Prince Charming,
The Golden Haired
Once upon a time there lived a hermit in the wilderness. The wild animals of the woods were his only neighbors. One day when he went to the brook near his home, he saw a small covered basket floating on it towards him. From this basket the hermit heard the thin wail of a baby. The hermit waded into the brook and used a long pole to push the basket towards the shore. Once he had the basket on shore, he opened it and saw that it contained a baby of about two months old. The child stopped its crying when he picked it up and the hermit saw that it had a small bag tied around its neck. He opened the bag and found a letter that said that the baby was the child of an unmarried princess who had feared her parents' wrath over her pregnancy. She had sent the child floating downstream in the basket after praying to God for its safety.
The Golden Haired
The hermit dearly wanted to bring the child up himself but realized that he could not because he had nothing to feed the child. The hermit began to weep and pray to God. Suddenly, a miracle occurred in the form of a magical grape vine that sprang up in a corner of the hermit's hut. It reached the ceiling in moments and the hermit found that it was full of grapes in various stages of ripeness. He gave the child the grapes to eat and the child thrived on them.
As the child grew, the hermit taught him to read, gather herbs for food and to hunt. One sad day, the hermit realized that he would soon die. He called the child to him and said: "My son, I feel that I am becoming weak and shall die within three days. It is time for me to tell you that I am not your true father. I found you floating downstream in a basket. Your mother had placed you there to conceal her misdeed. She was a king's daughter but feared her parents' anger over your birth. When I die, my body will grow cold and stiff and a lion will appear. Do not be afraid, dear one, for the lion comes to dig my grave. You must then fill my grave with earth. I leave you my only possession; a pair of horses reins. After I am buried, go to the attic and pick up the reins and shake them. A horse will answer this summons and tell you what to do next."
All came to pass as the old hermit had said it would. In the end, the boy sat weeping beside the grave for three days and three nights. Finally, gnawing hunger forced him to leave his beloved foster father's graveside. He went into the house he had shared with the hermit for all but two months of his life and approached the grape vine. To his shock he found the vine withered and dead. He remembered the hermit's words and went into the attic to find the reins. He shook them and a winged horse appeared magically before him and asked what his orders were. The boy broke down and told the horse all that had occurred and added: "Now I am all alone. My father, whom God gave to me, is no longer of this world. Please stay with me, we must go elsewhere, where we will build a new home, because here by his grave I can't keep from weeping the whole time". The horse replied: "Master, we cannot remain in the wilderness. We must go and live in the world among others like you."
"Are there many other people like me and my father?" asked the boy. "Are we going to go and live among them?"
"Yes, indeed," answered the horse.
"But if there are people like me, why don't they come here?" asked the boy.
"Because it is not for them to come here but for us to go amongst them" replied the horse.
"Let us not waste another moment then" cried the boy excitedly.
But when the horse informed the boy that he would have to dress because others did not walk about naked, he was taken aback. The horse told him to put his hand into his left ear. He did so and pulled out a suit of clothes but did not know how to put it on. The horse, however, showed him how to dress, and, after doing so, the boy mounted and they set forth into the larger world.
They soon reached the nearest town and the boy was amazed by the people bustling all about him on their daily business. He was rather frightened by all the activity and noise and walked about shyly, admiring the beautiful houses. He marveled at how ordered everything was and the horse answered that "Everything has its own place; that is why you must try to find yours".
They stayed in the town a few days to allow the boy to become accustomed to the noise and activity of human habitations and then set out again. They journeyed on and on, until they came to a castle belonging to three fairies. Here the boy asked (on the horse's advice) to be taken on as a servant. Though the fairies did not at first wish to hire him, they finally gave in because he begged so hard.
The horse often came to visit the boy. On one of these visits the horse informed him that in one of the wings of the castle there was a bathroom where every seven years gold flowed on a certain day. The hair of whoever bathed first in it would turn to gold. He also told him that there was a chest in which the fairies kept three magnificent suits of clothes. The boy listened carefully, as he always did to the counsel of the horse.
The fairies allowed him to enter all the chambers in order to clean and dust with the exception of the magic bathroom. But when they were away from home, the boy went into the bathroom and saw the chest with the beautiful clothes inside, just as the horse had told him. One day the fairies were invited to a ball but told the boy that if he heard an odd rumbling noise in the forbidden bathroom, he was to break off a piece of the roof as a signal to them to return home immediately. The fairies knew that the gold was due to flow at any moment.
The boy watched all day long and called the horse when the gold water began to flow. The horse told him to bath in it immediately and he obeyed. He then took the clothes from the chest and mounted the winged horse. They then ran faster than the wind and flew swifter than thought into the night air. However, as they rose into the sky, the rumbling from the bathroom became so loud that it alerted the three fairies and they came rushing home.
