Episode 10

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 Icould 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 nothing had happened. Then the king was full of joy, and when he saw the queen coming he hid faithful John and the two children in a great cupboard. When she entered, he said to her 'have you been praying in the church.' 'Yes, answered she, 'but I have constantly been thinking of faithful John and what misfortune has befallen him through us.'

Then said he 'dear wife, we can give him his life again, but it will cost us our two little sons, whom we must sacrifice.' The queen turned pale, and her heart was full of terror, but she said 'we owe it to him, for his great fidelity.' Then the king was rejoiced that she thought as he had thought, and went and opened the cupboard, and brought forth faithful John and the children, and said 'God be praised, he is delivered, and we have our little sons again also, and told her how everything had occurred. Then they dwelt together in much happiness until their death.