Eight years had already gone by, when the king bethought him of his father, his heart was moved, and he wished to visit him. The queen, however, would not let him go away, and said, I know beforehand that it will cause my unhappiness, but he suffered her to have no rest until she consented. At their parting she gave him a wishing-ring, and said, take this ring and put it on your finger, and then you will immediately be transported whithersoever you would be, only you must promise me not to use it in wishing me away from this place and with thy father. That he promised her, put the ring on his finger, and wished himself at home, just outside the town where his father lived.
Instantly he found himself there, and made for the town, but when he came to the gate, the sentries would not let him in, because he wore such strange and yet such rich and magnificent clothing. Then he went to a hill where a shepherd was watching his sheep, changed clothes with him, put on his old shepherd's-coat, and then entered the town without hindrance.
When he came to his father, he made himself known to him, but he did not at all believe that the shepherd was his son, and said he certainly had had a son, but that he was dead long ago, however, as he saw he was a poor, needy shepherd, he would give him something to eat. Then the shepherd said to his parents, I am verily your son.
Do you know of no mark on my body by which you could recognize me.
Yes, said his mother, our son had a raspberry mark under his right arm. He slipped back his shirt, and they saw the raspberry under his right arm, and no longer doubted that he was their son. Then he told them that he was king of the golden mountain, and a king's daughter was his wife, and that they had a fine son of seven years old.
Then said the father, that is certainly not true, it is a fine kind of a king who goes about in a ragged shepherd's-coat. On this the son fell in a passion, and without thinking of his promise, turned his ring round, and wished both his wife and child with him. They were there in a second, but the queen wept, and reproached him, and said that he had broken his word, and had brought misfortune upon her. He said, I have done it thoughtlessly, and not with evil intention, and tried to calm her, and she pretended to believe this, but she had mischief in her mind.
Then he led her out of the town into the field, and showed her the stream where the little boat had been pushed off, and then he said, Iam tired, sit down, I will sleep awhile on your lap. And he laid his head on her lap, and she picked his lice for a while until he fell asleep. When he was asleep, she first drew the ring from his finger, then she drew away the foot which was under him, leaving only the slipper behind her, and she took her child in her arms, and wished herself back in her own kingdom.
When he awoke, there he lay quite deserted, and his wife and child were gone, and so was the ring from his finger, the slipper only was still there as a token. Home to your parents you cannot return, thought he, they would say that you were a wizard, you must be off, and walk on until you arrive in your own kingdom. So he went away and came at length to a hill by which three giants were standing, disputing with each other because they did not know how to divide their father's property.
When they saw him passing by, they called to him and said little men had quick wits, and that he was to divide their inheritance for them.
The inheritance, however, consisted of a sword, which, if anyone took it in his hand, and said, all heads off but mine, every head would lie on the ground, secondly, of a cloak which made any one who put it on invisible, thirdly, of a pair of boots which could transport the wearer to any place he wished in a moment. He said, give me the three things that I may see if they are still in good condition.
They gave him the cloak, and when he had put it on, he was invisible and changed into a fly. Then he resumed his own form and said, the cloak is a good one, now give me the sword. They said, no, we will not give you that, if you were to say, all heads off but mine, all our heads would be off, and you alone would be left with yours.
Nevertheless they gave it to him on the condition that he was only to try it against a tree. This he did, and the sword cut in two the trunk of a tree as if it had been a blade of straw. Then he wanted to have the boots likewise, but they said, no, we will not give them, if you had them on your feet and were to wish yourself at the top of the hill, we should be left down here with nothing. Oh, no, said he, I will not do that. So they gave him the boots as well. And now when he had got all these things, he thought of nothing but his wife and his child, and said as though to himself, oh, if I were but on the golden mountain, and at the same moment he vanished from the sight of the giants, and thus their inheritance was divided.
When he was near his palace, he heard sounds of joy, and fiddles, and flutes, and the people told him that his wife was celebrating her wedding with another. Then he fell into a rage, and said, false woman, she betrayed and deserted me whilst I was asleep. So he put on his cloak, and unseen by all went into the palace. When he entered the dining-hall a great table was spread with delicious food, and the guests were eating and drinking, and laughing, and jesting.
She sat on a royal seat in the midst of them in splendid apparel, with a crown on her head.
He placed himself behind her, and no one saw him. When she put a piece of meat on a plate for herself, he took it away and ate it, and when she poured out a glass of wine for herself, he took it away and drank it. She was always helping herself to something, and yet she never got anything, for plate and glass disappeared immediately.
Then dismayed and ashamed, she arose and went to her chamber and wept, but he followed her there. She said, has the devil power over me, or did my deliverer never come? Then he struck her in the face, and said, did your deliverer never come. It is he who has you in his power, you traitor. Have I deserved this from you.
