merve/folk-mythology-tales · Datasets at Hugging Face

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degrees he played faster and faster till they could hardly twist and
turn quickly enough, and ended by all falling over each other in a heap,
quite exhausted and out of breath.

Then the shepherd ventured to laugh at last; and he laughed so long
and so loud that when the Lord Chamberlain came early in the morning,
expecting to find only his bones, the tears were still running down his
cheeks from laughter.

As soon as the king was dressed the shepherd was again brought before
him; but he was more angry than ever to think the wild boars had not
torn the man to bits, and he said: 'Well, you have learned what it feels
to be near ten deaths, now say "To my good health!"'

But the shepherd broke in with, 'I do not fear a hundred deaths, and I
will only say it if I may have the princess for my wife.'

'Then go to a hundred deaths!' roared the king, and ordered the shepherd
to be thrown down the deep vault of scythes.

The guards dragged him away to a dark dungeon, in the middle of which
was a deep well with sharp scythes all round it. At the bottom of the
well was a little light by which one could see if anyone was thrown in
whether he had fallen to the bottom.

When the shepherd was dragged to the dungeons he begged the guards to
leave him alone a little while that he might look down into the pit of
scythes; perhaps he might after all make up his mind to say 'To your
good health' to the king. So the guards left him alone and he stuck up
his long stick near the well, hung his cloak round the stick and put his
hat on the top. He also hung his knapsack up inside the cloak so that it
might seem to have some body within it. When this was done he called out
to the guards and said that he had considered the matter but after all
he could not make up his mind to say what the king wished. The guards
came in, threw the hat and cloak, knapsack and stick all down the well
together, watched to see how they put out the light at the bottom and
came away, thinking that now there really was an end of the shepherd.
But he had hidden in a dark corner and was laughing to himself all the
time.

Quite early next morning came the Lord Chamberlain, carrying a lamp and
he nearly fell backwards with surprise when he saw the shepherd alive
and well. He brought him to the king, whose fury was greater than ever,
but who cried:

'Well, now you have been near a hundred deaths; will you say: "To your
good health"?'

But the shepherd only gave the same answer:

'I won't say it till the princess is my wife.'

'Perhaps after all you may do it for less,' said the king, who saw that
there was no chance of making away with the shepherd; and he ordered the
state coach to be got ready, then he made the shepherd get in with him
and sit beside him, and ordered the coachman to drive to the silver
wood. When they reached it he said: 'Do you see this silver wood? Well,
if you will say, "To your good health," I will give it to you.'

The shepherd turned hot and cold by turns, but he still persisted:

'I will not say it till the princess is my wife.'

The king was much vexed; he drove further on till they came to a
splendid castle, all of gold, and then he said:

'Do you see this golden castle? Well, I will give you that too, the
silver wood and the golden castle, if only you will say that one thing
to me: "To your good health."'

The shepherd gaped and wondered and was quite dazzled, but he still
said:

'No; I will not say it till I have the princess for my wife.'

This time the king was overwhelmed with grief, and gave orders to drive
on to the diamond pond, and there he tried once more.

'Do you see this diamond pond? I will give you that too, the silver
wood and the golden castle and the diamond pond. You shall have them
all--all--if you will but say: "To your good health!"'

The shepherd had to shut his staring eyes tight not to be dazzled with
the brilliant pond, but still he said:

'No, no; I will not say it till I have the princess for my wife.'

Then the king saw that all his efforts were useless, and that he might
as well give in, so he said:

'Well, well, it's all the same to me--I will give you my daughter to
wife; but, then, you really and truly must say to me: "To your good
health."'

'Of course I'll say it; why should I not say it? It stands to reason
that I shall say it then.'

At this the king was more delighted than anyone could have believed.
He made it known all through the country that there were to be great
rejoicings, as the princess was going to be married. And everyone

degrees he played faster and faster till they could hardly twist and

turn quickly enough, and ended by all falling over each other in a heap,

quite exhausted and out of breath.

Then the shepherd ventured to laugh at last; and he laughed so long

and so loud that when the Lord Chamberlain came early in the morning,

expecting to find only his bones, the tears were still running down his

cheeks from laughter.

As soon as the king was dressed the shepherd was again brought before

him; but he was more angry than ever to think the wild boars had not

torn the man to bits, and he said: 'Well, you have learned what it feels

to be near ten deaths, now say "To my good health!"'

But the shepherd broke in with, 'I do not fear a hundred deaths, and I

will only say it if I may have the princess for my wife.'

'Then go to a hundred deaths!' roared the king, and ordered the shepherd

to be thrown down the deep vault of scythes.

The guards dragged him away to a dark dungeon, in the middle of which

was a deep well with sharp scythes all round it. At the bottom of the

well was a little light by which one could see if anyone was thrown in

whether he had fallen to the bottom.

When the shepherd was dragged to the dungeons he begged the guards to

leave him alone a little while that he might look down into the pit of

scythes; perhaps he might after all make up his mind to say 'To your

good health' to the king. So the guards left him alone and he stuck up

his long stick near the well, hung his cloak round the stick and put his

hat on the top. He also hung his knapsack up inside the cloak so that it

might seem to have some body within it. When this was done he called out

to the guards and said that he had considered the matter but after all

he could not make up his mind to say what the king wished. The guards

came in, threw the hat and cloak, knapsack and stick all down the well

together, watched to see how they put out the light at the bottom and

came away, thinking that now there really was an end of the shepherd.

But he had hidden in a dark corner and was laughing to himself all the

time.

Quite early next morning came the Lord Chamberlain, carrying a lamp and

he nearly fell backwards with surprise when he saw the shepherd alive

and well. He brought him to the king, whose fury was greater than ever,

but who cried:

'Well, now you have been near a hundred deaths; will you say: "To your

good health"?'

But the shepherd only gave the same answer:

'I won't say it till the princess is my wife.'

'Perhaps after all you may do it for less,' said the king, who saw that

there was no chance of making away with the shepherd; and he ordered the

state coach to be got ready, then he made the shepherd get in with him

and sit beside him, and ordered the coachman to drive to the silver

wood. When they reached it he said: 'Do you see this silver wood? Well,

if you will say, "To your good health," I will give it to you.'

The shepherd turned hot and cold by turns, but he still persisted:

'I will not say it till the princess is my wife.'

The king was much vexed; he drove further on till they came to a

splendid castle, all of gold, and then he said:

'Do you see this golden castle? Well, I will give you that too, the

silver wood and the golden castle, if only you will say that one thing

to me: "To your good health."'

The shepherd gaped and wondered and was quite dazzled, but he still

said:

'No; I will not say it till I have the princess for my wife.'

This time the king was overwhelmed with grief, and gave orders to drive

on to the diamond pond, and there he tried once more.

'Do you see this diamond pond? I will give you that too, the silver

wood and the golden castle and the diamond pond. You shall have them

all--all--if you will but say: "To your good health!"'

The shepherd had to shut his staring eyes tight not to be dazzled with

the brilliant pond, but still he said:

'No, no; I will not say it till I have the princess for my wife.'

Then the king saw that all his efforts were useless, and that he might

as well give in, so he said:

'Well, well, it's all the same to me--I will give you my daughter to

wife; but, then, you really and truly must say to me: "To your good

health."'

'Of course I'll say it; why should I not say it? It stands to reason

that I shall say it then.'

At this the king was more delighted than anyone could have believed.

He made it known all through the country that there were to be great

rejoicings, as the princess was going to be married. And everyone