The Twelve Huntsmen

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

Once upon a time there was a prince who had a fiancée whom he loved very much. Once when he was sitting beside her very happily, news came that his father was deathly ill, and wanted to see him before he died.

Then he said to his beloved, "I must now go and leave you. I give you a ring to remember me by. As soon as I am king, I will return and take you home with me."

Then he rode away, and when he reached his father, the latter was mortally ill and near death.

The king said to him, "My dearest son, I wanted to see you one more time before my end. Promise me to marry the woman of my choice," and he named a certain princess who was to become his wife.

The son was so grieved that without thinking he said, "Yes, dear father, your will shall be done."

Then the king closed his eyes and died.

After the son had been proclaimed king, and the period of mourning had passed, he had to keep the promise that he had given his father. He proposed marriage to the princess, and she was promised to him.

His first fiancée heard about this, and was so saddened by his faithlessness that she nearly died.

Then her father said to her, "Dearest child, why are you so sad? You shall have whatever you want."

She thought for a moment and then said, "Dear father, I want eleven girls exactly like myself in appearance, figure, and size."

The father said, "If it is possible, your wish shall be fulfilled," and he had his entire kingdom searched until eleven girls were found who were exactly like his daughter in appearance, figure, and size.

When they came to the princess, she had twelve huntsmen's outfits made, each one like the others. The eleven girls put on the huntsmen's outfits, and she herself put on the twelfth outfit.

After this she took leave of her father, and rode away with them. They rode to the court of her former fiancé, whom she loved so dearly. There she asked if he needed any huntsmen, and if he would take all of them into his service. The king looked at her without recognizing her. Because they were such good-looking fellows, he said, yes, that he would willingly take them, and then they were the king's twelve huntsmen.

Now the king had a lion that was a miraculous animal, for he knew all hidden and secret things. It happened that one evening the lion said to the king, "You think that you have twelve huntsmen."

"Yes," said the king, "they are twelve huntsmen."

The lion continued, "You are mistaken. They are twelve girls."

The king said, "That is absolutely not true. How can you prove that to me?"

"Oh, just have some peas scattered in your antechamber," answered the lion, "and then you shall soon see. Men have a firm step, and when they walk over the peas, none of them will be moved. On the other hand, girls trip and skip and shuffle their feet, rolling the peas about."

The king liked this advise and had peas scattered on the floor.

Now one of the king's servants liked the huntsmen, and when he heard that they were going to be put to this test, he went to them and told them everything, saying, "The lion wants to make the king believe that you are girls."

The princess thanked him, then said to her girls, "Be strong, and step firmly on the peas."

The next morning the king had the twelve huntsmen called before him. When they came into the antechamber where the peas were lying, they stepped so firmly on them, and had such a strong, sure walk, that not one of the peas rolled or moved.

After they had gone, the king said to the lion, "You lied to me. They walk just like men."

The lion said, "They knew that were going to be put to a test, and acted like they were strong. Just have twelve spinning wheels brought into the antechamber. They will go up to them and admire them. No man would do that."

The king liked this advice, and he had the spinning wheels set up in the antechamber.

But the servant who was honest with the huntsmen went to them and told them about the proposal.

So when they were alone, the princess said to her eleven girls, "Be strong and do not look around at the spinning wheels."

The next morning when the king had his twelve huntsmen summoned, they walked through the antechamber without looking at the spinning wheels at all.

Then the king again said to the lion, "You lied to me. They are men, for they did not look at the spinning wheels."

The lion answered, "They knew that they were going to be put to a test, and acted like they were strong."

The king, however, refused to believe the lion anymore.

The twelve huntsmen always accompanied the king hunting, and the longer he knew them, the better he liked them. Now it happened that once when they were out hunting, news came that the king's bride was approaching. When the true bride heard this, it hurt her so much that it almost broke her heart, and she fainted and fell to the ground.

Thinking that something had happened to his dear huntsman, the king ran up to him in order to help him. Pulling the huntsman's glove off, he saw the ring that he had given to his first fiancée, and when he looked into her face, he recognized her. Then his heart was so touched that he kissed her, and when she opened her eyes he said, "You are mine, and I am yours, and no one in the world can change that."

He sent a messenger to the other bride, and asked her to return to her own kingdom, for, as he informed her, he already had a wife, and someone who had found an old key did not need a new one.

