[This tale is from Zwehrn, and was first published in the edition of 1819. About the Grimm Collection.]
There was once an old king. He was ill and thought, “I’m probably on my deathbed.” Then he said, “Have Faithful John come to me.” Faithful John was his favorite servant and was so named because he’d been faithful to him all his life. When he now came to the bedside, the king said to him: “Most faithful John, I feel that my end is drawing near and I’m worried about nothing but my son. He is still young in years and not always able to look out for himself; unless you promise me to instruct him in everything he ought to know and be his foster father, I shan’t be able to shut my eyes in peace.” Then Faithful John replied, “I shan’t leave him and I’ll serve him faithfully, even if it costs me my life.”
Then the old king said: “Now I will die consoled and in peace,” and added, “After my death you’re to show him the whole palace, all the chambers, halls, and vaults, and all the treasures that are in them, but you’re not to show him the last chamber in the long passageway, in which is hidden the portrait of the daughter of the king of the Golden Roof. If he sees the portrait, he’ll fall violently in love with her and will fall down in a faint and because of her will run great dangers. You’re to guard him against that.” When Faithful John had again given the old king his hand on it, the latter grew quiet, laid his head on his pillow, and died.
When the old king had been carried to his grave, Faithful John told the young king what he had promised his father on his deathbed and said, “I shall certainly keep this promise and be as loyal to you as I was to him, even if it costs me my life.” The period of mourning passed; then Faithful John said to him, “Now it’s time for you to see your heritage; I’ll show you your ancestral palace.” Then he led him all about, up and down, and showed him all the treasures and the sumptuous chambers; but there was the one chamber that he didn’t open: that is, the one with the dangerous portrait.
The picture was placed in such a way that, on opening the door, one looked straight at it, and it was so beautifully done that one might think it was real flesh and blood and alive and that there couldn’t be anything lovelier and more beautiful in the whole world. The young king was well aware that Faithful John always passed one particular door by and said, “Why don’t you ever open it for me?” “There’s something in there,” he answered, “that will frighten you.” But the king replied, “I’ve seen the whole palace; now I want to know what’s in there.” He stepped forward and was about to force the door open when Faithful John held him back, saying, “I promised your father before his death that you shouldn’t see what’s in that chamber; it might bring you and me great misfortune.” “Oh no,” answered the young king, “if I don’t get in, it’ll certainly be my ruin. I shouldn’t rest day or night till I’d seen it with my own eyes. I shan’t move from the spot till you’ve unlocked it.”
Then Faithful John saw there was nothing further to do about it, and with heavy heart and many sighs picked out the key from the big bunch. When he’d opened the door, he went in first, thinking he’d cover the picture so the king, who was standing behind him, mightn’t see it. But what good did that do? The king stood on tiptoe and looked over his shoulder, and when he beheld the portrait of the girl who was so beautiful, sparkling with gold and jewels, he fell down in a faint. Faithful John lifted him up, carried him to his bed, and thought sorrowfully, “The mishap’s occurred. Lord God! what will come of it all?” Then he strengthened him with wine until he regained consciousness. The first words he said were, “What beautiful person is that a portrait of?” “It’s the daughter of the king of the Golden Roof,” Faithful John replied. Then the king went on to say, “My love for her is so great that if all the leaves on the trees were tongues, they couldn’t express it. I’ll risk my life to win her. You’re my most faithful John and must help me.”
The faithful servant reflected for a long time on how to accomplish this, for it was difficult as much as to get into the presence of the princess. Finally he hit upon a plan and said to the king, “Everything she has about her is of gold: tables, chairs, dishes, cups, bowls, and all household utensils. There are five tons of gold in your treasury. Have one ton of it wrought by the goldsmiths of your kingdom into all sorts of vessels and utensils, into all kinds of birds, game, and strange animals. She’ll like that, and we’ll travel to her with these things and try our luck.” The king summoned all his goldsmiths. They had to work day and night, till finally the most magnificent things were ready. When everything had been loaded on a ship, Faithful John put on merchant’s clothes, and the king had to do the same and disguise himself completely. Then they journeyed overseas and traveled until they came to the city where the daughter of the king of the Golden Roof dwelt.
