Faithful Johannes 忠實的約翰

When the Princess of the Golden Roof was comforted when she heard this. Her heart yielded to him, and she willingly consented to marry him.

　　Now it so happened that while they were sailing onward on the high sea, faithful Johannes, who was sitting at the front of the ship making music, saw three ravens flying through the air towards them. He stopped playing and listened to what they were saying to each other, for he could understand them.

　　One cried "Oh, he is carrying home the Princess of the Golden Roof."

　　"Yes," replied the second, "but he doesn't have her yet."

　　the third one said, "Yes, he has her. She is sitting beside him in the ship."

　　then the first one began again, crying, "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 leap up into the air with him, and he will never see his bride again."

　　the second one spoke, "Is there no escape?"

　　"Oh, yes, if someone else quickly mounts it, takes the gun from its saddlebag, and shoots the horse dead, then young king will be rescued. But who knows that? And if anyone does know it, and tells it to the king, he will be turned to stone from his toes to his knees."

　　then the second raven said, "I know more than that. Even if the horse is killed, still the young king will not keep his bride. When they enter the castle together, a ready-made wedding shirt will be lying there on a platter. It will appear to be woven of gold and silver, but it is nothing but sulfur and pitch. If he puts it on, it will burn him to the very marrow and bone."

　　the third one spoke, "Is there no escape at all?"

　　"Oh, yes," replied the second raven. "If anyone with gloves on seizes the garment and throws it into the fire and burns it up, the young king will be saved. But what good will that do? If anyone knows it and tells it to the king, half his body will become stone, from his knees to his heart."

　　then the third raven said, "I know still more. Even if the wedding shirt is burned up, still the young king will 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. If someone 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 anyone who knows that reveals it, his entire body will turn to stone, from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet."

　　After the ravens had thus spoken they flew away. Faithful Johannes had understood everything well. From that time forth he became quiet and sad, for if he concealed what he had heard from his master, it would bring misfortune to the king, but if he revealed it to him, then he himself would have to sacrifice his life.

　　Finally he said to himself, "I will save my master, even if it brings destruction on myself."

　　When they landed, what the raven foretold did indeed happen, and a magnificent chestnut horse sprang forward.

　　"Excellent!" said the king. "He shall carry me to my castle."

　　He was about to mount it when faithful Johannes pushed in front of him, quickly jumped onto the horse, drew the gun from its saddlebag, and shot the horse.

　　the king's other servants, who were not very fond of faithful Johannes, shouted, "How shameful to kill the beautiful animal that was to have carried the king to his castle."

　　But the king said, "Hold your peace and leave him alone. He is my most faithful Johannes. Who knows what good may come of this?"

　　they entered the castle, and in the hall there stood a platter on which lay the wedding shirt that appeared to be made of gold and silver. The young king went towards it and was about to take hold of it, but faithful Johannes pushed him away, seized it with gloves, carried it quickly to the fire, and burned it up.

　　the other servants began to murmur again, saying, "Look, now he is even burning up the king's wedding shirt."

　　But the young king said, "Who knows what good he may have done? Leave him alone. He is my most faithful Johannes."

　　And now the wedding took place. The dance began, with the bride also taking part. Faithful Johannes was watchful and looked into her face. Suddenly she turned pale and fell to the ground as if she were dead. He ran quickly to her, picked her up and carried her into a chamber. He laid her down, then knelt and sucked three drops of blood from her right breast, and spat them out. Immediately she breathed again and regained consciousness. The young king saw what had happened, and not knowing why faithful Johannes had done it, GREw angry and shouted, "Throw him into prison."

　　the next morning faithful Johannes was condemned and led to the gallows. Standing high on the platform and about to be executed, he said, "Everyone who is condemned to die is permitted before his end to say one last thing. May I too have this right?"

　　"Yes," answered the king. "You are granted this right."

　　Faithful Johannes said, "I have been unjustly condemned, and have always been loyal to you, and he related how he had heard the conversation of the ravens at sea, and how he had had to do all these things in order to save his master.

　　then the king cried, "Oh, my most faithful Johannes, pardon! Pardon! Bring him down."

　　But as faithful Johannes spoke the last word, he fell down lifeless and turned to stone.

　　This caused the king and the queen GREat grief, and the king said, "Oh, I have rewarded him very badly for his great loyalty." He then ordered the stone figure to be taken up and placed in his bedroom next to his bed. Every time that he looked at it he wept, saying, "Oh, if only I could bring you back to life again, my most faithful Johannes."

　　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 two children were sitting beside their father and playing, he again looked sadly at the stone statue and said, "Oh, if only I could bring you back to life again, my most faithful Johannes."

　　then the stone began to speak and said, "You can bring me back to life again if you will in return give up what is dearest to you."

　　the king cried, "For you I will give up everything I have in the world."

　　the stone continued, "If you will cut off the heads of your two children with your own hand, then sprinkle their blood on me, I shall be restored to life."

　　the king was horrified when he heard that he would have to kill his own dearest children, but he thought of faithful Johannes's GREat loyalty, and how he had died for him, then drew his sword, and with his own hand cut off the children's heads. And when he had smeared the stone with their blood, it returned to life, and faithful Johannes stood before him, again healthy and well.

　　He said to the king, "Your loyalty shall not go unrewarded," then taking the children's heads, he put them on again, then rubbed the wounds with their blood, at which they became immediately whole again, and jumped about and went on playing as if nothing had happened.

　　the king was overjoyed. When he saw the queen coming he hid faithful Johannes and the two children in a large chest. When she entered, he said to her, "Have you been praying in the church?"

　　"Yes, she answered, "but I have constantly been thinking about faithful Johannes and what misfortune has befallen him because of us."

　　then he said, "Dear wife, we can give him his life again, but it will cost us our two little sons. We will have to sacrifice them."

　　the queen turned pale, and her heart filled with terror, but she said, "We owe it to him for his GREat loyalty."

　　the king rejoiced to hear that she aGREed with him, then he opened up the chest and brought forth faithful Johannes and the children, saying, "God be praised! Faithful Johannes has been saved, and we have our little sons again as well." He told her how everything had happened. Then they lived happily together until they died.