After this their wedding was celebrated, and the lion was accepted back into favor, because, after all, he had told the truth.#p#

从前有个王子，有个未婚妻，他非常爱她。有一次，他正和姑娘高高兴兴在一起，传来国王病重的消息，并说国王想在死前再见王子一面。於是他对姑娘说：「我现在必须离开你。我给你一个戒指作纪念，等我当了国王就回来娶你。」他骑上马走了。他来到父亲身边的时候，父亲已生命垂危，父亲对他说：「最亲爱的儿子，在我死前，我想见你一面。请你答应我按照我的意愿结婚。」他还向他说明他应该娶某公主为妻。儿子十分悲痛，不加思索地答应说：「好的，亲爱的父亲，我一定照您的意志去做。」不一会儿，国王就闭上眼睛去世了。

王子就此继承了王位。丧期过后，他按照对父亲的承诺，派人去向那位公主求婚，他的求婚被接受了。当他的第一个未婚妻听到这消息后，对他的不忠感到十分难过，几乎要气死了。父亲问她：「我最亲爱的孩子，你怎么这么悲伤？你要甚么我都会给你的。」她想了想说：「亲爱的父亲，我要十一个和我的相貌、体态和身材都一模一样的姑娘。」父亲说：「只要可能我就满足你的愿望。」於是派人到全国各地找，直到找回十一个相貌、体态和身材都和他女儿一样的姑娘。

他们来到国王的女儿跟前，她早已要人做了十二套相同的猎装，让那十一个姑娘穿上，然后自己穿上最后那套。她告别父亲，和十一个姑娘骑着马来到她十分锺爱的未婚夫的宫殿前。她问他那里是否需要猎人，是否能让她们十二个人都在他宫里供职。国王没有认出来，看到他们都那么英俊，便说：「行。」并表示他很愿意全部接纳他们。从此他们便成了国王十二个猎人。

国王有只神奇的狮子，能识破所有伪装的人和事物。有天晚上，狮子对国王说：「你以为你僱佣了十二个猎人是吗？」「是啊，他们的确是十二个猎人。」国王回答。可狮子接着说：「你错了，她们是十二个姑娘。」「这怎么可能？你能证明吗？」狮子回答说：「可以。只要你叫人在厅里撒些豌豆，你马上就可以看出来……男人脚步稳健，从豌豆上踩过去动都不会动；可女人脚步轻，一步一跳的，拖着步子，会踩得豆子到处乱滚。」国王认为这办法不错，就让人去撒豌豆。

但是国王的一个仆人和猎人们很要好，当他听说要考验他们时，就去把他听到的告诉了猎人，而且说：「狮子想让国王相信你们是女的。」

公主感谢他，然后对姑娘们说：「你们要装出有力气的样子，重重地踏在豆子上。」第二天早上，国王叫十二个猎人来，於是她们来到撒了豌豆的前厅里。她们迈着稳健有力的步子，坚定地踏在豆子上，所以豆子一颗都没乱滚。她们走后，国王对狮子说：「你骗了我，他们和男人一样地走。」狮子说：「有人已经告诉她们你要试验，所以使足了力气。你让人拿些纺车摆在前厅里，她们准会十分高兴地走过去。这是男人们不会感兴趣的东西。」国王觉得这个建议很好，於是让人在前厅里摆了几部纺车。

但那个喜欢猎人们的仆人又将这一计划告诉了她们。等只剩下她们时，公主对那十一个姑娘说：「克制一点，不要回头看那些纺车。」第二天，国王召见十二个猎人。她们走过前厅时，对纺车看都没看一眼。国王又对狮子说：「你又骗了我一次，他们是男人，因为他们连看都不看纺车。」可狮子回答说：「她们已经知道你要考验她们了，所以克制住自己。」可国王不愿意再相信狮子的话了。

十二个猎人总是跟随国王外出打猎，国王越来越喜欢她们了。有一次她们在外面打猎时听说国王的新娘要到了。真正的新娘一听，难过得晕倒了。国王以为他亲爱的猎人出了甚么事，於是跑过来想拉她一把，结果把她的手套拉掉了。他看到了自己给第一个未婚妻的戒指，於是仔细端详她的脸，终於认出了她。他十分感动地吻了吻她。她睁开眼睛便说：「你是我的，我也是你的，世界上谁也别想改变这一点。」於是国王派人去告诉另一个新娘他已经有妻子了，请求她回自己国家去；还说一个人既然找到了旧钥匙，就没必要再配新的了。他们当时就举行了婚礼，狮子也重新受到了宠爱，因为它说的毕竟是真话。