And she answered, yes, it is true. Now can I reveal the wicked deed of the marshal, as it has come to light without my connivance, for he wrung from me a promise to be silent. For this reason, however, did I make the condition that the marriage should not be solemnized for a year and a day. Then the king bade twelve councillors be summoned who were to pronounce judgment on the marshal, and they sentenced him to be torn to pieces by four bulls.
The marshal was therefore executed, but the king gave his daughter to the huntsman, and named him his viceroy over the whole kingdom. The wedding was celebrated with great joy, and the young king caused his father and his foster-father to be brought, and loaded them with treasures. Neither did he forget the inn-keeper, but sent for him and said, behold, sir host, I have married the king's daughter, and your house and yard are mine.
The host said, yes, according to justice it is so. But the young king said, it shall be done according to mercy, and told him that he should keep his house and yard, and gave him the thousand pieces of gold as well.
And now the young king and queen were thoroughly happy, and lived in gladness together. He often went out hunting because it was a delight to him, and the faithful animals had to accompany him. In the neighborhood, however, there was a forest of which it was reported that it was haunted, and that whosoever did but enter it did not easily get out again. But the young king had a great inclination to hunt in it, and let the old king have no peace until he allowed him to do so. So he rode forth with a great following, and when he came to the forest, he saw a snow-white hind, and said to his men, wait here until I return, I want to hunt that beautiful creature, and he rode into the forest after it, followed only by his animals. The attendants halted and waited until evening, but he did not return, so they rode home, and told the young queen that the young king had followed a white hind into the enchanted forest, and had not come back again. Then she was in the greatest concern about him. He, however, had still continued to ride on and on after the beautiful wild animal, and had never been able to overtake it, when he thought he was near enough to aim, he instantly saw it bound away into the far distance, and at length it vanished altogether. And now he perceived that he had penetrated deep into the forest, and blew his horn but he received no answer, for his attendants could not hear it.
And as night was falling, he saw that he could not get home that day, so he dismounted from his horse, lighted himself a fire near a tree, and resolved to spend the night by it. While he was sitting by the fire, and his animals also were lying down beside him, it seemed to him that he heard a human voice. He looked round, but could perceived nothing. Soon afterwards, he again heard a groan as if from above, and then he looked up, and saw an old woman sitting in the tree, who wailed unceasingly, oh, oh, oh, how cold I am. Said he, come down, and warm yourself if you are cold. But she said, no, your animals will bite me. He answered, they will do you no harm, old mother, do come down. She, however, was a witch, and said, Iwill throw down a wand from the tree, and if you strike them on the back with it, they will do me no harm. Then she threw him a small wand, and he struck them with it, and instantly they lay still and were turned into stone. And when the witch was safe from the animals, she leapt down and touched him also with a wand, and changed him to stone. Thereupon she laughed, and dragged him and the animals into a vault, where many more such stones already lay.
As the young king did not come back at all, the queen's anguish and care grew constantly greater. And it so happened that at this very time the other brother who had turned to the east when they separated, came into the kingdom. He had sought a situation, and had found none, and had then traveled about here and there, and had made his animals dance. Then it came into his mind that he would just go and look at the knife that they had thrust in the trunk of a tree at their parting, that he might learn how his brother was. When he got there his brother's side of the knife was half rusted, and half bright. Then he was alarmed and thought, a great misfortune must have befallen my brother, but perhaps I can still save him, for half the knife is still bright. He and his animals traveled towards the west, and when he entered the gate of the town, the guard came to meet him, and asked if he was to announce him to his consort the young queen, who had for a couple of days been in the greatest sorrow about his staying away, and was afraid he had been killed in the enchanted forest.
The sentries, indeed, thought no otherwise than that he was the young king himself, for he looked so like him, and had wild animals running behind him. Then he saw that they were speaking of his brother, and thought, it will be better if I pass myself off for him, and then Ican rescue him more easily. So he allowed himself to be escorted into the castle by the guard, and was received with the greatest joy.
The young queen indeed thought that he was her husband, and asked him why he had stayed away so long. He answered, I had lost myself in a forest, and could not find my way out again any sooner. At night he was taken to the royal bed, but he laid a two-edged sword between him and the young queen, she did not know what that could mean, but did not venture to ask.
