There once was a young wizard who had served bravely in a great wizard war, but when the war was over, he was dismissed and was given only three knuts for payment of his three years of service.
"My word! I don't like this," he said to himself. "If I find the right people, I shall make the King of Wizards give me all of his treasures!" And thumping his fists with anger, the young wizard stormed off. By and by, he met a man who had just uprooted six trees with only one flick of his wand. The soldier marveled at his power and asked him to journey with him on his way to the King of Wizards.
"That I will do and gladly," replied the powerful wizard, "but first I shall take this wood home to my mother first. He pointed his wand at the six and cast another powerful spell, levitating them in front of him as he made his way to his mother's house. Soon he returned as said, "We two shall get along in the world!"
They had not gone far before they came upon another wizard who was taking a stance, his wand pointed out before him. The young wizard asked him what he was aiming at, and he replied, "Two miles from here a fly is sitting on the branch of an oak tree, and I wish to take out its left eye."
"Oh come with us," said the young wizard, "for if we three are together surely we will get along in the world!" The wizard consented and went with them.
"Soon they saw seven windmills whose sails were going round at a rattling pace, although there was no wind. At the sight of this the young wizard said, "I wonder what drives these mills, for there is no breeze!" They went on, but they had not gone more than two miles when they saw a man holding one nostril while he blew out of the other.
"My good man, what are you doing?' asked the young wizard.
"Didn't you see the seven windmills two miles from here?" replied the man. "I am blowing to make their sails go round."
"Oh, then, come with us," said the young wizard, "for if four people like us travel together, we shall soon get on in the world." So the great blower got up and accompanied them.
In a short while, they met another man standing on one leg. The other leg was unbuckled and lying by his side. The young wizard said, "You have done this, no doubt, to rest yourself?"
"Yes," replied the man, "I am a runner, and in order that I may not spring along to quickly I have unbuckled one of my legs. When I wear both, I go as fast as a bird."
'Well, then, come with us," said the young wizard. "Five such fellows as we are will soon get up in the world."
"The five travelers went on together and soon met a man who had a hat which he wore over one hear. The young wizard said to him, "Manners! Manners! Don't hang you hat on one side like that! You look like a simpleton!"
"I dare not do otherwise," replied the other, "for, if I set my hat straight, a frost so sharp will come that the birds in the sky will freeze and fall dead on the ground."
"Then come with us," said the young wizard, "for it is odd if six fellows like us cannot quickly get up in the world."
"The six companions came to a city where the King of Wizards had proclaimed that whoever would win a race with his daughter could become her husband, but if he lost the race, he would also lose his head. The young wizard heard of this and asked that his servant be allowed to run for him. The King agreed but said the young wizard as well as the servant would lose his life if the race were lost. The young wizard agreed and bade his runner buckle on his other leg to make sure of winning.
The race was from the palace gate to a distant mountain spring. The first to bring back water from the spring would be the winner. Accordingly the runner and the Princess each received a cup, and the race was started. The Princess ran with the speed of a young deer, but in less than a minute the runner had passed her and was out of sight. In a short time he came to the spring and, filling his cup he started back. He had not gone very far when, feeling tired, he lay down to take a nap.
Meanwhile, the Princess had arrived at the spring, and was returning with her cup of water. When she came upon her opponent lying asleep, her eyes sparkled wickedly; and emptying his cup, she ran on still faster.
All would have been lost if the wizard that the young wizard had found aiming to take out the fly's left eye had not been standing at the castle watching the runners with is sharp eyes. When he saw what the Princess had done, he took aim with his wand and shot a spell that moved the rock under the runner's head. This awakened the runner. Jumping up, he found his cup empty and the Princess far ahead. However, he did not lose courage, but once again rand to the spring and, filling his cup, started back. He ran so fast that he passed the Princess and won the race with a good ten minutes to spare.
