Once on a time there was a wealthy merchant. His
business took him into foreign countries. One day, when he was going away, he
said to his three daughters, "My dear children, I should like to bring to
each of you a nice present when I come back. Tell me what you would like."
The eldest said, "Dear father, bring me the
most beautiful pearl necklace that you can find."
The second said, "I wish for a bright
diamond-ring."
But the youngest, throwing herself on her father's
neck, said, "For me, dear father, bring a beautiful little green
nut-bough."
"Well, dear daughters," said the
merchant, "I will take care for you all. Farewell!"
Far away rode the merchant and made great
purchases. He did not forget what his daughters had asked for either. He had
already packed in his trunk a costly pearl necklace for the eldest daughter,
and had found a splendid diamond-ring for his second daughter; but he did not
find agreen nut-twig anywhere, even though he took a great deal of trouble to
find one.
At last he set off homewards. As he made his way
through all the woods along the road, he hoped to find to find a green
nut-twig. But soon he got so near his home that he began to fear that, after
all, he should not be able to give his youngest daughter the simple gift she
wished for.
The last part of his journey was through a gloomy
forest. As he was sorrowfully picking his way through the thick brushwood, he
knocked his hat against a bough; it rattled like a bunch of beads. He looked up
and saw it was a beautiful green branch and that a string of golden nuts was
hanging on it - just what his youngest daughter had asked for! He was so
delighted that he reached his hand up at once and broke off the bough. At the
same minute a wild bear rushed out of the thicket and stood up on his bind
legs, growling and menacing as if he would tear the merchant into pieces.
"Why have you broken off my nut-branch?"
he roared. "You miserable wretch, I will eat you up!"
Shaking and trembling with terror, the merchant
answered, "Dear bear, do not eat me; let me go my way with the nut-bough
and I will give you plenty of bacon and honey."
"Keep your bacon and honey for
yourself," said the bear. "Promise me whatever or whoever meets you
first as you enter your gate and then I will not eat you."
The merchant readily agreed to this; for he
thought it would only be his poodle-dog that he would have to sacrifice to save
his own life. So after a hearty shake of the paw, the bear walked back into the
thicket while the merchant, still breathless from fright, hurried gladly away
from the spot.
The golden nut-bough shone brightly on the hat of
the merchant as he drew nearer and nearer to his home. With springy steps his
youngest daughter bounded towards him. Behind her, at a respectful distance,
followed the poodle-dog, and in the doorway stood his two eldest daughters and
his wife, waiting to greet him.
The merchant was terrified when he saw his
youngest daughter coming first to welcome him. Sadly and sorrowfully he
received the embraces and kisses of all and then he told them of his adventure
with the nut-bough. All began to weep, but the youngest daughter said in front
of them all that she would do as her father had promised.
"Do not despair, my dear daughters,"
interrupted the mother, "do not trouble yourselves. If the bear should
come, dear husband, let us then give him the herdsman's daughter in the place
of our youngest child, and then the bear will be content."
The ruse sounded so good to them that it raised
the spirits of the sisters, who began now to adorn themselves with their
presents.
The youngest always carried her nut-bough with her
and soon thought no more of the bear and her father's promise.
But one day a gloomy-looking carriage rattled
through the street up to the merchant's door; and the bear stepped out. He
walked straight into the house and demanded that the merchant kept his promise.
With all possible haste and secrecy the herdsman's daughter was fetched and
placed inside the bear's carriage.
They went off directly; and when they had gone a
short distance, the bear laid his rough shaggy head in the lap of the girl and
grumbled out,
"Tickle me,
scratch me
Softly and
tenderly,
Or else will I
eat you,
Skin, bone and
all."
The girl began scratching; but she did not do it
right and the bear perceived at once that he was deceived. In his rage he would
have devoured the girl on the spot, had she not made a spring and escaped from
him among the bushes.
The bear went back at once to the merchant's house
and demanded with great threats his promised bride. So after a bitter
leave-taking, the fair maiden was had to accompany her ugly bridegroom and sit
beside him in the carriage.
When they had gone a short distance, he began to
grumble,
"Tickle
me, scratch me
Softly
and tenderly,
Or else
will I eat you,
Skin,
bone and all."
So the maiden tickled him as he desired about his
ears; and soon she had the pleasure of seeing his grim looks vanish. By degrees
the girl then won his confidence.
Their journey did not last long, for the carriage
went on as if a mighty wind blew it. They soon entered a very dark wood; and in
the middle of it the carriage stopped before a deep cave - the bear's dwelling.
Oh, how the maiden trembled! But the bear
embracing her as gently as he could with his frightful, shaggy paws and said to
her, "Stay here, my bride, and be happy, But take care that you behave
bravely, or else my wild companions might tear you."
While he was speaking, he led the way through a
narrow passage; and presently unlocking an iron door, entered a chamber full of
poisonous reptiles, which kept darting about here and there.
"Look
neither to the left or right,
Or you
will be lose your calm,"
growled the bear in her ear. So she walked
straight on through the chamber and not a reptile moved - and so on through ten
other chambers. The last of them was swarming with the most frightful creatures
of all – dragons, snakes, toads, basilisks and winged serpents. In each room
the bear growled out,
"Look
neither to the left or right,
Or you
will be lose your calm."
The girl trembled and shook with fear like an
aspen-leaf, at every step she took, but she did not look round or behind her;
she kept her eyes steadily fixed on the ground.
As soon as they opened the door to the twelfth
chamber, a shining ray of light burst forth on them and from within came a
sound of sweet harmony and songs of triumph and rejoicing. Then, before the
maiden could recover her scattered senses, overcome as she was at first with
terror and dread of the noisome reptiles and then dazzled with the brilliancy
of the last chamber, there came a fearful clap of thunder as if heaven and
earth had clashed together. Then followed a dread silence. But with the thunder
the forest, the cave, the poisonous creatures and the bear had all disappeared.
In their place stood a great castle, and all around it was ranged a company of
well-dressed servants, and the bear had turned into a handsome young man. He
was the princely owner of the castle. He pressed the merchant's daughter to his
heart and thanked her again and again for having saved him and his servants
from their spell.
They married at once. The princess did not forget
her nut-bough, though, as it was the key to all her good fortune. It was always
in bloom afterwards.
As soon as she was able, she sent word to her
parents and sisters of the great good that had come her way, and invited them
to come to her. They did, and all lived to a happy, old age, enjoying life in
the castle of the bear-prince.
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