Iron John

by The Brothers Grimm

　　THERE was once on a time a King who had a great forest near his palace,full of all kinds of wild animals. One day he sent out a huntsman to shoothim a roe, but he did not come back. "Perhaps some accident has befallenhim," said the King, and the next day he sent out two more huntsmen whowere to search for him, but they too stayed away. Then on the third day,he sent for all his huntsmen, and said, "Scour the whole forest through,and do not give up until ye have found all three." But of these also,none came home again, and of the pack of hounds which they had taken withthem, none were seen more. From that time forth, no one would any longerventure into the forest, and it lay there in deep stillness and solitude,and nothing was seen of it, but sometimes an eagle or a hawk flying overit. This lasted for many years, when a strange huntsman announced himselfto the King as seeking a situation, and offered to go into the dangerousforest. The King, however, would not give his consent, and said, "It isnot safe in there; I fear it would fare with thee no better than withthe others, and thou wouldst never come out again." The huntsman replied,"Lord, I will venture it at my own risk, of fear I know nothing."

　　The huntsman therefore betook himself with his dog to the forest. It wasnot long before the dog fell in with some game on the way, and wantedto pursue it; but hardly had the dog run two steps when it stood beforea deep pool, could go no farther, and a naked arm stretched itself outof the water, seized it, and drew it under, When the huntsman saw that,he went back and fetched three men to come with buckets and bale out thewater. When they could see to the bottom there lay a wild man whose bodywas brown like rusty iron, and whose hair hung over his face down to hisknees. They bound him with cords, and led him away to the castle. Therewas great astonishment over the wild man; the King, however, had him putin an iron cage in his court-yard, and forbade the door to be openedon pain of death, and the Queen herself was to take the key into herkeeping. And from this time forth every one could again go into theforest with safety.

　　The King had a son of eight years, who was once playing in the court-yard,and while he was playing, his golden ball fell into the cage. The boy ranthither and said, "Give me my ball out." "Not till thou hast opened thedoor for me," answered the man. "No," said the boy, "I will not do that;the King has forbidden it," and ran away. The next day he again went andasked for his ball; the wild man said, "Open my door," but the boy wouldnot. On the third day the King had ridden out hunting, and the boy wentonce more and said, "I cannot open the door even if I wished, for I havenot the key." Then the wild man said, "It lies under thy mother's pillow,thou canst get it there." The boy, who wanted to have his ball back,cast all thought to the winds, and brought the key. The door opened withdifficulty, and the boy pinched his fingers. When it was open the wildman stepped out, gave him the golden ball, and hurried away. The boy hadbecome afraid; he called and cried after him, "Oh, wild man, do not goaway, or I shall be beaten!" The wild man turned back, took him up, sethim on his shoulder, and went with hasty steps into the forest. When theKing came home, he observed the empty cage, and asked the Queen how thathad happened? She knew nothing about it, and sought the key, but it wasgone. She called the boy, but no one answered. The King sent out peopleto seek for him in the fields, but they did not find him. Then he couldeasily guess what had happened, and much grief reigned in the royal court.

　　When the wild man had once more reached the dark forest, he took the boydown from his shoulder, and said to him, "Thou wilt never see thy fatherand mother again, but I will keep thee with me, for thou hast set me free,and I have compassion on thee. If thou dost all I bid thee, thou shaltfare well. Of treasure and gold have I enough, and more than anyonein the world." He made a bed of moss for the boy on which he slept,and the next morning the man took him to a well, and said, "Behold,the gold well is as bright and clear as crystal, thou shalt sit besideit, and take care that nothing falls into it, or it will be polluted. Iwill come every evening to see if thou hast obeyed my order." The boyplaced himself by the margin of the well, and often saw a golden fishor a golden snake show itself therein, and took care that nothing fellin. As he was thus sitting, his finger hurt him so violently that heinvoluntarily put it in the water. He drew it quickly out again, but sawthat it was quite gilded, and whatsoever pains he took to wash the goldoff again, all was to no purpose. In the evening Iron John came back,looked at the boy, and said, "What has happened to the well?" "Nothing,nothing," he answered, and held his finger behind his back, that theman might not see it. But he said, "Thou hast dipped thy finger intothe water, this time it may pass, but take care thou dost not again letanything go in." By daybreak the boy was already sitting by the well andwatching it. His finger hurt him again and he passed it over his head,and then unhappily a hair fell down into the well. He took it quickly out,but it was already quite gilded. Iron John came, and already knew whathad happened. "Thou hast let a hair fall into the well," said he. "I willallow thee to watch by it once more, but if this happens for the thirdtime then the well is polluted, and thou canst no longer remain with me."

