He had not remained there very long before the giants came home from

hunting. The moment they entered the house they took up their large

sticks to beat him, asking, at the same time, whether he had been in

the second room.

Shaking all over with fear, he answered them, 'No, I have not!'

'But we know that you have been,' shouted the giants in great anger,

and they then beat him worse than on the first day.

The next morning, as the giants went out as usual to hunt, they said

to him, 'Do not go into the third room, for anything in the world; for

if you do go in we shall not forgive you as we did yesterday, and the

day before! We shall kill you outright!' No sooner, however, had the

giants gone out of sight, than the young man began to say to himself,

'Most likely they will kill me, whether I go into the room or not.

Besides, if they do not kill me, they have beaten me so badly already

that I am sure I cannot live long, so, anyhow, I will go and see what

is in the third room.' Then he got up and went and opened the door.

He was quite shocked, however, when he saw that the room was full of

human heads! These heads belonged to young men who had come, like

himself, to learn the trade that no one knows, and who, having obeyed

faithfully and strictly the orders of the giants, had been killed by

them.

The young man was turning quickly to go away, when one of the heads

called out, 'Don't be afraid, but come in!' Thereupon he went into the

room. Then the head gave him an iron chain, and said, 'Take care of

this chain, for it will serve you some time if you know how to use

it!' So he took the chain, and going out fastened the door.

He went and sat down in the usual place to wait for the coming home of

the giants, and, as he waited, he grew quite frightened, for he fully

expected that they would really kill him this time.

The instant the giants came home they took up their thick sticks and

began to beat him without stopping to ask anything. They beat him so

terribly that he was all but dead; then they threw him out of the

house, saying to him, 'Go away now, since you have learnt the trade

that no one knows!' When he had lain a long time on the ground where

they had thrown him, feeling very sore and miserable, at length he

tried to move away, saying to himself, 'Well, if they really have

taught me the trade that no one knows, for the sake of the king's

daughter I can suffer gladly all this pain, if I can only win her!'

After travelling for a long time, the young man came at last to the

palace of the king whose daughter he wished to marry. When he saw the

palace, he was exceedingly sad, and remembered the words of the

princess; for, after all his wanderings and sufferings, he had learnt

no trade, and had never been able to find what trade it was 'that no

one knows.' Whilst considering what he had better do, he suddenly

recollected the halter, the key, and the iron chain, which he had

carried concealed about him ever since he left the castle of the four

giants. He then said to himself, 'Let me see what these things can

do!' So he took the halter and struck the earth with it, and

immediately a handsome horse, beautifully caparisoned, stood before

him. Then he struck the ground with the iron chain, and instantly a

hare and a greyhound appeared, and the hare began to run quickly and

the greyhound to follow her. In a moment the young man hardly knew

himself, for he found himself in a fine hunting-dress, riding on the

horse after the hare, which took a path that passed immediately under

the windows of the king's palace. Now, it happened that the king stood

at a window looking out, and noticed at once the beautiful greyhound

which was chasing the hare, and the very handsome horse which a

huntsman in a splendid dress was mounted on. The king was so pleased

with the appearance of the horse and the greyhound, that he called

instantly some of his servants, and, sending them after the strange

rider, bade them invite him to come to the palace. The young man,

however, hearing some people coming behind him calling and shouting,

rode quickly behind a thick bush, and shook a little the halter and

the iron chain. In a moment the horse, the greyhound, and the hare had

vanished, and he found himself sitting on the ground under the trees

dressed in his old shabby clothes. By this time the king's servants

had come up, and, seeing him sit there, they asked him whether he had

seen a fine huntsman on a beautiful horse pass that way. But he

answered them rudely, 'No! I have not seen anyone pass, neither do I

care to look to see who passes!'

Then the king's servants went on and searched the forest, calling and

shouting as loudly as they could, but it was all in vain; they could

neither see nor hear anything of the hunter. At length they went back

to the king, and told him that the horse the huntsman rode was so

exceedingly quick that they could not hear anything of him in the

forest.

The young man now resolved to go to the hut where his old parents

lived; and they were glad to see that he had come back to them once

more.

Next morning, the son said to his father, 'Now, father, I will show

you what I have learned. I will change myself into a beautiful horse,

and you must lead me into the city and sell me, but be very careful

not to give away the halter, or else I shall remain always a horse!'