Faithful John bade the king stay on the ship and wait for him. “Perhaps,” he said, “I’ll bring the princess with me. Therefore see to it that everything is ready; have the golden vessels put on display and the entire ship decked out.” Then he gathered up a number of gold trinkets in his apron, went ashore and straight to the royal palace. When he reached the palace courtyard, a pretty girl was standing by the well; she had two golden pails in her hands and was drawing water, and as she was about to carry away the bright water and had turned around, she saw the stranger and asked who he was. He replied, “I’m a merchant,” opened his apron, and let her look in. Then she cried out, “Oh, what beautiful goldware!” set the pails down, and looked at the things one after the other. Then the girl said, “The king’s daughter must see this; she’s so fond of gold trinkets that she’ll buy them all from you.”
She took him by the hand and led him upstairs, for she was the chambermaid. When the king’s daughter saw the goldware, she was most happy and said, “It’s so beautifully wrought that I’ll buy it all from you.” But Faithful John said, “I’m only a rich merchant’s servant. What I have here is nothing to what my master has down on board his ship, yes, the most artfully and wonderfully wrought objects ever made of gold.” Then she wanted to have everything brought up to her, but he said, “That would take many days, there’s so much of it, and it would take so many halls to display it in that there’s not enough room in your dwelling.” This roused her curiosity and desire more and more, so she finally said, “Take me down to the ship; I’ll go there in person and view your master’s treasures.”
Then Faithful John brought her to the ship and was very happy. On beholding her, the king saw that her beauty was even greater than her portrait had shown, and he thought that his heart would burst with joy. Now she went aboard, and the king escorted her in. But Faithful John stayed behind near the helmsman and ordered the ship to put off: “Set all sail, so that she’ll fly like a bird in the air!” Inside the ship, however, the king showed her the gold service, every single piece: dishes, cups, bowls, the birds, game, and strange animals. Many hours passed while she looked at everything, and in her joy she didn’t notice that the ship was moving along. After she had looked at the last object, she thanked the merchant and wanted to go home, but when she came to the ship’s side, she saw that it was far from land and on the high seas, speeding forward under full sail. “Oh,” she cried in fright, “I’ve been tricked; I’m being abducted and have fallen into the power of a merchant. I’d rather die.” But the king took her by the hand and said, “I’m not a merchant; I’m a king and not inferior to you in birth. I’ve abducted you by guile because of my great, great love for you: the first time I saw your potrait, I fell to the ground in a faint.” When the daughter of the king of the Golden Roof heard this, she was consoled, and her heart inclined toward him so that she willingly consented to become his wife.
But it so happened that while they were on the high seas Faithful John, as he was sitting near the bow of the ship and playing some music, saw three ravens flying through the air. Then he stopped playing and listened to what they were saying to one another, for he understood it well. One of them cried, “Well, there he’s bringing home the daughter of the king of the Golden Roof.” “Yes, indeed,” answered the second, “but he hasn’t got her yet.” Then the third rejoined, “Yes, he has got her; she’s sitting beside him in the ship.” Then the first spoke again and cried, “What good will that do him? When they reach shore, a horse as red as a fox will come galloping up; he’ll want to mount it, and if he does so, it’ll run away with him into the air, so that he’ll never see the maiden again.” Then the second said, “Is there no way of saving him? ” “Oh, yes. If someone else quickly mounts the horse, takes out the gun that’s surely in the holster, and shoots the horse dead, then the young king will be saved. But who knows that? And if anybody does know it and tells the king, he’ll be turned to stone from his toes to his knees.”
Then the second raven said, “I know still more. Even if the horse is killed, the young king still won’t keep his bride. When they enter the palace together, they’ll find a perfectly made bridal shirt lying in a bowl, looking as if it were woven of gold and silver, though it’s nothing but sulphur and pitch. If he puts it on, it’ll burn him to the quick and to the marrow.” Then the third said, “Is there absolutely no way of saving him?” “Oh, yes,” replied the second. “If someone takes hold of the shirt with gloves on and throws it into the fire so that it burns up, the young king will be saved. But what good’s that? Whoever knows this and tells him will turn to stone from his knees to his heart.” Then the third said, “I know still more. Even if the bridal shirt is burned up, still the young king won’t have his bride. After the wedding, when the ball opens and the young queen dances, she’ll suddenly turn pale and fall down as if dead, and unless someone lifts her up and draws three drops of blood from her right breast and spits them out again, she’ll die. But if anybody who knows it tells the secret, his whole body will be turned to stone from top to toe.” Having thus spoken, the ravens continued their flight, but Faithful John had understood everything and from that time on was quiet and sad. For if he kept from his master what he’d heard, misfortune would befall the latter, and if he told him, he himself would have to sacrifice his life. Finally, however, he said to himself, “I shall save my master, even if I perish in the attempt.”
