(illustration by Otto Ubbelohde)
Allerleirauh (end)
"I am a poor girl who no longer has any father or mother."
He asked further, "Of what use art thou in my palace?"
She answered, "I am good for nothing but to have boots thrown at my head."
He continued, "Where didst thou get the ring which was in the soup?"
She answered, "I know nothing about the ring."
So the King could learn nothing and had to send her away again.
After a while, there was another festival, and then, as before, Allerleirauh begged the cook for leave to go and look on.
He answered, "Yes, but come back again in half-an-hour, and make the King the bread soup which he so much likes."
Then she ran into her den, washed herself quickly, took out of the nut the dress which was as silvery as the moon, and put it on. Then she went up and was like a princess, and the King stepped forward to meet her and rejoiced to see her once more, and as the dance was just beginning, they danced it together. But when it was ended, she again disappeared so quickly that the King could not observe where she went.
She, however, sprang into her den, and once more made herself a hairy animal, and went into the kitchen to prepare the bread soup. When the cook had gone upstairs, she fetched the little golden spinning-wheel and put it in the bowl so that the soup covered it.
Then it was taken to the King, who ate it, and liked it as much as before, and had the cook brought, who this time likewise was forced to confess that Allerleirauh had prepared the soup.
Allerleirauh again came before the King, but she answered that she was good for nothing else but to have boots thrown at her head and that she knew nothing at all about the little golden spinning-wheel.
When, for the third time, the King held a festival, all happened just as it had done before. The cook said, "Faith rough-skin, thou art a witch and always puttest something in the soup which makes it so good that the King likes it better than that which I cook," but, as she begged so hard, he let her go up at the appointed time.
And now she put on the dress which shone like the stars, and thus entered the hall. Again the King danced with the beautiful maiden and thought that she never yet had been so beautiful. And whilst she was dancing, he contrived, without her noticing it, to slip a golden ring on her finger, and he had given orders that the dance should last a very long time. When it was ended, he wanted to hold her fast by her hands, but she tore herself loose and sprang away so quickly through the crowd that she vanished from his sight.
She ran as fast as she could into her den beneath the stairs, but as she had been too long and had stayed more than half-an-hour, she could not take off her pretty dress but only threw over it her fur-mantle, and in her haste she did not make herself quite black, but one finger remained white. Then Allerleirauh ran into the kitchen, and cooked the bread soup for the King and, as the cook was away, put her golden reel into it.
When the King found the reel at the bottom of it, he caused Allerleirauh to be summoned, and then he espied the white finger and saw the ring which he had put on it during the dance. Then he grasped her by the hand, and held her fast, and when she wanted to release herself and run away, her mantle of fur opened a little, and the star-dress shone forth. The King clutched the mantle and tore it off. Then her golden hair shone forth, and she stood there in full splendour and could no longer hide herself. And when she had washed the soot and ashes from her face, she was more beautiful than anyone who had ever been seen on earth.
But the King said, "Thou art my dear bride, and we will never more part from each other."
Thereupon the marriage was solemnized, and they lived happily until their death.
Next: Bearskin
(700 words)