　　On the third day, the boy sat by the well, and did not stir his finger,however much it hurt him. But the time was long to him, and he lookedat the reflection of his face on the surface of the water. And as hestill bent down more and more while he was doing so, and trying to lookstraight into the eyes, his long hair fell down from his shoulders intothe water. He raised himself up quickly, but the whole of the hair ofhis head was already golden and shone like the sun. You may imagine howterrified the poor boy was! He took his pocket-handkerchief and tied itround his head, in order that the man might not see it. When he came healready knew everything, and said, "Take the handkerchief off." Then thegolden hair streamed forth, and let the boy excuse himself as he might,it was of no use. "Thou hast not stood the trial, and canst stay hereno longer. Go forth into the world, there thou wilt learn what povertyis. But as thou hast not a bad heart, and as I mean well by thee, thereis one thing I will grant thee; if thou fallest into any difficulty,come to the forest and cry, 'Iron John,' and then I will come and helpthee. My power is great, greater than thou thinkest, and I have goldand silver in abundance."

　　Then the King's son left the forest, and walked by beaten and unbeatenpaths ever onwards until at length he reached a great city. There helooked for work, but could find none, and he had learnt nothing by whichhe could help himself. At length he went to the palace, and asked ifthey would take him in. The people about court did not at all know whatuse they could make of him, but they liked him, and told him to stay. Atlength the cook took him into his service, and said he might carry woodand water, and rake the cinders together. Once when it so happened thatno one else was at hand, the cook ordered him to carry the food to theroyal table, but as he did not like to let his golden hair be seen, hekept his little cap on. Such a thing as that had never yet come underthe King's notice, and he said, "When thou comest to the royal tablethou must take thy hat off." He answered, "Ah, Lord, I cannot; I havea bad sore place on my head." Then the King had the cook called beforehim and scolded him, and asked how he could take such a boy as that intohis service; and that he was to turn him off at once. The cook, however,had pity on him, and exchanged him for the gardener's boy.

　　And now the boy had to plant and water the garden, hoe and dig, and bearthe wind and bad weather. Once in summer when he was working alone inthe garden, the day was so warm he took his little cap off that the airmight cool him. As the sun shone on his hair it glittered and flashed sothat the rays fell into the bed-room of the King's daughter, and up shesprang to see what that could be. Then she saw the boy, and cried to him,"Boy, bring me a wreath of flowers." He put his cap on with all haste,and gathered wild field-flowers and bound them together. When he wasascending the stairs with them, the gardener met him, and said, "Howcanst thou take the King's daughter a garland of such common flowers? Goquickly, and get another, and seek out the prettiest and rarest." "Oh,no," replied the boy, "the wild ones have more scent, and will please herbetter." When he got into the room, the King's daughter said, "Take thycap off, it is not seemly to keep it on in my presence." He again said,"I may not, I have a sore head." She, however, caught at his cap andpulled it off, and then his golden hair rolled down on his shoulders,and it was splendid to behold. He wanted to run out, but she held himby the arm, and gave him a handful of ducats. With these he departed,but he cared nothing for the gold pieces. He took them to the gardener,and said, "I present them to thy children, they can play with them." Thefollowing day the King's daughter again called to him that he was tobring her a wreath of field-flowers, and when he went in with it, sheinstantly snatched at his cap, and wanted to take it away from him,but he held it fast with both hands. She again gave him a handful ofducats, but he would not keep them, and gave them to the gardener forplaythings for his children. On the third day things went just the same;she could not get his cap away from him, and he would not have her money.