When they went ashore, it happened as the raven had predicted: a superb horse, red as a fox, came galloping up. “Well,” said the king, “it shall carry me to my palace,” and was about to mount it. But Faithful John got ahead of him, swung quickly onto it himself, drew the gun from the holster, and shot the horse dead. Then the other servants of the king, who were not very fond of Faithful John, cried, “What a shame to kill the fine animal that was to carry the king to his palace.” The king, however, said: “Be still and leave him alone; he’s my most faithful John. Who knows to what good purpose he did it!”
Now they entered the palace, and there in the hall was a bowl with a perfectly made bridal shirt lying in it, looking as if it were made of gold and silver. The young king stepped up and was about to take hold of it, but Faithful John pushed him aside, seized it with his gloves on, carried it quickly to the fireplace, and let it burn up. The other servants again began to murmur, “Look! Now he’s burning even the king’s bridal shirt.” But the young king said, “Who knows to what good purpose he did it! Leave him alone; he’s my most faithful John.” Now the wedding was celebrated; the ball began, and the bride, too, entered the hall. Then Faithful John paid close attention and watched her face. Suddenly she turned pale and fell to the ground as if dead. He rushed quickly up, lifted her, and carried her into a chamber; there he laid her down, knelt, and sucked three drops of blood from her right breast and spat them out. At once she began to breathe again and recovered.
The young king, however, had been looking on and didn’t know why Faithful John had done it. He got angry and shouted, “Throw him into prison!” The next morning Faithful John was condemned to death and led to the gallows. When he stood up there and was about to be executed, he said: “Everyone condemned to die is allowed to say one last word before his end. Am I to have this right, too?” “Yes,” answered the king, “it will not be refused you.” Then Faithful John said, “I was condemned unjustly and have always been faithful to you,” and then told how at sea he’d heard the ravens’ conversation and how he’d been forced to do all this to save his master. Then the king cried out, “Oh, my most faithful John, mercy, mercy! Bring him down from the gallows!” But with the last word he uttered, Faithful John had fallen down dead and was a piece of stone.
The king and queen were greatly grieved by this, and the king said, “How ill I rewarded such great loyalty,” and had the stone image picked up and placed in his bedchamber next to his bed. Whenever he looked at it he’d weep and say, “If only I could bring you back to life, my most faithful John!” Some time passed, and the queen gave birth to twins, two boys; they grew up and were her joy. Once when the queen was at church and the two children were sitting beside their father and playing, the latter again looked sadly at the stone image and, sighing, said, “Oh, if only I could bring you back to life, my most faithful John!” Then the stone began to speak and said, “Yes, you can bring me back to life if to do so you’re willing to sacrifice what you most love.” Then the king exclaimed, “I’m willing to sacrifice everything I have in this world for you.” Then the stone went on, “If with your own hand you’ll cut off the heads of your two children and anoint me with their blood, I’ll come back to life.”
The king was frightened when he heard he’d have to kill his dear children with his own hand, but he thought of Faithful John’s great loyalty and how he’d died for him, and drew his sword and with his own hand cut off his children’s heads. And when he’d anointed the stone with their blood, it came to life, and Faithful John stood before him hale and hearty. He said to the king, “Your loyalty to me shall not remain unrewarded,” took the children’s heads, put them in place, and anointed the wounds with their blood. In an instant they were whole again, skipped about, and continued their play as if nothing had happened.
Now the king rejoiced greatly, and when he saw the queen coming, hid Faithful John and the two children in a big cupboard. When she came in, he said to her, “Did you pray at church?” “Yes,” she answered, “but I was thinking all the time about Faithful John and that he fell into such misfortune on our account.” Then he said, “Dear wife, we can bring him back to life, but it will cost us our two children; we’ll have to sacrifice them.” The queen turned pale and in her heart was frightened, but said, “We owe it to him because of his great loyalty.” Then the king was glad that she thought as he’d thought, stepped to the cupboard and, unlocking it, brought out the children and Faithful John, saying, “God be praised! He is disenchanted, and our two children, too, have been given back to us,” and told her how it all happened.
Then they lived happily together until their death.