Now it came to pass that his father said to him one day "Hearken to me,thou fellow in the corner there, thou art growing tall and strong, andthou too must learn something by which thou canst earn thy living. Lookhow thy brother works, but thou dost not even earn thy salt." "Well,father," he replied, "I am quite willing to learn something—-indeed, ifit could but be managed, I should like to learn how to shudder. I don'tunderstand that at all yet." The elder brother smiled when he heard that,and thought to himself, "Good God, what a blockhead that brother of mineis! He will never be good for anything as long as he lives. He who wantsto be a sickle must bend himself betimes."
The father sighed, and answered him "thou shalt soon learn what it isto shudder, but thou wilt not earn thy bread by that."
Soon after this the sexton came to the house on a visit, and the fatherbewailed his trouble, and told him how his younger son was so backwardin every respect that he knew nothing and learnt nothing. "Just think,"said he, "when I asked him how he was going to earn his bread, heactually wanted to learn to shudder." "If that be all," replied thesexton, "he can learn that with me. Send him to me, and I will soonpolish him." The father was glad to do it, for he thought, "It willtrain the boy a little." The sexton therefore took him into his house,and he had to ring the bell. After a day or two, the sexton awoke himat midnight, and bade him arise and go up into the church tower andring the bell. "Thou shalt soon learn what shuddering is," thought he,and secretly went there before him; and when the boy was at the topof the tower and turned round, and was just going to take hold of thebell rope, he saw a white figure standing on the stairs opposite thesounding hole. "Who is there?" cried he, but the figure made no reply,and did not move or stir. "Give an answer," cried the boy, "or take thyself off, thou hast no business here at night."
The sexton, however, remained standing motionless that the boy mightthink he was a ghost. The boy cried a second time, "What do you wanthere?—-speak if thou art an honest fellow, or I will throw thee down thesteps!" The sexton thought, "he can't intend to be as bad as his words,"uttered no sound and stood as if he were made of stone. Then the boycalled to him for the third time, and as that was also to no purpose,he ran against him and pushed the ghost down the stairs, so that itfell down ten steps and remained lying there in a corner. Thereuponhe rang the bell, went home, and without saying a word went to bed,and fell asleep. The sexton's wife waited a long time for her husband,but he did not come back. At length she became uneasy, and wakened theboy, and asked, "Dost thou not know where my husband is? He climbedup the tower before thou didst." "No, I don't know," replied the boy,"but some one was standing by the sounding hole on the other side of thesteps, and as he would neither give an answer nor go away, I took him fora scoundrel, and threw him downstairs, just go there and you will see ifit was he. I should be sorry if it were." The woman ran away and foundher husband, who was lying moaning in the corner, and had broken his leg.
She carried him down, and then with loud screams she hastened to theboy's father. "Your boy," cried she, "has been the cause of a greatmisfortune! He has thrown my husband down the steps and made him break hisleg. Take the good-for-nothing fellow away from our house." The father wasterrified, and ran thither and scolded the boy. "What wicked tricks arethese?" said he, "the devil must have put this into thy head." "Father,"he replied, "do listen to me. I am quite innocent. He was standing thereby night like one who is intending to do some evil. I did not know who itwas, and I entreated him three times either to speak or to go away." "Ah,"said the father, "I have nothing but unhappiness with you. Go out of mysight. I will see thee no more."
"Yes, father, right willingly, wait only until it is day. Then will I goforth and learn how to shudder, and then I shall, at any rate, understandone art which will support me." "Learn what thou wilt," spake the father,"it is all the same to me. Here are fifty thalers for thee. Take theseand go into the wide world, and tell no one from whence thou comest,and who is thy father, for I have reason to be ashamed of thee." "Yes,father, it shall be as you will. If you desire nothing more than that,I can easily keep it in mind."