Accordingly, in a moment he changed himself into a horse of

extraordinary beauty, and the father took him to the market-place to

sell him. Very soon a great number of people gathered round the horse,

wondering at his unusual beauty, and very high prices were offered for

him; the old man, however, raised the price higher and higher at every

offer. The news spread quickly about the city that a wonderfully

handsome horse was for sale in the market-place, and at length the

king himself heard of it, and sent some servants to bring the horse,

that he might see it. The old man led the horse at once before the

palace, and the king, after looking at it for some time with great

admiration, could not help exclaiming, 'By my word, though I am a

king, I never yet saw, much less rode, so handsome a horse!' Then he

asked the old man if he would sell it him. 'I will sell it to your

Majesty, very willingly,' said the old man; 'but I will sell only the

horse, and not the halter.' Thereupon the king laughed, saying, 'What

should I want with your dirty halter? For such a horse I will have a

halter of gold made!' So the horse was sold to the king for a very

high price, and the old man returned home with the money.

Next morning, however, there was a great stir and much consternation

in the royal stables, for the beautiful horse had vanished somehow

during the night. And at the time when the horse disappeared, the

young man returned to his parents' hut.

A day or two afterwards the young man said to his father, 'Now I will

turn myself into a fine church not far from the king's palace, and if

the king wishes to buy it you may sell it him, only be sure not to

part with the key or else I must remain always a church!'

When the king got up that morning, and went to his window to look out,

he saw a beautiful church which he had never noticed before. Then he

sent his servants out to see what it was, and soon after they came

back saying, that 'the church belonged to an old pilgrim, who told

them that he was willing to sell it if the king wished to buy it.'

Then the king sent to ask what price he would sell it for, and the

pilgrim replied, 'It is worth a great deal of money.'

Whilst the servants were bargaining with the father an old woman came

up. Now this was the same old woman who had sent the young man to the

castle of the four giants, and she herself had been there and had

learnt the trade that no one knew. As she understood at once all about

the church, and had no mind to have a rival in the trade, she resolved

to put an end to the young man. For this purpose she began to outbid

the king, and offered, at last, so very large a sum of ready money,

that the old man was quite astonished and confused at seeing the money

which she showed him. He accordingly accepted her offer, but whilst he

was counting the money, quite forgot about the key. Before long,

however, he recollected what his son had said, and then, fearing some

mischief, he ran after the old woman and demanded the key back. But

the old woman could not be persuaded to give back the key, and said it

belonged to the church which she had bought and paid for. Seeing she

would not give up the key, the old man grew more and more alarmed,

lest some ill should befall his son, so he took hold of the old woman

by the neck and forced her to drop the key. She struggled very hard to

get it back again, and, whilst the old man and she wrestled together,

the key changed itself suddenly into a dove and flew away high in the

air over the palace gardens.

When the old woman saw this, she changed herself into a hawk and

chased the dove. Just, however, as the hawk was about to pounce upon

it, the dove turned itself into a beautiful bouquet, and dropped down

into the hand of the king's daughter who happened to be walking in the

garden. Then the hawk changed again into the old woman, who went to

the gate of the palace and begged very hard that the princess would

give her that bouquet, or, at least, one single flower from it.

But the princess said, 'No! not for anything in the world! These

flowers fell to me from heaven!' The old woman, however, was

determined to get one flower from the bouquet, so, seeing the princess

would not hear her, she went straight to the king, and begged

piteously that he would order his daughter to give her one of the

flowers from her bouquet. The king, thinking the old woman wanted one

of the flowers to cure some disease, called his daughter to him, and

told her to give one to the beggar.

But just as the king said this, the bouquet changed itself into a heap

of millet-seed and scattered itself all over the ground. Then the old

woman quickly changed herself into a hen and chickens, and began

greedily to pick up the seeds. Suddenly, however, the millet vanished,

and in its place appeared a fox, which sprang on the hen and killed

her.

Then the fox changed into the young man, who explained to the

astonished king and princess that he it was who had demanded the hand

of the princess, and that, in order to obtain it, he had wandered all

over the world in search of some one who could teach him 'the trade

that no one knows.'

When the king and his daughter heard this, they gladly fulfilled their

part of the bargain, seeing how well the young man had fulfilled his.

Then, shortly afterwards, the king's daughter married the son of the

poor old couple; and the king built for the princess and her husband a

palace close to his own. There they lived long and had plenty of

children, and people say that some of their descendants are living at

present, and that these go constantly to pray in the church, which is

always open because the key of it turned itself into a young man who

married the king's daughter, after he had shown to her that he had

done as she wished, and learnt, for her sake, 'the trade that no one

knows.'