The Three Snake-leaves

THE THREE SNAKE-LEAVES

There was once a poor man who could no longer afford to keep his only

son at home. So the son said to him, 'Dear father, you are so poor that

I am only a burden to you; I would rather go out into the world and see

if I can earn my own living.' The father gave him his blessing and took

leave of him with much sorrow. About this time the King of a very

powerful kingdom was carrying on a war; the youth therefore took service

under him and went on the campaign. When they came before the enemy, a

battle took place, there was some hot fighting, and it rained bullets so

thickly that his comrades fell around him on all sides. And when their

leader fell too the rest wished to take to flight; but the youth stepped

forward and encouraged them and called out, 'We must not let our country

be ruined!' Then others followed him, and he pressed on and defeated the

enemy. When the King heard that he had to thank him alone for the

victory, he raised him higher than anyone else in rank, gave him great

treasures and made him the first in the kingdom.

The King had a daughter who was very beautiful, but she was also very

capricious. She had made a vow to marry no one who would not promise her

that if she died first, he would allow himself to be buried alive with

her. 'If he loves me truly,' she used to say, 'what use would life be to

him then?' At the same time she was willing to do the same, and if he

died first to be buried with him. This curious vow had up to this time

frightened away all suitors, but the young man was so captivated by her

beauty, that he hesitated at nothing and asked her hand of her father.

'Do you know,' asked the King, 'what you have to promise?' 'I shall have

to go into her grave with her,' he answered, 'if I outlive her, but my

love is so great that I do not think of the risk.' So the King

consented, and the wedding was celebrated with great splendour.

Now, they lived for a long time very happily with one another, but then

it came to pass that the young Queen fell seriously ill, and no doctor

could save her. And when she lay dead, the young King remembered what he

had promised, and it made him shudder to think of lying in her grave

alive, but there was no escape. The King had set guards before all the

gates, and it was not possible to avoid his fate.

When the day arrived on which the corpse was to be laid in the royal

vault, he was led thither, then the entrance was bolted and closed up.

Near the coffin stood a table on which were placed four candles, four

loaves of bread, and four bottles of wine. As soon as this provision

came to an end he would have to die. So he sat there full of grief and

misery, eating every day only a tiny bit of bread, and drinking only a

mouthful of wine, and he watched death creeping nearer and nearer to

him. One day as he was sitting staring moodily in front of him, he saw a

snake creep out of the corner towards the corpse. Thinking it was going

to touch it, he drew his sword and saying, 'As long as I am alive you

shall not harm her,' he cut it in three pieces. After a little time a

second snake crept out of the corner, but when it saw the first one

lying dead and in pieces it went back and came again soon, holding three

green leaves in its mouth. Then it took the three bits of the snake and

laid them in order, and put one of the leaves on each wound. Immediately

the pieces joined together, the snake moved itself and became alive and

then both hurried away. The leaves remained lying on the ground, and it

suddenly occurred to the unfortunate man who had seen everything, that

the wonderful power of the leaves might also be exercised upon a human

being.

So he picked up the leaves and laid one of them on the mouth and the

other two on the eyes of the dead woman. And scarcely had he done this,

before the blood began to circulate in her veins, then it mounted and

brought colour back to her white face. Then she drew her breath, opened

her eyes, and said, 'Ah! where am I?' 'You are with me, dear lady,' he

answered, and told her all that had happened, and how he had brought her

to life again. He then gave her some wine and bread, and when all her

strength had returned she got up, and they went to the door and knocked

and called so loudly that the guards heard them, and told the King. The

King came himself to open the door, and there he found both happy and

well, and he rejoiced with them that now all trouble was over. But the

young King gave the three snake-leaves to a servant, saying to him,

'Keep them carefully for me, and always carry them with you; who knows

but that they may help us in a time of need!'

[Illustration]

It seemed, however, as if a change had come over the young Queen after

she had been restored to life, and as if all her love for her husband

had faded from her heart. Some time afterwards, when he wanted to take a

journey over the sea to his old father, and they were on board the ship,

she forgot the great love and faithfulness he had shown her and how he

had saved her from death, and fell in love with the captain. And one day

when the young King was lying asleep, she called the captain to her, and

seized the head of the sleeping King and made him take his feet, and

together they threw him into the sea. When they had done this wicked

deed, she said to him, 'Now let us go home and say that he died on the

journey. I will praise you so much to my father that he will marry me to

you and make you the heir to the throne.' But the faithful servant, who

had seen everything, let down a little boat into the sea, unobserved by

them, and rowed after his master while the traitors sailed on. He took

the drowned man out of the water, and with the help of the three

snake-leaves which he carried with him, placing them on his mouth and

eyes, he brought him to life again.

They both rowed as hard as they could night and day, and their little

boat went so quickly that they reached the old King before the other two

did. He was much astonished to see them come back alone, and asked what

had happened to them. When he heard the wickedness of his daughter, he

said, 'I cannot believe that she has acted so wrongly, but the truth

will soon come to light.' He made them both go into a secret chamber,

and let no one see them.

Soon after this the large ship came in, and the wicked lady appeared

before her father with a very sad face. He said to her, 'Why have you

come back alone? Where is your husband?'

'Ah, dear father,' she replied, 'I have come home in great grief; my

husband fell ill on the voyage quite suddenly, and died, and if the good

captain had not given me help, I should have died too. He was at his

death-bed and can tell you everything.'

The King said, 'I will bring the dead to life again,' and he opened the

door of the room and called them both out. The lady was as if

thunderstruck when she caught sight of her husband; she fell on her

knees and begged for mercy. But the King said, 'You shall have no mercy.

He was ready to die with you, and restored you to life again; but you

killed him when he was sleeping, and shall receive your deserts.'

So she and her accomplice were put in a ship which was bored through

with holes, and were drawn out into the sea, where they soon perished in

the waves.

Grimm.