MemGPT/example_short_stories · Datasets at Hugging Face

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her yet.' Said the third 'but he has got her, she is sitting beside
him in the ship.' Then the first began again, and cried 'what good
will that do him. When they reach land a chestnut horse will leap
forward to meet him, and the prince will want to mount it, but if he
does that, it will run away with him, and rise up into the air, and
he will never see his maiden more.' Spoke the second 'but is there no
escape.' 'Oh, yes, if someone else mounts it swiftly, and takes out
the pistol which he will find in its holster, and shoots the horse
dead, the young king is saved. But who knows that. And whosoever
does know it, and tells it to him, will be turned to stone from the
toe to the knee.' Then said the second 'I know more than that, even
if the horse be killed, the young king will still not keep his bride.
When they go into the castle together, a wrought bridal garment will
be lying there in a dish, and looking as if it were woven of gold and
silver, it is, however, nothing but sulphur and pitch, and if he put
it on, it will burn him to the very bone and marrow.' Said the third
'is there no escape at all.' 'Oh, yes, replied the second, 'if any
one with gloves on seizes the garment and throws it into the fire and
burns it, the young king will be saved. But what good will that do.
Whosoever knows it and tells it to him, half his body will become
stone from the knee to the heart.' Then said the third 'I know still
more, even if the bridal garment be burnt, the young king will still
not have his bride. After the wedding, when the dancing begins and
the young queen is dancing, she will suddenly turn pale and fall down
as if dead, and if some one does not lift her up and draw three drops
of blood from her right breast and spit them out again, she will die.
But if any one who knows that were to declare it, he would become
stone from the crown of his head to the sole of his foot.' When the
ravens had spoken of this together, they flew onwards, and faithful
John had well understood everything, but from that time forth he
became quiet and sad, for if he concealed what he had heard from his
master, the latter would be unfortunate, and if he disclosed it to
him, he himself must sacrifice his life. At length, however, he said
to himself 'I will save my master, even if it bring destruction on
myself.' When therefore they came to shore, all happened as had been
foretold by the ravens, and a magnificent chestnut horse sprang
forward. 'Good, said the king, 'he shall carry me to my palace,
and was about to mount it when faithful John got before him, jumped
quickly on it, drew the pistol out of the holster, and shot the
horse. Then the other attendants of the king, who were not very fond
of faithful John, cried 'how shameful to kill the beautiful animal,
that was to have carried the king to his palace.' But the king said
'hold your peace and leave him alone, he is my most faithful John.
Who knows what good may come of this.' They went into the palace, and
in the hall there stood a dish, and therein lay the bridal garment
looking no otherwise than as if it were made of gold and silver. The
young king went towards it and was about to take hold of it, but
faithful John pushed him away, seized it with gloves on, carried it
quickly to the fire and burnt it. The other attendants again began
to murmur, and said 'behold, now he is even burning the king's bridal
garment.' But the young king said 'who knows what good he may have
done, leave him alone, he is my most faithful John.' And now the
wedding was solemnized - the dance began, and the bride also took
part in it, then faithful John was watchful and looked into her face,
and suddenly she turned pale and fell to the ground as if she were
dead. On this he ran hastily to her, lifted her up and bore her into
a chamber - then he laid her down, and knelt and sucked the three
drops of blood from her right breast, and spat them out. Immediately
she breathed again and recovered herself, but the young king had seen
this, and being ignorant why faithful John had done it, was angry and
cried 'throw him into a dungeon.' Next morning faithful John was
condemned, and led to the gallows, and when he stood on high, and was
about to be executed, he said 'every one who has to die is permitted
before his end to make one last speech, may I too claim the right.'
'Yes, answered the king, 'it shall be granted unto you.' Then said
faithful John 'I am unjustly condemned, and have always been true to
you, and he related how he had hearkened to the conversation of the
ravens when on the sea, and how he had been obliged to do all these
things in order to save his master. Then cried the king 'oh, my most
faithful John. Pardon, pardon - bring him down.' But as faithful
John spoke the last word he had fallen down lifeless and become a
stone.

Thereupon the king and the queen suffered great anguish, and the king
said 'ah, how ill I have requited great fidelity.' And ordered the
stone figure to be taken up and placed in his bedroom beside his bed.
And as often as he looked on it he wept and said 'ah, if I could
bring you to life again, my most faithful John.'

Some time passed and the queen bore twins, two sons who grew fast and
were her delight. Once when the queen was at church and the father
was sitting with his two children playing beside him, he looked at
the stone figure again, sighed, and full of grief he said 'ah, if I
could but bring you to life again, my most faithful John.' Then the
stone began to speak and said 'you can bring me to life again if you
will use for that purpose what is dearest to you.' Then cried the
king 'I will give everything I have in the world for you.' The stone
continued 'if you will cut off the heads of your two children with
your own hand, and sprinkle me with their blood, I shall be restored
to life.'

