178
ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES
she was Twelve clothes
lovers, and that she might do as she liked about them. Every time a prince came to try his luck at guessing, in order to obtain the princess's hand, he was sure to fail, and was, therefore, hung or beheaded. He had been warned betimes that it would be safer to desist from his suit. The old king was so afPicted at the mourning and wretchedness thus occasioned that, for one whole day in the year, he and all his soldiers used to kneel and pray that the princess might grow good ; but she would not. The old women who tippled brandy used to colour it quite black before they drank it ; this was their way of mourning, and they could not well do more.
" What a shocking princess ! " said Johannes. " She deserves the rod, and it would do her good. If I were the old king, she should have been thrashed long ago."
They now heard the mob cheering outside the inn. The princess was passing, and really so beautiful that everybody forgot how wicked she was, and therefore hurrahed.
beautiful maidens, dressed in white silk and holding golden tulips in their hands, rode by her side on coal-black horses. The princess her- self was mounted on a snow-white steed, with diamond and ruby trappings. Her riding-dress was of gold brocade ; and the whip she held in her hand looked like a sunbeam. The gold crown on her head resembled the little stars twinkling in the heavens, while her mantle consisted of thou- sands of splendid butterflies' wings stitched to- gether. Yet, in spite of this magnificence, she was herself far more beautiful than her clothes.
When Johannes caught sight of her, his face grew as red as a drop of blood, and he was struck completely dumb ; for the princess exactly re- sembled the beautiful girl with the golden crown, whom he had dreamed of the night his father died. He thought her most beautiful, and could not help lo-ing her passionately. It could not be possible, thought he, that she was a wicked witch, who ordered people to be hung or beheaded when they were unable to guess what she asked. " But since every one, down to the poorest beggar, is free to woo her," said he, " I will repair to the palace, for I cannot resist doing so." Everybod)- advised him not to attempt such a thing, as he must inevitably fail like the rest, traveller, likewise, warned him to Johannes thought he should succeed, his shoes and his coat, washed his hands and face, combed his pretty, flaxen hair, and then went alone into the town, and proceeded to the palace. " Come in," said the old king, when Johannes knocked at the door. Johannes opened it, and the old king came forward to meet him in his dressing-gown and embroidered slippers ; he wore his crown on his head, and bore his sceptre in one hand and his ball in the other. " Wait a bit," said he, putting the ball under his arm, to leave one hand free to present to Johannes. But the moment he heard he came as a suitor, he began to weep so violently that both ball and sceptre fell on the floor, and he was fain to wipe his eyes with the skirts of his dressing-gown. Poor old king I
"Think not of it," said he, "you will fare as badly as all the others. Come, you shall
see."
He then led him into the princess's pleasure-garden, and a frightful sight was there to behold ! From every tree hung three or four kings' sons who had wooed the princess, but had been unable to guess her riddles. At every breeze that blew, all these skeletons rattled till the little birds were frightened, and never dared to come into the garden. All the flowers were propped with human bones ; and human skulls might be seen grinning in flower-pots. It was an odd garden for a princess.
" Now, you see," said the old king, "your fate will be just the same as that of all the others
His fellow- desist ; but He brushed
THEY NOW HEARD THE MOB CHEERING OUTSIDE THE THE PRINCESS WAS PASSING UY.