　　Not long afterwards, the country was overrun by war. The King gatheredtogether his people, and did not know whether or not he could offerany opposition to the enemy, who was superior in strength and had amighty army. Then said the gardener's boy, "I am grown up, and will goto the wars also, only give me a horse." The others laughed, and said,"Seek one for thyself when we are gone, we will leave one behind us inthe stable for thee." When they had gone forth, he went into the stable,and got the horse out; it was lame of one foot, and limped hobblety jig,hobblety jig; nevertheless he mounted it, and rode away to the darkforest. When he came to the outskirts, he called "Iron John," threetimes so loudly that it echoed through the trees. Thereupon the wildman appeared immediately, and said, "What dost thou desire?" "I want astrong steed, for I am going to the wars." "That thou shalt have, andstill more than thou askest for." Then the wild man went back into theforest, and it was not long before a stable-boy came out of it, who leda horse that snorted with its nostrils, and could hardly be restrained,and behind them followed a great troop of soldiers entirely equippedin iron, and their swords flashed in the sun. The youth made over histhree-legged horse to the stable-boy, mounted the other, and rode at thehead of the soldiers. When he got near the battle-field a great part ofthe King's men had already fallen, and little was wanting to make therest give way. Then the youth galloped thither with his iron soldiers,broke like a hurricane over the enemy, and beat down all who opposedhim. They began to fly, but the youth pursued, and never stopped,until there was not a single man left. Instead, however, of returningto the King, he conducted his troop by bye-ways back to the forest,and called forth Iron John. "What dost thou desire?" asked the wildman. "Take back thy horse and thy troops, and give me my three-leggedhorse again." All that he asked was done, and soon he was riding on histhree-legged horse. When the King returned to his palace, his daughterwent to meet him, and wished him joy of his victory. "I am not the onewho carried away the victory," said he, "but a stranger knight who cameto my assistance with his soldiers." The daughter wanted to hear who thestrange knight was, but the King did not know, and said, "He followedthe enemy, and I did not see him again." She inquired of the gardenerwhere his boy was, but he smiled, and said, "He has just come home on histhree-legged horse, and the others have been mocking him, and crying,"Here comes our hobblety jig back again!" They asked, too, "Under whathedge hast thou been lying sleeping all the time?" He, however, said,"I did the best of all, and it would have gone badly without me." Andthen he was still more ridiculed."

　　The King said to his daughter, "I will proclaim a great feast that shalllast for three days, and thou shalt throw a golden apple. Perhaps theunknown will come to it." When the feast was announced, the youth wentout to the forest, and called Iron John. "What dost thou desire?" askedhe. "That I may catch the King's daughter's golden apple." "It is assafe as if thou hadst it already," said Iron John. "Thou shalt likewisehave a suit of red armour for the occasion, and ride on a spiritedchestnut-horse." When the day came, the youth galloped to the spot, tookhis place amongst the knights, and was recognized by no one. The King'sdaughter came forward, and threw a golden apple to the knights, but noneof them caught it but he, only as soon as he had it he galloped away.

　　On the second day Iron John equipped him as a white knight, and gavehim a white horse. Again he was the only one who caught the apple, andhe did not linger an instant, but galloped off with it. The King grewangry, and said, "That is not allowed; he must appear before me and tellhis name." He gave the order that if the knight who caught the apple,should go away again they should pursue him, and if he would not comeback willingly, they were to cut him down and stab him.

　　On the third day, he received from Iron John a suit of black armour anda black horse, and again he caught the apple. But when he was riding offwith it, the King's attendants pursued him, and one of them got so nearhim that he wounded the youth's leg with the point of his sword. Theyouth nevertheless escaped from them, but his horse leapt so violentlythat the helmet fell from the youth's head, and they could see that hehad golden hair. They rode back and announced this to the King.

　　The following day the King's daughter asked the gardener about hisboy. "He is at work in the garden; the queer creature has been at thefestival too, and only came home yesterday evening; he has likewiseshown my children three golden apples which he has won."

　　The King had him summoned into his presence, and he came and again hadhis little cap on his head. But the King's daughter went up to him andtook it off, and then his golden hair fell down over his shoulders,and he was so handsome that all were amazed. "Art thou the knight whocame every day to the festival, always in different colours, and whocaught the three golden apples?" asked the King. "Yes," answered he,"and here the apples are," and he took them out of his pocket, andreturned them to the King. "If you desire further proof, you may see thewound which your people gave me when they followed me. But I am likewisethe knight who helped you to your victory over your enemies." "If thoucanst perform such deeds as that, thou art no gardener's boy; tell me,who is thy father?" "My father is a mighty King, and gold have I inplenty as great as I require." "I well see," said the King, "that I owethanks to thee; can I do anything to please thee?" "Yes," answered he,"that indeed you can. Give me your daughter to wife." The maiden laughed,and said, "He does not stand much on ceremony, but I have already seenby his golden hair that he was no gardener's boy," and then she wentand kissed him. His father and mother came to the wedding, and werein great delight, for they had given up all hope of ever seeing theirdear son again. And as they were sitting at the marriage-feast, themusic suddenly stopped, the doors opened, and a stately King came inwith a great retinue. He went up to the youth, embraced him and said,"I am Iron John, and was by enchantment a wild man, but thou hast setme free; all the treasures which I possess, shall be thy property."