The King of Wizards and his daughter were disgusted that a common wizard should win a wizard princess for a bride, and they plotted how they could get rid of him and his companions. At last the King of Wizards said, "Do not distress yourself, my dear. I know a way to prevent their return."
Then he called the six traveling wizards and led them into a room with a floor of iron, doors of iron, and windows guarded with iron bars. In the room there was a table set with choice delicacies. The King of Wizards invited them to enter and refresh themselves. As soon as they were inside, he locked and bolted all the doors. That done, he called the head house elf and commanded him to keep a fire lighted beneath the room until the iron was red-hot. The house elf obeyed, and the six companions sitting at the table soon began to feel quite hot. As they grew hotter and hotter, they tried to leave the room and found the doors and windows all locked. Then they realized that the wicked King of Wizards meant to roast them alive.
"This is where I come in," cried the man with the hat. So saying, he put his hat on straight. Immediately such a frost fell that all heat disappeared.
Two hours passed. The King of Wizards thought the six unwanted guests must be roasted, and he opened the door and went in to see them. But as the door was opened, all sex stood shivering before him and asked to come out to warm them selves, for, they said, the cold in the room was so intense that all the dishes for food were frozen.
In great anger, the King of Wizards went down to the head house elf. He asked why his instructions had not been obeyed. The house elf pointed to the roaring fire and said, "Master! There is heat enough there, I should think!" The King of Wizards was obliged to admit there was, and he saw that he would not be able to get rid of his visitors in the way he had planned.
Again the King of Wizards began to wonder how he could rid himself of his guests. Finally, he summoned the young wizard and said, "Will you take money, and give up your right to my daughter? If so, you may have as much as you can carry."
"Well, my lord," replied the young wizard, "give me as much as my servant can carry, and you are welcome to keep you daughter with you."
This answer pleased the King of Wizards, and the young wizard said that he would send his servant to fetch the sum of money in fourteen days. During that time he had tailors make him a gigantic sack. As soon as it was ready, the powerful man who had uprooted the trees took the sack and carried it to the King of Wizards.
At the sight of him the King of Wizards was filled with dismay and said, "What a powerful fellow this must be!" And he sighed heavily, for he saw that he would have to give up more gold than he had expected. The King of Wizards, fist of all, had a ton of gold brought. Sixteen ordinary men were required to lift it, but the powerful man, taking it up with one hand, shoved it into the sack, saying. "Why don't you bring more at a time? This scarcely covers the bottom of the sack."
So the King of the Wizards ordered one wagonload's worth of gold after the other till seven thousand wagons all laden with gold had been brought. And all these the powerful man pushed into his sack. Still it was not full, and the powerful man offered to take whatever was brought, if it would but fill his sack. So they brought cups and plates and jewels and silk and fine furs until at last the man said, "Well, I must make an end to this, and, besides, if one's sack is not quite full, why, it can be tied up so much easier!" So saying he pulled out his want and lifted the sack up off the ground so it levitated before him, and he went away.
When the King of Wizards saw this one many carrying away all of the riches of his kingdom, he became extremely angry and ordered his soldiers and guards to pursue the man and bring him back. Two regiments on horseback took after the man, who by now had met his companions. The soldiers soon over took the six wizarding companions and shouted out to them, "You are our prisoners! Lay down the sack of gold!"
The powerful man did not answer but the blower spoke up.
"What is that you are saying?" asked the blower. "You will make us prisoners? Well, first you will have to dance in the air!" So saying, he held one nostril, and with the other blew the two regiments away into the sky. One sergeant begged for mercy. As he was a brave fellow undeserving of such disgrace, the blower sent a gentle puff after him and brought him back without harming him. Then he was sent back to the King of Wizards with a message that, whatever number of soldiers he might send, all would be blown into the air like the first lot.
When the King of Wizards heard this message, he said, "Let the fellows go; I made a bargain and I must put up with it."
So the six wizard companions took home all the wealth of the wizarding kingdom and, sharing it with one another, lived contentedly all the rest of their days.