When day dawned, therefore, the boy put his fifty thalers into his pocket,and went forth on the great highway, and continually said to himself,"If I could but shudder! If I could but shudder!" Then a man approachedwho heard this conversation which the youth was holding with himself,and when they had walked a little farther to where they could see thegallows, the man said to him, "Look, there is the tree where sevenmen have married the ropemaker's daughter, and are now learning how tofly. Sit down below it, and wait till night comes, and you will soonlearn how to shudder." "If that is all that is wanted," answered theyouth, "it is easily done; but if I learn how to shudder as fast asthat, thou shalt have my fifty thalers. Just come back to me early inthe morning." Then the youth went to the gallows, sat down below it,and waited till evening came. And as he was cold, he lighted himself afire, but at midnight the wind blew so sharply that in spite of his fire,he could not get warm. And as the wind knocked the hanged men againsteach other, and they moved backwards and forwards, he thought to himself"Thou shiverest below by the fire, but how those up above must freezeand suffer!" And as he felt pity for them, he raised the ladder, andclimbed up, unbound one of them after the other, and brought down allseven. Then he stirred the fire, blew it, and set them all round itto warm themselves. But they sat there and did not stir, and the firecaught their clothes. So he said, "Take care, or I will hang you upagain." The dead men, however, did not hear, but were quite silent,and let their rags go on burning. On this he grew angry, and said,"If you will not take care, I cannot help you, I will not be burnt withyou," and he hung them up again each in his turn. Then he sat down byhis fire and fell asleep, and the next morning the man came to him andwanted to have the fifty thalers, and said, "Well, dost thou know howto shudder?" "No," answered he, "how was I to get to know? Those fellowsup there did not open their mouths, and were so stupid that they let thefew old rags which they had on their bodies get burnt." Then the man sawthat he would not get the fifty thalers that day, and went away saying,"One of this kind has never come my way before."
The youth likewise went his way, and once more began to mutter tohimself, "Ah, if I could but shudder! Ah, if I could but shudder!" Awaggoner who was striding behind him heard that and asked, "Who areyou?" "I don't know," answered the youth. Then the waggoner asked,"From whence comest thou?" "I know not." "Who is thy father?" "That Imay not tell thee." "What is it that thou art always muttering betweenthy teeth." "Ah," replied the youth, "I do so wish I could shudder, butno one can teach me how to do it." "Give up thy foolish chatter," saidthe waggoner. "Come, go with me, I will see about a place for thee." Theyouth went with the waggoner, and in the evening they arrived at an innwhere they wished to pass the night. Then at the entrance of the roomthe youth again said quite loudly, "If I could but shudder! If I couldbut shudder!" The host who heard this, laughed and said, "If that isyour desire, there ought to be a good opportunity for you here." "Ah,be silent," said the hostess, "so many inquisitive persons have alreadylost their lives, it would be a pity and a shame if such beautiful eyesas these should never see the daylight again."