When they arrived home, they discovered that the boy had run away with their suits of clothes.They chased after him but he made it to the border just ahead of them. The fairies realized that he had escaped and shouted up in anger at his retreating form: "So, you have cheated us, you rogue! At least show us your hair."
The boy shook out his locks and the fairies said with envy that they had never seen such beautiful hair in all of their many days on earth. The fairies cried after the boy to give them back their suits but the boy refused and told them that he was taking them instead of the wages they owed him for his service.
The boy and the horse continued on until they came to another town. The boy covered his beautiful gold hair with a pig's bladder to make himself look bald. He went to the gardener of the King and asked to be taken on as his assistant. The gardener finally accepted him and set him to dig in the garden and to water the flowers. He also taught him to prune trees and weed the flower beds. The boy learned quickly whatever task was set before him.
The king had three daughters of marrying age but he had made no move to arrange any marriages for them. In fact, it seemed that he was too busy ruling his country to even notice that they were of an age to marry. The three princesses dispaired of ever marrying and finally devised a plan. Each one picked a melon and took it to the King. When the King sat down to dinner they each brought him the melon they had chosen on a golden tray.
The king was mystified when presented by his daughters with three melons on three golden trays and summoned his Council. The Council cut open the melons and discovered that the first was overripe, the second was just right and the third was beginning to ripen. The councilors understood the message that the princesses were trying to convey and told the king that the time had come for the princesses to wed and have their own homes. The King realized the truth of what they told him and let it be known that his daughters would receive suitors. The very next day royal suitors began to arrive from the surrounding countries.
Soon after, the eldest daughter chose the prince she wanted and the King gave her a grand wedding.
The entire household with the exception of the youngest princess, followed the bridal party to the border of the eldest's new kingdom. The boy, seeing that the castle was deserted and that even the gardener had accompanied the royal procession, called the horse to his side. In the belief that he was alone except for the horse, the boy donned the suit called "Flowering Meadow" and let loose his golden hair. He and the horse then galloped around the gardens. Unknown to the boy, the youngest princess watched him from a window in her rooms. The horse and the boy had a wonderful time gallivanting about the castle grounds but once they ceased, the boy was horrified to discover the damage they had done. He quickly put his work clothes back on and got to work trying to repair the damage before the gardener returned.
Unfortunately, the gardener returned before the boy could finish his repairs and was so angry that he was ready to beat him. Meanwhile, the princess had continued to watch from her window and called to the gardener to ask him to bring her some flowers for her rooms. He searched all over the garden until he found enough flowers to make a bouquet. She rewarded him with a handful of gold and requested that he not beat the boy. The gardener was overwhelmed by the generous gift and worked so hard that the gardens were as beautiful as before within only three weeks.
Not long afterwards, the King's second daughter made her choice from among her suitors and another lavish wedding celebration was held. Once again, all the entire household accompanied the bride to the border of her new kingdom. All except the youngest princess who had feigned illness in order to be left behind in the hopes that the boy would repeat his earlier performance. The boy did not disappoint his secret admirer. He called the horse to his side and donned the suit called "Starry Night" and let down his golden hair. The boy and the horse meant to be more careful of the garden in their galloping about but they grew careless in their fun. When he realized that all of the flowers were broken, the boy quickly changed back into his work clothes and set about trying to set things right. The gardener was furious upon his return and wanted to beat the boy savagely. Once again, however, the young princess intervened with a request for flowers and a gift of even more gold for the gardener. It was four weeks before the damage to the gardens was repaired.
The king built a summer house in the forest and gave a large banquet there in honor of having been saved from a hunting accident. He invited all of his nobles and household to the banquet. Everyone went with the exception of the youngest princess. By now the princess was in love from afar with the boy and hoped for another performance by him that she could secretly watch from her window.
The boy summoned the horse as soon as he thought he was alone in the castle. He donned the suit called "The Sun Embroidered in Front, The Moon Behind and a Star on Each Shoulder" and let loose his hair. The boy and the horse pranced about so wildly that the garden was utterly destroyed. On seeing what he had done, the boy wept bitterly and could not begin to think of how to fix the damage. Upon seeing the wreckage of his gardens, the gardener's anger knew no bounds. The princess rescued the boy once again by asking for some flowers. The gardener had to search all over the garden to find even a few untrampled flowers. He was rewarded by three handfuls of gold and was ordered to pardon the boy. The gardener set to planting flowers again but it was more than four weeks before the place looked anything like a garden again.
The King was gradually becoming concerned with his youngest daughter's melancholy state of mind. He thought that marriage might cheer her up and began to suggest to her the names of various princes he deemed suitable matches but she refused all of them out of hand. The King soon realized that his tactics were not working and called the Council to ask their advice on the matter. The Council consulted among themselves and came up with the suggestion of building a loggia over the gate and sending all of the princes and noblemen through it one at a time. The princess was to be given a golden apple to drop on the head of the man that she chose to be her husband.
