The Ill-Tempered Princess

There was once a poor young knight, and he went out into the world,
to seek adventures and do knightly deeds. As he went, he met a man
standing in front of a long narrow tunnel in a rock, and blowing
through it with his cheeks stretched like two ripe pomegranates,
to whom the knight called out, "Halloa! fellow, what do you do there?"

And the man made reply, "Disturb me not, your worship, for with my
breath I am turning five hundred and thirty-two mills."

So the knight asked, "Then who are you?"

And the man made answer, "I am Blowo, son of Blowon , the good
blower."

Then the knight said, "Will you come out with me to seek fortune?"

And the man made answer, "Your worship is not readier to ask than
I to accept, for I am tired enough of blowing." So he gave one more
good strong blow, enough to set the mills twirling for a long time,
and walked on behind the knight.

A little farther along they came upon a man toiling up the hill-side,
with a load of a hundred and thirty-two hundred-weight upon his back.

To whom the knight called out, "Halloa! man, you carry more than a
waggon with two yoke of oxen! Who are you?"

And the man made answer, "I am Porto, son of Porton, the strong
porter."

Then the knight said, "Will you come out with me to seek fortune?"

And the man made answer, "Your worship is not more ready to ask,
than I to accept, for I am weary of this burden." So he laid the
weight down by the road-side, and walked along behind the knight.

A little farther on they came to a long stretch where the road was
very straight, and by the side a man walked up and down twisting a
rope, to whom the knight cried out,--

"Halloa! fellow, what do you there? and who are you?"

And the man made answer, "I am Ropo, son of Ropon, the cunning
rope-maker, and I make ropes which none can break."

Then the knight said, "Will you come out with me to seek fortune?"

And the man made answer, "Your worship is not more ready to ask than
I to accept, for I am weary of twisting this rope." So he left there
his rope by the road-side, and walked along behind the knight.

A little farther on they came upon a man crouched down by the way-side.

To whom the knight called out, "Halloa! fellow, what do you there? and
who are you?"

And the man made answer, "I am Listeno, son of Listenon, the ready
listener."

So the knight said, "What are you listening for?"

And the man made answer, "Blowo has left off turning the mills, and
I am listening for the wind to come down from the mountains of Burgos."

"Fellow! the mountains of Burgos are a hundred leagues off."

"What does that signify, if my hearing reaches as far?"

Then the knight said, "Will you come along with me and seek fortune?"

And the man made answer, "Your worship is not more ready to ask than
I to accept, for I am weary of straining my ears." So he set up three
flags, that all the country might know the wind would be there in
three days, and walked along behind the knight.

Then, after three days' journey, they came in sight of a magnificent
castle, extending half a mile every way over the top of a mountain,
but all desolate and in ruins; and the way up to it was overgrown
with interlacing brambles and briars, so that they could hardly pass
through. Then to increase their difficulty, a heavy storm came on,
which would soon have wetted them through; but Blowo cried out,--

"Never fear, your worship; for I will soon clear the air."

So he blew a mighty blast, and sent all the big thunder-clouds
travelling back to the Sierra; and they went on toiling up the brake.

When they came up to the castle, they found there was no door or
opening, nor any way in. Porto, Ropo, Listeno, and Blowo wanted to
give up the attempt, and pass on farther; but the knight would not
hear of abandoning the adventure.

"If your worship is so determined," said Porto, "I'll open a way
for you."

So he broke off a huge piece of rock as big as two men, and, standing
a hundred yards off, he flung it against the wall, with a noise that
could be heard a hundred miles off. The wall trembled and clattered;
but it was held together by a stronger than human power, and all
Porto's great strength could produce no effect on it.

"Let us go away from here, Master," pleaded Ropo, "this is no place
for us. There is something wrong about this place; and the blessing
of God is not here."

"No," replied the knight, "we will first learn all about it; there
may be work for us."

So they continued walking round the walls to see where they might
effect an entrance, and all to no purpose. By and by Listeno
exclaimed, "I hear some one cry;" and they all listened, but could
hear nothing. So Listeno made them follow him in the direction whence
the sound proceeded till at last they were near enough for the others
to hear the sound also; and they went on following it up, till they
came to the mouth of a great well all grown over with climbing-plants;
when they had cleared these away, the hole looked so black and deep,
it seemed as if it went down to the centre of the earth, and up the
shaft there came sounds of a woman's wailing, so loud and pitiful,
they were all moved to pity, and anxious to run to the relief of the
distressed person; but there was no means of telling how to reach
the bottom. Then Ropo came forward, and said, "We will all go abroad,
and gather five thousand bundles of esparto, and palmito grass,
and all five shall set to work to make a long rope; and with that we
will reach the bottom."

So said, so done. They gathered five thousand bundles of esparto, and
palmito grass, and they all five set to work under Ropo's directions
and twisted away at the rope; and now and then they tied a fragment of
rock to the end and let it down, to see if it reached the bottom. They
went on thus for five years, and at last it splashed the water, and
when they let it down again it sounded on the rock, and they found
only a few feet of the rope was wet, for the water was not deep.

Then Listeno put his ear to the top and told them it was not standing
water, but that a brook ran through, along the bottom of the cave. As
they were twisting the rope, they talked away about the great deeds
each would do; and each had a conjecture as to what they might find at
the bottom of the well. They all thought they should find a treasure,
and Porto said he would take it up on his shoulders and carry it home
for them, though it should weigh as much as all the lead of the Sierra
Almagrera .