But the youth said, "However difficult it may be, I will learn it andfor this purpose indeed have I journeyed forth." He let the host haveno rest, until the latter told him, that not far from thence stood ahaunted castle where any one could very easily learn what shuddering was,if he would but watch in it for three nights. The King had promised thathe who would venture should have his daughter to wife, and she was themost beautiful maiden the sun shone on. Great treasures likewise layin the castle, which were guarded by evil spirits, and these treasureswould then be freed, and would make a poor man rich enough. Already manymen had gone into the castle, but as yet none had come out again. Thenthe youth went next morning to the King and said if he were allowedhe would watch three nights in the haunted castle. The King lookedat him, and as the youth pleased him, he said, "Thou mayest ask forthree things to take into the castle with thee, but they must be thingswithout life." Then he answered, "Then I ask for a fire, a turning lathe,and a cutting-board with the knife." The King had these things carriedinto the castle for him during the day. When night was drawing near,the youth went up and made himself a bright fire in one of the rooms,placed the cutting-board and knife beside it, and seated himself by theturning-lathe. "Ah, if I could but shudder!" said he, "but I shall notlearn it here either." Towards midnight he was about to poke his fire,and as he was blowing it, something cried suddenly from one corner,"Au, miau! how cold we are!" "You simpletons!" cried he, "what are youcrying about? If you are cold, come and take a seat by the fire and warmyourselves." And when he had said that, two great black cats came withone tremendous leap and sat down on each side of him, and looked savagelyat him with their fiery eyes. After a short time, when they had warmedthemselves, they said, "Comrade, shall we have a game at cards?" "Whynot?" he replied, "but just show me your paws." Then they stretchedout their claws. "Oh," said he, "what long nails you have! Wait, I mustfirst cut them for you." Thereupon he seized them by the throats, putthem on the cutting-board and screwed their feet fast. "I have looked atyour fingers," said he, "and my fancy for card-playing has gone," and hestruck them dead and threw them out into the water. But when he had madeaway with these two, and was about to sit down again by his fire, outfrom every hole and corner came black cats and black dogs with red-hotchains, and more and more of them came until he could no longer stir,and they yelled horribly, and got on his fire, pulled it to pieces, andtried to put it out. He watched them for a while quietly, but at lastwhen they were going too far, he seized his cutting-knife, and cried,"Away with ye, vermin," and began to cut them down. Part of them ranaway, the others he killed, and threw out into the fish-pond. When hecame back he fanned the embers of his fire again and warmed himself. Andas he thus sat, his eyes would keep open no longer, and he felt a desireto sleep. Then he looked round and saw a great bed in the corner. "Thatis the very thing for me," said he, and got into it. When he was justgoing to shut his eyes, however, the bed began to move of its own accord,and went over the whole of the castle. "That's right," said he, "but gofaster." Then the bed rolled on as if six horses were harnessed to it,up and down, over thresholds and steps, but suddenly hop, hop, it turnedover upside down, and lay on him like a mountain. But he threw quiltsand pillows up in the air, got out and said, "Now any one who likes,may drive," and lay down by his fire, and slept till it was day. In themorning the King came, and when he saw him lying there on the ground,he thought the evil spirits had killed him and he was dead. Then said he,"After all it is a pity,—-he is a handsome man." The youth heard it, gotup, and said, "It has not come to that yet." Then the King was astonished,but very glad, and asked how he had fared. "Very well indeed," answeredhe; "one night is past, the two others will get over likewise." Thenhe went to the innkeeper, who opened his eyes very wide, and said, "Inever expected to see thee alive again! Hast thou learnt how to shudderyet?" "No," said he, "it is all in vain. If some one would but tell me."
The second night he again went up into the old castle, sat down by thefire, and once more began his old song, "If I could but shudder." Whenmidnight came, an uproar and noise of tumbling about was heard; at firstit was low, but it grew louder and louder. Then it was quiet for awhile,and at length with a loud scream, half a man came down the chimney andfell before him. "Hollo!" cried he, "another half belongs to this. Thisis too little!" Then the uproar began again, there was a roaring andhowling, and the other half fell down likewise. "Wait," said he, "Iwill just blow up the fire a little for thee." When he had done that andlooked round again, the two pieces were joined together, and a frightfulman was sitting in his place. "That is no part of our bargain," said theyouth, "the bench is mine." The man wanted to push him away; the youth,however, would not allow that, but thrust him off with all his strength,and seated himself again in his own place. Then still more men fell down,one after the other; they brought nine dead men's legs and two skulls,and set them up and played at nine-pins with them. The youth alsowanted to play and said "Hark you, can I join you?" "Yes, if thou hastany money." "Money enough," replied he, "but your balls are not quiteround." Then he took the skulls and put them in the lathe and turnedthem till they were round. "There, now, they will roll better!" saidhe. "Hurrah! Now it goes merrily!" He played with them and lost someof his money, but when it struck twelve, everything vanished from hissight. He lay down and quietly fell asleep. Next morning the King came toinquire after him. "How has it fared with you this time?" asked he. "Ihave been playing at nine-pins," he answered, "and have lost a coupleof farthings." "Hast thou not shuddered then?" "Eh, what?" said he,"I have made merry. If I did but know what it was to shudder!"