The King was well pleased with this plan and ordered that it be executed immediately. The news of the King's decision was sent far and wide and soon the castle was swamped with hopeful candidates. They all walked beneath the loggia but the princess refused to choose any of them. Many came to the conclusion that the youngest princess did not truly wish to marry at all. An old and wise nobleman suggested that the servants should also walk through the loggia and the King ordered that this be done. The gardener, the cook, the steward and footmen, the grooms and coachmen all walked through the loggia but the golden apple did not drop on any head. The King had inquiries made to be certain that all of the servants had walked beneath the loggia and was informed that only the bald-headed assistant gardener had not passed through. The king had the boy summoned and ordered him to walk through the loggia. The boy was forced through against his will and the golden apple dropped on his head. The boy quickly dashed away crying that surely his head had been split open. The King was aghast that his youngest daughter should choose such an inappropriate mate. He exclaimed in disbelief: "This is impossible! It must be a mistake! I cannot believe that my beloved daughter should choose a bald lad who works as a humble gardener as her husband!"
The King never entertained any notions of actually allowing his lovely daughter to marry so poorly, so he ordered that all of the men should once again pass through the loggia in order to give her another chance. The princess again dropped the golden apple on the head of the boy and the boy again dashed away as quickly as he could run. The King was highly distraught at this turn of events and ordered that all should for the third time pass through the loggia. For a third time the golden apple fell on the boy's head and the King knew with a heavy heart that he would have to allow the marriage in order to obey the decision of the Council. The wedding was a small and quiet affair and afterwards the King banished his daughter and new son-in-law from his sight. He consented to allowing the two newly-weds to live in a hut in a distant corner of the Palace courtyard and made the boy the palace water-carrier. The princess and her new husband became the laughingstock of the palace and the servants dumped their rubbish on the roof of the small hut. However, unknown to the outside world was the fact that in the hut the boy gave his princess bride every luxury available in the world. The winged horse brought everything they could desire and there was no palace in the world with finer trappings than their humble-seeming hut.
Unfortunately, the princes who had been rejected by the princess in favor of a bald gardening boy were quick to show their offense. They planned a joint attack on the King's realm. The King was forced to make ready for war. The King's royal sons-in-law rallied armies and came rushing to help defend their new wives' homeland. The boy begged the King through his wife to be allowed to be the water-carrier for the army. The King, however, was in no mood to indulge his youngest child and drove her off shouting: "Out of my sight, you ungrateful wretch. This war is your doing! I never wish to see either you or your ridiculous husband again!" But the princess was willing to press her beloved husband's case and her father finally relented and allowed the boy to be water-carrier for his army.
The armies soon marched off to the battlefield to engage the former suitors' formidable force. The boy rode ahead of the army in his work clothes on a lame nag that he had been provided by the King's stables. The nag became stuck in a bog and the boy was overtaken by the King's army as he tried to pull the nag from the mud. As soon as the army disappeared, the boy pulled the nag out of the bog and summoned his magnificent, winged horse. The boy donned the suit called "Flowering Meadow" and mounted the faithful horse.
Together they raced to the top of a mountain overlooking the battlefield. The boy saw that the enemies' army was the stronger and more numerous and decided on a course of action. He raced down the mountain with his sword raised high in the air and began hacking left and right once he was in the thick of the enemy. He was such a terrifying sight with his shining clothes, terrific speed and winged mount that the invading army fled in horror and confusion. The King believed that he must be viewing a golden-haired angel sent by God when he saw the boy enter the battle and send the enemy running. The King was ecstatic on the journey home. On the way back, his army again passed the boy. He seemed to have not moved from the bog and was still trying to pull the old nag out of the muck. The King was in such high spirits that he ordered some of his men to help the boy free the nag.
Much to the King's grief and dismay, it was soon learned that an even greater invading force was clustering on his border. The King again prepared for war and went out to fight for his realm. The boy again begged to be allowed to accompany the army as water-carrier and, after much ridicule, he was given permission to do so. The boy became the laughingstock of the whole army when they again passed him and found him trying to free his nag from the same bog. The boy changed into the suit called "Starry Night", let loose his hair and called his winged steed to his side as soon as the army passed from sight. Together, the magical pair raced ahead of the army and took up their position on the mountaintop. Once the boy perceived that the enemies' force was once again the superior force, he raced down the mountain and put them to flight. The King returned home once again with gratitude to God in his heart for another miraculous salvation. Upon passing the bog, the King saw that the boy was still stuck there trying to free his nag and ordered his men to help the boy get the pathetic creature free of the mud.