The king was terrified when he heard that he himself must kill his
dearest children, but he thought of faithful John's great fidelity,
and how he had died for him, drew his sword, and with his own hand
cut off the children's heads. And when he had smeared the stone with
their blood, life returned to it, and faithful John stood once more
safe and healthy before him. He said to the king 'your truth shall
not go unrewarded, and took the heads of the children, put them on
again, and rubbed the wounds with their blood, at which they became
whole again immediately, and jumped about, and went on playing as if

her yet.' Said the third 'but he has got her, she is sitting beside

him in the ship.' Then the first began again, and cried 'what good

will that do him. When they reach land a chestnut horse will leap

forward to meet him, and the prince will want to mount it, but if he

does that, it will run away with him, and rise up into the air, and

he will never see his maiden more.' Spoke the second 'but is there no

escape.' 'Oh, yes, if someone else mounts it swiftly, and takes out

the pistol which he will find in its holster, and shoots the horse

dead, the young king is saved. But who knows that. And whosoever

does know it, and tells it to him, will be turned to stone from the

toe to the knee.' Then said the second 'I know more than that, even

if the horse be killed, the young king will still not keep his bride.

When they go into the castle together, a wrought bridal garment will

be lying there in a dish, and looking as if it were woven of gold and

silver, it is, however, nothing but sulphur and pitch, and if he put

it on, it will burn him to the very bone and marrow.' Said the third

'is there no escape at all.' 'Oh, yes, replied the second, 'if any

one with gloves on seizes the garment and throws it into the fire and

burns it, the young king will be saved. But what good will that do.

Whosoever knows it and tells it to him, half his body will become

stone from the knee to the heart.' Then said the third 'I know still

more, even if the bridal garment be burnt, the young king will still

not have his bride. After the wedding, when the dancing begins and

the young queen is dancing, she will suddenly turn pale and fall down

as if dead, and if some one does not lift her up and draw three drops

of blood from her right breast and spit them out again, she will die.

But if any one who knows that were to declare it, he would become

stone from the crown of his head to the sole of his foot.' When the

ravens had spoken of this together, they flew onwards, and faithful

John had well understood everything, but from that time forth he

became quiet and sad, for if he concealed what he had heard from his

master, the latter would be unfortunate, and if he disclosed it to

him, he himself must sacrifice his life. At length, however, he said

to himself 'I will save my master, even if it bring destruction on

myself.' When therefore they came to shore, all happened as had been

foretold by the ravens, and a magnificent chestnut horse sprang

forward. 'Good, said the king, 'he shall carry me to my palace,

and was about to mount it when faithful John got before him, jumped

quickly on it, drew the pistol out of the holster, and shot the

horse. Then the other attendants of the king, who were not very fond

of faithful John, cried 'how shameful to kill the beautiful animal,

that was to have carried the king to his palace.' But the king said

'hold your peace and leave him alone, he is my most faithful John.

Who knows what good may come of this.' They went into the palace, and

in the hall there stood a dish, and therein lay the bridal garment

looking no otherwise than as if it were made of gold and silver. The

young king went towards it and was about to take hold of it, but

faithful John pushed him away, seized it with gloves on, carried it

quickly to the fire and burnt it. The other attendants again began

to murmur, and said 'behold, now he is even burning the king's bridal

garment.' But the young king said 'who knows what good he may have

done, leave him alone, he is my most faithful John.' And now the

wedding was solemnized - the dance began, and the bride also took

part in it, then faithful John was watchful and looked into her face,

and suddenly she turned pale and fell to the ground as if she were

dead. On this he ran hastily to her, lifted her up and bore her into

a chamber - then he laid her down, and knelt and sucked the three

drops of blood from her right breast, and spat them out. Immediately

she breathed again and recovered herself, but the young king had seen

this, and being ignorant why faithful John had done it, was angry and

cried 'throw him into a dungeon.' Next morning faithful John was

condemned, and led to the gallows, and when he stood on high, and was

about to be executed, he said 'every one who has to die is permitted

before his end to make one last speech, may I too claim the right.'

'Yes, answered the king, 'it shall be granted unto you.' Then said

faithful John 'I am unjustly condemned, and have always been true to

you, and he related how he had hearkened to the conversation of the

ravens when on the sea, and how he had been obliged to do all these

things in order to save his master. Then cried the king 'oh, my most

faithful John. Pardon, pardon - bring him down.' But as faithful

John spoke the last word he had fallen down lifeless and become a

stone.

Thereupon the king and the queen suffered great anguish, and the king

said 'ah, how ill I have requited great fidelity.' And ordered the

stone figure to be taken up and placed in his bedroom beside his bed.

And as often as he looked on it he wept and said 'ah, if I could

bring you to life again, my most faithful John.'

Some time passed and the queen bore twins, two sons who grew fast and

were her delight. Once when the queen was at church and the father

was sitting with his two children playing beside him, he looked at

the stone figure again, sighed, and full of grief he said 'ah, if I

could but bring you to life again, my most faithful John.' Then the

stone began to speak and said 'you can bring me to life again if you

will use for that purpose what is dearest to you.' Then cried the

king 'I will give everything I have in the world for you.' The stone

continued 'if you will cut off the heads of your two children with

your own hand, and sprinkle me with their blood, I shall be restored

to life.'

The king was terrified when he heard that he himself must kill his

dearest children, but he thought of faithful John's great fidelity,

and how he had died for him, drew his sword, and with his own hand

cut off the children's heads. And when he had smeared the stone with

their blood, life returned to it, and faithful John stood once more

safe and healthy before him. He said to the king 'your truth shall

not go unrewarded, and took the heads of the children, put them on

again, and rubbed the wounds with their blood, at which they became

whole again immediately, and jumped about, and went on playing as if