Fairy Tale of Prince & Horse, CHAPTER 7: Submerge! Submerge!

CHAPTER 7

Fairy Tale of Prince and Horse Chapter 7, in which the prince being forewarned by the Ant King takes refuge in the shielding forest.

The Ant King, having finished his song, looked up at the prince and spoke: “Do not lose a precious minute, flee immediately. The king is rallying his army of witches, werewolves and giants and their power should not be underestimated! Alarum! Alarum!”

“But Ant King, where shall I begin? Where shall I go?” In the distance a faint humming could already be heard. The noise swelled and the very ground they stood on began to shake as the frightening sound approached.

“Quickly!” the Ant King cried to his underlings. “Submerge, submerge!” With that, his entire colony rushed to their ant hole and soon vanished underground.

Fairy Tale of Prince and Horse, Chapter 6 Part 4: An Army of Witches, Werewolves and Giants Assembles

While all this happened, the sleeping king, the kidnapper of the prince’s bride, awoke rather grumpily from his nine day slumber. “I knew it,” he snarled. The escapees have outwitted me this time, but I shall send my army after them. Witch, werewolf and giant shall come to my defense and seize my rightful bride! I shall not be out-foxed this time!”

Fairy Tale of Prince and Horse, Chapter 6, Part 3

The ant underlings now rose up and raising their legs they chirped:

“Three trials you must pass, witch, werewolf, giant.

To win a wife you will surpass witch, werewolf, giant.

When in need call the steed, witch, werewolf giant.”

The place buzzed with their song, growing louder and louder until it seemed the earth itself was humming with electricity.

Bzzzzzzzzz

Fairy Tale of Prince and Horse, Chapter 6: The Chirping Ant King Tells of 3 Trials

The Ant King heard the prince’s speech and rising up on his hind legs, shook the dust from his body and addressed the prince:

“Three trials you must pass, witch, werewolf, giant.

To win a wife you will surpass, witch, werewolf, giant.

When in need call the steed; witch, werewolf, giant.”

Her Majesty, the Ant Queen now rose up on her hind legs and in a solemn voice addressed the prince:

“Three trials you must pass, witch, werewolf, giant.

To win a wife you will surpass, witch, werewolf, giant.

When in need call the steed; witch, werewolf, giant.”

Fairy Tale of Prince and Horse, Chapter 6: The Ant King

CHAPTER 6

Fairy Tale of Prince and Horse, Chapter 6, in which the prince, having been abandoned by bride and horse, must now undertake three trials as foretold by a chorus of chirping ants.

The prince was alone. He had lost his faithful companion the horse. He had cursed the bride he loved so dearly. Gazing dejectedly at his feet he noticed the dry dust on his boots. It was indeed a barren place he found himself in: parched earth, cracked ground and only ants as companions. “Perchance the ants will show some compassion,” he thought sadly. “But even they are so busy, I would not bother them.”

Fairy Tale of Prince and Horse, Chapter 5: The Horse-Man Sings a Somber Song

The horse halted and taking on the form of horse-man sang in somber voice:

What is it you love?

Fair face – radiant divine,

Blossom-lips – heaven sublime?

Sparkling eyes, mad desire,

Are these the boons you require?

Why do you love?

To quench your thirst, to entertain?

To amuse yourself, circumvent pain?

A strong elixir makes one cheery,

Darkness banished from the weary.

Lout-not, love-full, unbridled colt.

Lout-not, love-full, loveful filly.

Let spalt-maid canter, spalt-youth trot,

Let love spane – spang, spang!

Now a finely shaped horse stood once more before the prince. Without saying a word, the hag jumped to its back and horse and rider soon vanished in the distance.

Blossom Lips

The horse halted and taking on the form of horse-man sang in somber voice:

What is it you love?

Fair face – radiant divine,

Blossom-lips – heaven sublime?

Sparkling eyes, mad desire,

Are these the boons you require?

How do you love?

With longing adoration, long-suffering pain?

With hope and aspiration to acquire gain?

As sharp as an arrow, tip full gleam,

As soft as a feather, love-fond dream?

Why do you love?

To quench your thirst, to entertain?

To amuse yourself, circumvent pain?

A strong elixir makes one cheery,

Darkness banished from the weary.

Lout-not, love-full, unbridled colt.

Lout-not, love-full, loveful filly.

Let spalt-maid canter, spalt-youth trot,

Let love spane – spang, spang!

Fairy Tale of Prince and Horse, Chapter 5: A Pitiable Predicament!

Chapter 5
(Click label below Fairy Tale of Prince and Horse for prior chapters.)

Horrible fate, pitiable predicament!

The prince was overcome with anguish and lamented his sad condition to the horse: “My rash actions, though done in love, have not benefitted my bride. Whatever shall I do? Must I really sacrifice my life in this way? I curse the day I ever laid eyes on her!”