Unfortunately, upon arriving home from this second victory the King's great good spirits were short lived for he learned that an even greater invading force was massing on his border. This army was as numerous as the leaves of the trees. The King was utterly distraught and feared that the destruction of his realm was certain. He cried so many tears that his sight began to dim. However, the King rallied himself and his army and set out once more for battle. The boy started out again on his now familiar nag. He repeated his performance at the bog for the army and then changed into the suit called "The Sun Embroidered in Front, The Moon Behind and a Star on Each Shoulder", let down his golden hair and called his magical companion to his side. Together they raced to the mountaintop to watch the battle progress.
The King's army was surrounded by the enemy on three sides and the fighting was so fierce that men slashed at each other ruthlessly and desperately. The boy watched with the horse from their vantage point on the mountain until it became quite clear that the King's army was soon to be routed. The boy flashed down the mountain and into the thick of the battle like a bolt of lightning. Such was his ferocity that the invading army scattered and ran. The boy pursued them and slaughtered them like sheep. During his attack, the boy's hand was injured and the King, upon seeing that the boy was bleeding, offered him his own handkerchief to bandage the wound. The King then led his jubilant army home with the knowledge that they were now safe from further attacks due to the mysterious stranger's great courage and valor. However, the King still had no idea that his people's savior was none other than his own despised youngest son-in-law. As the army returned home, they again passed the boy trying to free his nag from the bog. Once again, the King ordered that his men help the boy get the nag out of the muck.
Soon after returning home the King's sight began to fail. Before long at all he was completely blind. All of the healers and astrologers were called but none succeeded in restoring the King's vision. One night the King had a dream in which an old man told him that if he bathed his eyes in the milk of wild red goats his sight would be restored. The King told his elder sons-in-law of his dream and they set out to find such goats. They left the boy behind but he called his winged steed and together they raced through the swamps until they found such goats. He milked the wild red goats and then disguised himself as a shepherd and intercepted his brothers-in-law. As soon as they saw his pail of milk, they offered to buy it but the boy refused. He pretended not to know them and stated that he would take it to the King himself. When they pressed him to sell the milk to them, he said he would give it to them if only they agreed to become his slaves and allow him to brand them. The two bothers-in-law were kings themselves and related to another king by marriage and thought it would make no difference, so they allowed the boy to brand them. As they returned to the palace with the milk, they agreed between themselves that, if the "shepherd" tried to talk about branding them, they would say he was a fool and people would believe them rather than a shepherd.
The King eagerly bathed his eyes in the milk but it did nothing to restore his sight. As he sat in despair, his youngest daughter approached him and said: "Dear father, take the milk my husband has brought you and bathe your eyes with it." The King answered her angrily: "What good has your fool of a husband ever done? Do you think that the wretch will succeed where my loyal sons-in-law, who fought at my side in war, have failed? I told you to never show your face before me again! How dare you defy my orders?"
The youngest princess' eyes sparkled with her own anger at the injustice done her and her husband but her voice did not betray her fury. Instead she answered her father by saying: "I shall submit to any punishment you see fit to give me father, if only you will first bathe your eyes in the milk brought to you by your humble slave."
Since his daughter was so insistent and he was so desperate, the King took the milk she offered him and bathed his blind eyes with it. The day after the milk bath, he began to regain his sight. He found he could see but only as if he looked through a veil. On the third day, his vision was completely restored. To celebrate his miraculous recovery, the King held a magnificent banquet and was even gracious enough to allow his youngest son-in-law to sit at the foot of the table. When the revelry was at its greatest, the boy stood and asked the king: " Your majesty, are slaves allowed to sit at the same table as their master?" The King responded: "Of course not," Then, since all know that you are a just ruler, please render justice to me and tell the men seated on either side of you to rise and leave the table, for they are my slaves and bear my brand upon their backs. When the King's sons-in-law heard the boy say this they grew pale and admitted that this was true. They were forced to stand throughout the rest of the banquet.
Towards the end of the banquet, the boy brought out the handkerchief that the King had given him to bind his wound in the battlefield. When the King saw the handkerchief he exclaimed: "How did you get that? I gave it to the angel who helped me defeat the enemy!" The boy smoothly responded with: "Oh, no, Your Majesty, you gave this handkerchief to me." The King sat dumbfounded and said finally: "So you are the angel who rescued me." The boy responded simply: "I am the one, your Majesty". The King regained his composure and retorted: "I will believe this only if you appear to me as you were then."
So, the boy rose from the table and retired from the banquet hall. He dressed in his finest clothes and let loose his golden hair and returned to the banquet. When the King and the assembled guests saw the boy in all of his splendor, they stood agape and marveling at his beauty. Prince Charming (for this was how he was to come to be known) was so dazzlingly handsome that it was easier to gaze at the sun than to look at him in his finery.
The King was quick to praise his formerly ostracized daughter for her excellent choice of husband and gave up his throne to Prince Charming. His first act as the new King was to free his brothers-in-law from being his slaves. The entire kingdom rejoiced and the celebration lasted for a week.
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