The Pink

Once upon a time there was a queen who had no children. Every morning she went into the garden and prayed to God in heaven to give her a son or a daughter. Then an angel from heaven came to her and said, "Do not worry, you shall have a son who has the power of wishing, so that whatever he wishes for in the world, he will have." Then she went to the king and told him the joyful news. When the time came, she gave birth to a son, and the king was filled with happiness.

Every morning she went with the child to the garden where the wild animals were kept, and washed herself in a clear stream. One day, when the child was a little older, he was lying in her arms and she fell asleep.

Then the old cook, who knew that the child had the power of wishing, came and stole the child away. He took a hen, cut it into pieces, and dropped some of its blood on the queen's apron and dress.

Then he carried the child away to a secret place, where a nurse had to suckle it. He ran to the king and accused the queen of letting her child be taken by the wild animals. When the king saw the blood on her apron, he believed it.

He became so angry that he ordered a high tower to be built, where neither sun nor moon could be seen. He had his wife put into it and walled up. She was to stay there for seven years without food or drink, and die of hunger.

But God sent two angels from heaven in the shape of white doves, which flew to her twice a day and carried her food until the seven years were over.

The cook thought to himself, "If the child has the power of wishing and I am here, he could easily get me into trouble." So he left the palace and went to the boy, who was already big enough to speak.

He said to him, "Wish for a beautiful palace for yourself with a garden and everything else that goes with it." Hardly had the words left the boy's mouth when everything he had wished for was there.

After a while the cook said to him, "It is not good for you to be so alone. Wish for a pretty girl as a companion." Then the king's son wished for one, and she immediately stood before him. She was more beautiful than any painter could have painted her.

They played together and loved each other with all their hearts. The old cook went hunting like a nobleman. But the thought occurred to him that the king's son might some day wish to be with his father, which would put him in great danger.

So he took the maiden aside and said, "Tonight when the boy is asleep, go to his bed and plunge this knife into his heart. Bring me his heart and tongue. If you do not do it, you will lose your life." Then he went away.

When he returned the next day, she had not done it. She said, "Why should I shed the blood of an innocent boy who has never harmed anyone?" The cook said again, "If you do not do it, it will cost you your own life." When he had gone, she had a little deer brought to her and ordered it to be killed.

She took its heart and tongue and laid them on a plate. When she saw the old man coming, she said to the boy, "Lie down in your bed and pull the covers over you." Then the wicked wretch came in and said, "Where are the boy's heart and tongue?" The girl handed him the plate.

But the king's son threw off the quilt and said, "You old sinner, why did you want to kill me? Now I will pronounce your sentence. You shall become a black poodle with a gold collar around your neck, and you shall eat burning coals until flames burst from your throat." As soon as he had spoken these words, the old man was changed into a poodle dog with a gold collar around his neck.

The cooks were ordered to bring up some live coals, and the dog ate them until flames burst from his throat.

The king's son stayed there a little while longer. He thought of his mother and wondered if she were still alive. Finally he said to the maiden, "I will go home to my own country.

If you will come with me, I will take care of you." "Ah," she replied, "the way is so long, and what shall I do in a strange land where I am unknown?" As she did not seem quite willing, and because they could not be parted from each other, he wished that she might be changed into a beautiful pink flower and took her with him.

Then he went away to his own country, and the poodle had to run after him.

He went to the tower where his mother was imprisoned. Since it was so high, he wished for a ladder that would reach to the very top. He climbed up and looked inside and cried, "Beloved mother, lady queen, are you still alive or are you dead?" She answered, "I have just eaten and am still satisfied," for she thought the angels were there.

He said, "I am your dear son, whom the wild beasts were said to have torn from your arms. But I am still alive and will soon set you free." Then he climbed down and went to his father.

He had himself announced as a strange huntsman and asked if he could give him a job. The king said yes, if he was skillful and could get game for him, he could come to him. But deer had never settled in any part of the district or country.

The huntsman promised to provide as much game as he could possibly use at the royal table. So he summoned all the huntsmen together and ordered them to go into the forest with him. He went with them and had them form a great circle, open at one end where he stood.

Then he began to wish. Two hundred deer and more came running inside the circle at once, and the huntsmen shot them. They were all placed on sixty country carts and driven home to the king.

For once he was able to cover his table with game, after having had none at all for years.

The king felt great joy at this. He commanded that his entire household should eat with him the next day and made a great feast. When they were all assembled, he said to the huntsman, "As you are so clever, you shall sit by me." He replied, "Lord King, your majesty must excuse me.

I am a poor huntsman." But the king insisted and said, "You shall sit by me," until he did it. While he was sitting there, he thought of his dearest mother. He wished that one of the king's principal servants would begin to speak of her, and ask how the queen was doing in the tower, and if she were still alive or had perished.

Hardly had he formed the wish when the marshal began to speak: "Your majesty, we live joyously here, but how is the queen living in the tower? Is she still alive or has she died?" But the king replied, "She let my dear son be torn to pieces by wild beasts.

I will not have her named." Then the huntsman rose and said, "Gracious lord father, she is still alive, and I am her son. I was not carried away by wild beasts, but by that wretch, the old cook, who tore me from her arms when she was asleep and sprinkled her apron with the blood of a chicken." Thereupon he took the dog with the golden collar and said, "That is the wretch!" He had live coals brought, and the dog was forced to devour them before the eyes of all, until flames burst from its throat.

After this, the huntsman asked the king if he would like to see the dog in his true shape. He wished him back into the form of the cook. Immediately the cook stood there, with his white apron and his knife by his side.

When the king saw him, he fell into a rage and ordered him to be cast into the deepest dungeon.

Then the huntsman spoke further and said, "Father, will you see the maiden who brought me up so tenderly and who was afterward supposed to murder me but did not, even though her own life depended on it?" The king replied, "Yes, I would like to see her." The son said, "Most gracious father, I will show her to you in the form of a beautiful flower." He thrust his hand into his pocket and brought forth the pink and placed it on the royal table.

It was so beautiful that the king had never seen one to equal it. Then the son said, "Now I will show her to you in her own form." He wished that she might become a maiden, and she stood there looking so beautiful that no painter could have made her more so.

The king sent two waiting-maids and two attendants into the tower to fetch the queen and bring her to the royal table. But when she was led in, she ate nothing and said, "The gracious and merciful God who has supported me in the tower will soon deliver me." She lived three more days and then died happily.

When she was buried, the two white doves that had brought her food to the tower and were angels of heaven followed her body and seated themselves on her grave. The aged king ordered the cook to be torn into four pieces.

But grief consumed the king's own heart, and he soon died. His son married the beautiful maiden whom he had brought with him as a flower in his pocket. Whether they are still alive or not is known to God.