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There was once a
king who had three sons, two of whom were clever and cunning, but
the third son spoke little; his brothers thought him a simpleton and
so they called him Dummling.
Now when the king was grown old he bethought him of his end, but he
did not know to which of his sons he should leave the kingdom. So
one day he called them to him and said: "Go out into the world, my
sons, and whoever brings me the finest carpet shall be king after my
death. And in order that there shall be no quarrel, he led them out
before the castle and blew three feathers into the air and said:
"Where these fly, ye shall, hie." One feather flew toward the East,
the second toward the West, but the third flew in a straight line
and soon fell upon the ground.
So the eldest went his way to the right, the second to the left and
they both laughed at Dummling who had to stay where he was, upon the
ground, with the third feather. Dummling sat himself down and was
sad at heart, when all at once he saw a little door in the ground
close to the feather. He opened it, and found three steps, down
which he went. Then he came to another door at which he knocked and
he heard a voice from within saying: "Little toad, little toad, see
and say who comes this way." Then the door opened and Dummling spied
a great fat toad, and a number of little toads sitting around her.
The fat toad asked Dummling what his business was, and he answered:
"I want to find the finest and most beautiful carpet in the world."
"The old toad called a young one and said, "Little toad, little
toad, hie and see, and bring my box of treasures to me."
So the young toad hopped off and presently brought the box. The fat
old toad opened a box from which she drew out a carpet, fine and
more beautiful than any than could be woven in the loom, and gave it
to Dummling. Now the other brothers had thought Dummling too great a
simpleton to find any carpet to compare with theirs, and said one to
another, "Why need we trouble ourselves with seeking? So they took
from the first shepherd's wife, whom they met, the coarse shawl she
had on and brought it to the king. Presently Dummling came also,
with his beautiful carpet, and when the king saw it he was amazed,
and said, "The kingdom shall belong to my youngest son."
But the two elder brothers let the king have no rest, telling him
that it was not possible for Dummling to be king, and begged him to
grant them another trial. Then the king said, "He shall have the
kingdom who brings me the most beautiful ring." And so saying he
took the three brothers into the courtyard, blew the three feathers
into the air and let them go their way. Then the two elder brothers
went forth toward the East and West, and Dummling's feather again
flew straight forward and fell close to the little door in the
ground. So Dummling went down the steps to the fat toad, and told
her that he was in search of the finest ring in the world. The toad
ordered her box to be brought, and took out of it a ring which was
finer than any goldsmith could make, and gave it to Dummling.
Now the two elder brothers had laughed at the idea of Dummling
seeking for a gold ring, and they gave themselves no thought or
trouble, but took the first cart wheels they met with, hammered the
nails out of the iron hoop, and took them to the king. But as soon
as Dummling came and pulled out his gold ring the king said, "The
kingdom must belong to Dummling." The two elder brothers however,
were not yet satisfied, and they plagued the king until he gave them
another trial. So at last the king said that whoever should bring
home the most beautiful wife, should have the crown; then he blew
the three feathers again into the air, and they flew away as before.
Dummling went a third time to the old friend, the toad, and said, "I
must now find the handsomest wife in the world and take her home
with me."
"The handsomest wife indeed," answered the toad; "well, you shall
have her in a trice." And so saying, she gave him a large turnip
with six little mice harnessed to it.
"Alas!" said Dummling, with a sigh, "what can I do with a turnip?"
"Do what I bid you," replied the old toad. "Now take one of my
little toads and place her in the turnip."
So Dummling took up one of the toads as they sat in a ring and
placed it in the turnip, but hardly had he done so when the toad was
changed into a beautiful maiden, the turnip into a handsome coach
and the six little mice into fine prancing horses. Then Dummling
handed the little lady into the coach and brought her to the king.
The other brothers came just at the same time; they had meanwhile
not troubled themselves about Dummling's finding a wife, but had
taken the first country girls they met on the way and brought them
to the king.
Then the king said again, "My kingdom shall belong to Dummling after
my death." Nevertheless the two brothers began quarrelling and said,
"No, no, this must not and cannot be." So they proposed that he
should have the kingdom whose wife would leap through a ring which
hung in the middle of the hall, for they thought to themselves, "Our
lasses are stout and strong and can jump through easily enough, but
this delicate little creature will kill herself if she tries to
leap." And at last the king consented, whereupon the two country
girls made a spring and leaped through the ring, but being plump and
clumsy they fell to the ground and broke their arms and legs. Then
the beautiful little lady whom Dummling had brought, bounded
gracefully through the ring and gained the kingdom for Dummling.
When the old king died Dummling received the crown and ruled the
kingdom well and wisely.
Dummling and the Toad
A Fictional Short Story by
Agnes Taylor Ketchum & Ida M. Jorgensen
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