The third night he sat down again on his bench and said quite sadly, "IfI could but shudder." When it grew late, six tall men came in and broughta coffin. Then said he, "Ha, ha, that is certainly my little cousin, whodied only a few days ago," and he beckoned with his finger, and cried"Come, little cousin, come." They placed the coffin on the ground, buthe went to it and took the lid off, and a dead man lay therein. He felthis face, but it was cold as ice. "Stop," said he, "I will warm thee alittle," and went to the fire and warmed his hand and laid it on the deadman's face, but he remained cold. Then he took him out, and sat down bythe fire and laid him on his breast and rubbed his arms that the bloodmight circulate again. As this also did no good, he thought to himself"When two people lie in bed together, they warm each other," and carriedhim to the bed, covered him over and lay down by him. After a short timethe dead man became warm too, and began to move. Then said the youth,"See, little cousin, have I not warmed thee?" The dead man, however,got up and cried, "Now will I strangle thee."
"What!" said he, "is that the way thou thankest me? Thou shalt at once gointo thy coffin again," and he took him up, threw him into it, and shutthe lid. Then came the six men and carried him away again. "I cannotmanage to shudder," said he. "I shall never learn it here as long asI live."
Then a man entered who was taller than all others, and looked terrible. Hewas old, however, and had a long white beard. "Thou wretch," cried he,"thou shalt soon learn what it is to shudder, for thou shalt die." "Notso fast," replied the youth. "If I am to die, I shall have to have a sayin it." "I will soon seize thee," said the fiend. "Softly, softly, do nottalk so big. I am as strong as thou art, and perhaps even stronger." "Weshall see," said the old man. "If thou art stronger, I will let theego—-come, we will try." Then he led him by dark passages to a smith'sforge, took an axe, and with one blow struck an anvil into the ground. "Ican do better than that," said the youth, and went to the other anvil. Theold man placed himself near and wanted to look on, and his white beardhung down. Then the youth seized the axe, split the anvil with one blow,and struck the old man's beard in with it. "Now I have thee," said theyouth. "Now it is thou who will have to die." Then he seized an ironbar and beat the old man till he moaned and entreated him to stop, andhe would give him great riches. The youth drew out the axe and let himgo. The old man led him back into the castle, and in a cellar showedhim three chests full of gold. "Of these," said he, "one part is forthe poor, the other for the king, the third is thine." In the meantimeit struck twelve, and the spirit disappeared; the youth, therefore, wasleft in darkness. "I shall still be able to find my way out," said he,and felt about, found the way into the room, and slept there by hisfire. Next morning the King came and said "Now thou must have learntwhat shuddering is?" "No," he answered; "what can it be? My dead cousinwas here, and a bearded man came and showed me a great deal of money downbelow, but no one told me what it was to shudder." "Then," said the King,"thou hast delivered the castle, and shalt marry my daughter." "That isall very well," said he, "but still I do not know what it is to shudder."
Then the gold was brought up and the wedding celebrated; but howsoevermuch the young king loved his wife, and however happy he was, he stillsaid always "If I could but shudder—-if I could but shudder." And atlast she was angry at this. Her waiting-maid said, "I will find a curefor him; he shall soon learn what it is to shudder." She went out tothe stream which flowed through the garden, and had a whole bucketfulof gudgeons brought to her. At night when the young king was sleeping,his wife was to draw the clothes off him and empty the bucketful ofcold water with the gudgeons in it over him, so that the little fisheswould sprawl about him. When this was done, he woke up and cried "Oh,what makes me shudder so?—-what makes me shudder so, dear wife? Ah! nowI know what it is to shudder!"
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