The Donkey

Once upon a time there lived a king and a queen, who were rich,

and had everything they wanted, but no children.  The queen

lamented over this day and night, and said, I am like a field

on which nothing grows.  At last God gave her her wish, but when

the child came into the world, it did not look like a human child,

but was a little donkey.  When the mother saw that, her lamentations

and outcries began in real earnest.  She said she would

far rather have had no child at all than have a donkey, and that

they were to throw it into the water that the fishes might devour

it.  But the king said, no, since God has sent him he shall be my

son and heir, and after my death sit on the royal throne, and

wear the kingly crown.  The donkey, therefore, was brought up

and grew bigger, and his ears grew up high and straight.  And he

was of a merry disposition, jumped about, played and took especial

pleasure in music, so that he went to a celebrated musician and

said, teach me your art, that I may play the lute as well as you do.

Ah, dear little master, answered the musician, that would come

very hard to you, your fingers are not quite suited to it, and

are far too big.  I am afraid the strings would not last.  But

no excuses were of any use.  The donkey was determined to play the

lute.  And since he was persevering and industrious, he at last

learnt to do it as well as the master himself.  The young lordling

once went out walking full of thought and came to a well.  He

looked into it and in the mirror-clear water saw his donkey's

form.  He was so distressed about it, that he went out into the

wide world and only took with him one faithful companion.  They

traveled up and down, and at last they came into a kingdom where

and old king reigned who had

a single but wonderfully beautiful daughter.  The donkey said,

here we will stay, knocked at the gate, and cried, a guest is

without.  Open, that he may enter.  When the gate was not opened,

he sat down, took his lute and played it in the most delightful

manner with his two fore-feet.  Then the door-keeper opened his

eyes, and gaped, and ran to the king and said, outside by the

gate sits a young donkey which plays the lute as well as an

experienced master.  Then let the musician come to me, said the

king.  But when a donkey came in, everyone began to laugh at the

lute-player.  And when the donkey was asked to sit down and eat

with the servants, he was unwilling, and said, I am no common

stable-ass, I

am a noble one.  Then they said, if that is what you are, seat

yourself with the soldiers.  No, said he, I will sit by the king.

The king smiled, and said good-humoredly, yes, it shall be as

you will, little ass, come here to me.  Then he asked, little ass,

how does my daughter please you.  The donkey turned his head

towards her, looked at her, nodded and said, I like her above

measure, I have never yet seen anyone so beautiful as she is.

Well, then, you shall sit next her too, said the king.  That is

exactly what I wish, said the donkey, and he placed himself by her

side, ate and drank, and knew how to behave himself daintily

and cleanly.  When the noble beast had stayed a long time at the

king's court, he thought, what good does all this do me, I

shall still have to go home again, let his head hang sadly,

and went to the king and asked for his dismissal.  But the king

had grown fond of him, and said, little ass, what ails you.  You

look as sour as a jug of vinegar, I will give you what you want.

Do you want gold.  No, said the donkey, and shook his head.

Do you want jewels and rich dress.  No.  Do you wish for half my

kingdom.  Indeed, no.  Then said the king, if I did but know what

would make you content.  Will you have my pretty daughter to wife.

Ah, yes, said the ass, I should indeed like her, and all at once

he became quite merry and full of happiness, for that was exactly

what he was wishing for.  So a great and splendid wedding was

held.  In the evening, when the bride and bridegroom were led

into their bed-room, the king wanted to know if the ass would

behave well, and ordered a servant to hide himself there.  When

they were both within, the bridegroom bolted the door, looked

around, and as he believed that they were quite alone, he suddenly

threw off his ass's skin, and stood there in the form of a handsome

royal youth.  Now, said he, you see who I am, and see also that

I am not unworthy of you.  Then the bride was glad, and kissed

him, and loved him dearly.  When morning came, he jumped up, put

his animal's skin on again, and no one could have guessed

what kind of a form was hidden beneath it.  Soon came the old king.

Ah, cried he, so the little ass is already up.  But surely you are

sad, said he to his daughter, that you have not got a proper

man for your husband.  Oh, no, dear father, I love him as well as

if he were the handsomest in the world, and I will keep him as long

as I live.  The king was surprised, but the servant who had

concealed himself came and revealed everything to him.  The king

said, that cannot be true.  Then watch yourself the next night,

and you will see it with your own eyes, and hark you, lord king,

if you were to take his skin away and throw it in the fire, he

would be forced to show himself in his true shape.  Your advice is

good, said the king, and at night when they were asleep, he stole

in, and when he got to the bed he saw by the light of the moon

a noble-looking youth lying there, and the skin lay stretched on

the ground.  So he took it away, and had a great fire lighted

outside, and threw the skin into it, and remained by it himself

until it was all burnt to ashes.  But since he was anxious to know

how the robbed man would behave himself, he stayed awake the whole

night and watched.  When the youth had slept his fill, he got

up by the first light of morning, and wanted to put on the

ass's skin, but it was not to be found.  At this he was alarmed,

and, full of grief and anxiety, said, now I shall have to contrive

to escape.  But when he went out, there stood the king, who said,

my son, whither away in such haste.  What have you in mind.  Stay

here, you are such a handsome man, you shall not go away from me.

I will now give you half my kingdom, and after my death you shall

have the whole of it.  Then I hope that what begins so well may

end well, and I will stay with you, said the youth.  And the old

man gave him half the kingdom, and in a year's time, when he died,

the youth had the whole, and after the death of his father he had

another kingdom as well, and lived in all magnificence.