CHAPTER FOUR
The evening before, Quatre went early to bed, said his prayers, and slept as peacefully as possible; but the traveling-companion tied the wings on to his back, and bound the sword round his waist, took all the birch rods, and flew off to the Palace.
It was a pitch dark night. There was such a gale that the tiles flew off the roofs, and the trees in the garden of bones bent like reeds before the wind. The lightning flashed every moment, and the thunder rolled continuously the whole night long. The window burst open and the Princess flew out; she was as pale as death, but she laughed at the storm as if it were not bad enough; her white mantle swirled about in the wind like the sails of a ship. The traveling-companion beat her with his three birches till the blood dripped on to the ground. She could hardly fly any further. At last they reached the mountain.
"What a hailstorm there is!" she said as she entered. "I have never been out in such a bad one!"
"One may even have too much of a good thing!" said the ogre. Then she told him that Quatre's second guess had been right, and if he was successful again in the morning she would never be able to come and see him again in the mountain. Nor would she ever be able to do any more of the sorcerer's tricks as before, and she was very sad about it.
"He shall never guess it," said the ogre.
"I shall think of something that will never enter his head. But we will have some fun first!" And he took the Princess Dorothy by both hands and they danced round the room with all the little elves and the fireflies. The red spiders ran merrily up and down the walls and the fire flowers seemed to five out sparks. The owls played their drums, the crickets chirped, and the grasshoppers played their harps. It was a very merry ball.
After they had danced some time the Princess was obliged to go home or she would be missed, and the ogre said he would go with her so as to have more of her company.
So away they flew through the storm, and the traveling-companion wore out his birch rods on their backs; never had the ogre been out in such a hailstorm. He said goodbye to the Princess outside the Palace, and whispered to her, "Think of my head," but the traveling-companion heard what he said, and at the very moment when the Princess slipped in at her window, and the ogre was turning away to go back, he seized him by his long black beard, and before he had time to look round, cut off his head close to the shoulders with his big sword. He threw the body into the sea to be food for fished, but he only dipped the head into the water, and tied it up in his silk handkerchief and took it back to the inn, and then went to bed.
Next morning he gave Quatre the handkerchief, but said he must not open it before the Princess asked him what she had thought about.
There were so many people in the hall that they were packed as close together as a bundle of radishes. The judges were sitting in their armchairs with the soft down cushions; and the old King had his new clothes on, and his crown and scepter had been polished up and looked quite festive. But the Princess was very, very pale, and she was dressed in black, as if for a funeral.
"What have I thought of?" she asked Quatre; and he immediately untied the handkerchief, and was very much frightened himself when he saw the hideous ogre's head. A shudder ran through the whole assemblage, but Princess Dorothy seemed turned to stone, and could not say a single word. At last she got up and gave her hand to Quatre, for he had guessed all the riddles; she looked neither to the right nor to the left, but sighed deeply, and said, "You are my master now; our wedding shall take place tonight."
"I like that," said the old King; "that is just as it should be." All the people shouted hurrah, the guards' band played in the streets, the bells rang, and the cakewomen took the crape off the sugar pigs, because all were now rejoicing. Three oxen stuffed with chickens and ducks were roasted whole in the marketplace, and everyone could cut off a portion for themselves. The fountains played wine instead of water, and anyone who bought a penny roll had six large buns full of plums given in.
In the evening the whole town was illuminated. The soldiers fired salutes, and the boys let off squick and crackers. At the Palace all were eating and drinking, toasting and dancing. The grand gentlemen danced with the pretty ladies, and the singing could be heard far and wide.
But Princess Dorothy was still bewitched, and she did not care a bit about Quatre; the traveling-companion knew this, and gave him three feathers out of the swan's wings and a little bottle with a few drops of liquid in it. He told Quatre to have a large bath full of water placed by the side of the bed, and when the Princess was going to get into bed he must give her a little push so that she fell into the water, where he was to dip her three times, first having thrown the three feathers and the drops of liquid into it. She would then be released from the spell and would grow very fond of him.
Quatre did everything as he was told. The Princess shrieked when he dipped her into the water, and struggle in his hands in the form of a black swan with glittering eyes. The second time she came up as a white swan, except for a black ring round the neck. Quatre prayed humbly to God, and the third time she came up as a lovely Princess. She was lovelier than she had been before, and thanked him, with tears in her eyes, for having released her form the spell.
Next morning the old King came with all his courtiers to offer their congratulations, and this went on all day. Last of all came the traveling-companion; he had his stick in his hand and his knapsack on his back. Quatre kissed his cheek over and over, and said, that he must not go away; he must stay with them, as he was the cause of all their happiness. But the traveling-companion shook his head his green eyes a little sad, and said gently and tenderly, "No' my time is up. I have only paid my debt. Do you remember the dead man whom you prevented the wicked men from disturbing? You gave all that you possessed as that he might have rest in his grave. I am the dead man!" And then he immediately vanished.
The wedding festivities lasted a whole month. Quatre and Princess Dorothy were devoted to each other, and the old King had many happy days in which to let their little children play "ride a horse" on his knee and to play with his scepter. But Quatre was King over the whole country.
The End