Fairy Tale of Prince and Horse, Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

The Fairy Tale of Prince and Horse, Chapter 4

(Click label below Fairy Tale of Prince and Horse for prior chapters.)

The young prince soon asked for the hand of the beautiful princess and she was willing to take him as husband.

But the neighboring king would not hear of it. He wanted to have such a beautiful wife for his own. How could he win her? Finally he thought up the following trick: He would send to his rival news that he should return home for his father was on his deathbed. Naturally it was a lie, but who would know? When the prince heard of his father's misfortune, he saddled his trusted steed and rode as fast as he could in the direction of home. He was hardly gone when the neighboring king appeared and robbed the prince of his bride.

On his way home, the prince stopped in a peaceful grove of oak trees. He alighted from his horse to take water from a bubbling spring. With a heavy heart he gazed at his own reflection in the pool of water and thought back to the counsel the Head had given him. “Beseech the horse three times when you are in distress,” it had said. The prince then remembered the magic horse spell:

Huzza, huzza, hinny-whinny.

Fly like a hawk, shake like thunder.

Eyes like the sun,

Hooves swift-footed,

Your lightning-gait,

Your mane gold-plait.

Huzza, huzza, hinny-whinny,

Fly like a hawk, shake like thunder.

Legs are leaping.

Ears are keeping.

Your truth be told.

Your signs unfold.

Huzza, huzza, hinny-whinny.

Fly like a hawk, shake like thunder.

All-seeing – tell.

All telling – see.

Horse-laugh prophesy!

Horse-neigh prophesy!

The horse turned to the prince and spoke solemnly: “Do not ride any further but halt and listen! It is not true that your father is lying on his deathbed. Your rival lied to you and while you rode, he robbed you of your bride. Return quickly for tomorrow is the wedding feast. Here, beside this stream you shall find three potions. If you drink from the first, you will fall into the deepest sleep for nine days and nine nights. If you drink from the second, you will become so old and brittle, that no one will recognize you. But if you douse yourself with the third potion, you will become as young, strong and vigorous as before.”

The prince turned his horse immediately and hurried to free his bride. He reached the gate of the neighboring king’s realm. Everything glittered like the richest jewelry. Guests had arrived; the wedding had begun. The prince drank from the second potion and became an old, old beggar. The beggar entered the castle and once in the wedding hall he begged for alms. Everyone gave him something; only the bride gave him nothing. She sat dejected in the corner. At last the beggar spoke: “I shall honor the bride with a wedding gift and you will give me refreshments in return. I can teach the young lady how to acquire virtue that attracts good fortune.” When the bride heard this, she reached forward to give the beggar his portion. The beggar took the alms with both hands and said: “Let us step aside so that I can tell you what a young bride must know.” Both stepped to the side. The prince only then revealed what had happened and why he had purposely taken the form of a beggar. And finally, he gave his bride the potions and said: “Try to give your kidnapper some of this first potion. While he sleeps nine days, we will be long gone over the mountain.”

The prince turned his horse immediately and hurried to free his bride. He reached the gate of the neighboring king’s realm. Everything glittered like the richest jewelry. Guests had arrived; the wedding had begun. The prince drank from the second potion and became an old, old beggar. The beggar entered the castle and once in the wedding hall he begged for alms. Everyone gave him something; only the bride gave him nothing. She sat dejected in the corner. At last the beggar spoke: “I shall honor the bride with a wedding gift and you will give me refreshments in return. I can teach the young lady how to acquire virtue that attracts good fortune.” When the bride heard this, she reached forward to give the beggar his portion. The beggar took the alms with both hands and said: “Let us step aside so that I can tell you what a young bride must know.” Both stepped to the side. The prince only then revealed what had happened and why he had purposely taken the form of a beggar. And finally, he gave his bride the potions and said: “Try to give your kidnapper some of this first potion. While he sleeps nine days, we will be long gone over the mountain.”

The bride took the sleeping potion, but noticed that the second potion looked so sweet and glittered in its golden vessel. She secretly took it, too. She slipped the first potion into a golden goblet, went to her kidnapper and spoke: “Before the wedding we should drink from this cup to celebrate our engagement!” He was satisfied. But when he drank, he fell into a nine-day sleep.

The young bride hastened away, but as she turned, she noticed the bright color of the second potion and how the vessel glittered that held this wonderful refreshment. Surely, a small portion from this second vessel could do no harm. No sooner thought than done and instead of a beautiful princess, a wretched hag stood before the eager prince. The prince had already doused himself with the third potion and had thus resumed his comely form. No time was left to lose. The prince escaped with the old hag on his wonderful horse and they galloped away into the night.