| Share page |
|
- IRON HANS. |
457 |
||
|
him. He went to the king's chamber, but wishing to hide the golden hair, he kept on his hat.
The king noticing this said to him, " If you come to a royal table, you should take off your hat."
"Ah, my lord king, I cannot," he replied; "I have a sore head."
The king on hearing this sent for the cook, scolded him well, and asked him how he could take such a youth as that into his service, and ordered that he should be immediately dismissed. The cook, however, pitied the boy, and exchanged him with the gardener's helper. In the garden the boy had to dig and rake, and plant and sow, let the wind roar and rain and weather be as bad as they might.
One day in summer, while he was in the garden at work, the heat was so great that he was obliged to take off his hat to cool himself. As he did so, the sun shone upon his gold-covered hair, and it glittered and sparkled in its light so brightly that the reflection was thrown into the sleeping-chamber of the king's daughter, and she started up to see what caused it. She was surprised to find that the bright locks belonged to a youth at work in the garden. She, however, called him, and said: " Bring me a bunch of flowers, will you ?"
In all haste the youth put on his hat, and then commenced gathering the most lovely wild flowers he could find to make a bouquet for the princess. As he was ascending the steps, he met the gardener, who said to him : " How can you take such a nosegay as that to the princess, with nothing but common field flowers? Go away quickly and fetch others—the rarest and most beautiful in the garden."
"Ah, no," said the youth; "wild flowers are stronger and will please her better."
When he entered the room in which the princess sat, she said : "Take your hat off; you don't appear to know how to behave yourself before me."
" I dare not," he replied; " pray do not ask me."
Without another word she rose, and, coming towards him, seized the hat and pulled it off. Down rolled the golden hair over his shoulders—the most beautiful that ever was seen. He wanted to run away, but she held him by the arm, and gave him a handful |
|||