But when the rope was finished, and it was a question of who should
go down, not one of the knight's followers, though they had been
boasting so loudly before, would venture down into the well. So the
knight laughed, and said he was not afraid; and one end of the rope
having been lashed tightly to a rock, the four followers undertook
to pay it out steadily, and down the knight descended into the black,
gloomy depth.

Day and night he went on steadily descending for three days and
three nights, and at the end he came into the water. It was not more
than breast high, so he waded through it for several yards till he
came to a place where the bank widened sufficiently for him to get
out and walk along it; and then he came to some trees, and through
the trees was an open space lighted by a lurid light which came
from a deeper cave. On a sloping bank, covered with shining grass
and strange flowers, lay a beautiful princess all dressed in white,
and decked with shining jewels; and as she lay, she moaned and cried
and prayed for deliverance. So the knight was hastening towards her,
and drew his sword to cut the bonds which confined her, but at that
instant up started a fierce demon whom he had not observed before,
as he lay coiled up at the mouth of the cave.

"Not so fast, fine caballero!" he cried, "for she is mine, and you will
have to fight me before you can touch her." The knight disregarded
the menace, and continued his way towards the princess, but the air
was stiff all around him--though he could see no hindrance, he found
he could not make any way towards her.

"Ha! ha!" roared the demon, "my fine caballero, you'll find you will
have to do with me at last!"

"And who are you?" shouted the baffled knight, "and what is this
beautiful princess to you?"

"I am bound to answer the knight who asks that question," answered
the demon, "or it is little you would have learnt from me. Know,
then, that this princess was the only daughter of King Euríc, to
whom belonged all the country as far as eye can see; and she would
have succeeded to his kingdom, but her temper was so violent, no one
could bear with her. Upon the least contradiction she would order a
subject to be executed; and her arbitrary conduct was continually
involving the kingdom in discontent and trouble. Her father, who
tenderly loved her, used to coax her and use every endeavour to
soften her, but with no avail. At last, one day she provoked him so
sore that in his anger he exclaimed, 'Go to the horned one!' When I
heard myself called, I hastened to seize her, but, notwithstanding
all my speed, before I could arrive he had revoked the curse, and
so I was tricked out of her. This happened several times, but each
time fatherly fondness was quicker than my utmost haste. At last,
a day came when she excited him greatly, and he said again, 'Go to
the horned one!' and before he could recall the words that time,
he had fallen down a lifeless corpse. So now she is mine, and mine
she must remain till some knight will win her in arms from me, and
marry her, and restore her to her castle and her kingdom."

"That will I!" said the knight stoutly; for though he feared the
lady's violent temper after what he had heard, his devotion to chivalry
bound him to use his best endeavours to deliver her.

Accordingly he drew his sword, and called to the demon to come
on. "Remember one thing," said the demon, "if you should win her,
she is yours for ever; I take her back no more."

Meantime, Listeno, at the top of the well, had been reporting to
his companions all that he heard going on below, and their curiosity
getting the better of their fears, they let themselves down by the
rope, and all four arrived in time to witness the terrible contest.

Never was such a fight seen in this world as that between this
knight and the demon; and at last the knight cut off the demon's
ear. No tongue could describe the demon's rage at finding his ear in
possession of a mortal.

"Give me my ear!" he cried in tones so sharp that they almost stunned
Listeno's sensitive hearing powers.

"Never," replied the knight, "or at least not without a heavy
ransom. In the first place I exact that without further ado you
reinstate the Princess in her castle and all her power." The demon
stamped and raged, but the knight was firm. The demon was ashamed to
go home without his ear, so he thought it best to comply.

The Princess was restored to her throne, the castle was restored to
its strength, the garrison was restored to the ramparts, the servants
were restored to the halls. The knight married the princess; great
rejoicings and festivities were celebrated, and to his four followers
were given places of trust and consequence in the palace.

The demon often came to beg for his ear, but the knight felt that at
some time or other he might have need of him, so he would not lose
his hold over him.

For a time all went well enough, but by little and little the Princess
forgot her years of adversity and the debt she owed the knight: she
grew more and more wilful, and before a year was out she had become so
violent again, that he grew weary of his life, and declared he could
no longer endure the continual turmoil. Remonstrance and coaxing were
alike unheeded, and it was vain that he tried her father's remedy,
for the demon had sworn never to take her back.

In this strait Porto reminded him of the ear he held in hostage,
adding, "I will take it upon myself to deliver you of her." So putting
the bottle of brine in which the ear was kept into his pocket, he
swung the Princess over his shoulder, and all her struggling was
useless against "the son of the strong porter."

Thus laden he went to find out the demon. "You are to take back this
princess, she is only fit for your company," he said, when he had
found him.

"Not I!" answered the demon, grinning: "I told your master when he
would have her he must take her for good and all."

"Do you know this ear?" then asked Porto, showing him the bottle.

The demon clutched at it.

"Not so fast!" cried Porto. "If you want to have it back, this is my
master's condition: you must take back the princess along with it."

So, crest-fallen and glad to get his ear back on any condition,
the demon accepted the bargain as it was dictated to him; and the
princess who could not command her temper never found another knight
to deliver her.