THE TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES

There was a king who had twelve beautiful daughters. They slept in twelve beds all in one room and when they went to bed; the doors were shut and locked up. Every morning their shoes were found to be quite worn through as if they had been danced in all night. Nobody could find out how it happened. So the king made it known to all the land that if any person could discover the secret and find out where it was that the princesses danced in the night, he would have the one he liked best to take as his wife, and would be king after his death, yet if he did not succeed after three days and nights, he would be put to death. Lots of people followed it, yet they all had the same luck, and all lost their lives in the same way.

At the moment, it happened that an old soldier, who had been wounded in battle, passed through the country where this king reigned. When he was travelling through a wood, he met an old woman asking him where he was going. The soldier said he would like to find out where the princesses danced. The old woman said it was not a very hard task. Only take care not to drink any of the wine, which one of the princesses would bring to him that evening and as soon as he pretend did to be fast asleep. Then she gave him a cloak and asked him as soon as to put that on. He would become invisible, and he would then be able to follow the princesses wherever they go. Therefore, he went to the king, and said he was willing to undertake the task.

Just as he was going to lie down that evening, the eldest of the princesses brought him a cup of wine, yet the soldier threw it all away secretly, taking care not to drink a drop. Then he laid himself down on his bed, and in a little while began to snore very loudly as if he was fast asleep. When the twelve princesses heard this, they laughed heartily. Then they rose, opened their drawers and boxes, and dressed fine clothes at the mirror. The youngest said she felt very uneasy. She was sure some mischance would befall them. The eldest asked if her youngest sister forgotten how many kings' sons had already watched in vain. Then the eldest went up to her own bed and clapped her hands, and the bed sank into the floor and a trap door flew open. The soldier saw them going down through the trap door one after another, the eldest leading the way. Thinking he had no time to lose, he jumped up, put on the cloak given him, and followed them.

Down they all went, and at the bottom, they found themselves in a most delightful grove of trees; and the leaves were all of silver. They came to another grove of trees, where all the leaves were of gold; and afterwards to a third, where the leaves were all glittering diamonds. They went on until they came to a great lake. At the side of the lake, there lay twelve little boats with twelve handsome princes in them waiting there for the princesses. One of the princesses went into each boat, and the soldier stepped into the same boat as the youngest. As they were rowing over the lake, the prince who was in the boat with the youngest princess and the soldier said she thought she was rowing with all her might they did not get on so fast as usual, she was quite tired: the boat seemed very heavy at that moment.

On the other side of the lake illuminated castle from which coming the merry music of horns and trumpets. There they all landed, and went into the castle, and each prince danced with his princess; and the soldier, who was still invisible, danced with them too. They danced on until three o'clock in the morning. All their shoes were worn out. They were obliged to leave. The princes rowed them back again over the lake (but this time the soldier placed himself in the boat with the eldest princess). When they came to the stairs, the soldier ran on before the princesses, and laid himself down. The tired twelve slowly came up, undressed themselves, and went to bed. Everything happened on the second and third nights just as before. On the third night the soldier carried away one of the golden cups as a token of where he had been.

As soon as the time came when he was to declare the secret, he was taken before the king with the three branches and the golden cup; and the twelve princesses stood listening behind the door to hear what he would say. The soldier said the princesses were with twelve princes in a castle underground. He told the king all that had happened, showed him the three branches, and the golden cup which he had brought. The king called for the princesses and asked them what the soldier said was true. When they saw that they were discovered, they confessed it all. Therefore, the king asked the soldier which of the princesses he would choose for his wife. He said he was not very young, so he would have the eldest, they were married that very day, and the soldier was chosen to be the king's heir.