Fairy Tales From All Nations

by Anthony R. Montalba

One day when he had lain down under a shady tree for his noontide rest, the young shepherd slept and had a remarkable dream. He was journeying on, far, far on—he heard a loud clinking sound, like to a heap of coins incessantly falling on the ground—a thundering noise like the report of incessant firing—he saw a countless band of soldiers, with glittering armour and weapons—all these sights and sounds encircled him and resounded about him. Then he seemed to wander on, constantly ascending a mountain until he arrived at the summit, where a throne was erected on which he seated himself, leaving beside him a vacant place, which a beautiful woman who suddenly appeared, immediately occupied. The young shepherd still dreaming, rose up, saying in a solemn and earnest voice: "I am King of Spain;" and at that moment he awoke.

Pondering on his strange dream, the youth led on his flock, and in the evening, whilst he assisted his parents in their work as they sat before their cottage door cutting fodder, he related it to them, and concluded by saying: "Verily, if I dream that again, I will be off to Spain to see whether I shall be made king."

"Foolish boy," murmured the old father; "thou be made king? Don't go and make yourself a laughingstock."

His mother laughed outright, rubbing her hands, and repeating in amaze, "King of Spain! king of Spain!"

The next day at noon he lay down again under the same tree, and oh, wonder! the same dream took possession of his senses. He hardly had patience to watch his flock till evening; gladly would he have run home, and at once set out on his journey to Spain. When at length his work was done, he again related his romantic dream, saying: "If I do but dream this once again, I will go off directly, on the very same day."

The third day he lay down again under the same tree, and the same dream again visited him for the third time. The youth raised himself up in his sleep, exclaiming: "I am King of Spain," and thereupon he awoke. He gathered up his hat, his whip, and his provision bag, collected his sheep, and went back straight to the village. When he got there the people began to chide him for returning so long before vespers; but the youth was so excited that he paid no heed to the reproofs either of the neighbours or of his parents, but packed up his Sunday clothes, hung the bundle on a hazel stick, and throwing it over his shoulder started off without another word. He put his best foot foremost, and ran so fast that one would have thought he hoped to reach Spain that same night.

He got no further however that day than to the borders of a forest, and not a village nor even a solitary cottage could he descry; so he resolved to take his night's rest in a thick bush. He had scarcely fallen asleep when he was disturbed by a great noise. A company of men, conversing loudly, passed before the bush which he had made his bed. The youth crept softly forward, and followed the men at a little distance, saying to himself: "Perhaps thou mayest still find a lodging; where these men pass the night, thou surely mayest also sleep." They had not gone much further before they came to a house of considerable dimensions, which, however, was situated in the centre of the dark forest. The men knocked, and were admitted, and the young shepherd unperceived slipped in with them into the house. Another door was then thrown open, and they all entered a large and very imperfectly lighted room, on the floor of which lay numerous trusses of straw, beds and coverlids, which seemed ready prepared for the men's night repose. The shepherd boy crept quickly under a heap of straw, which was scattered near the door, and lay in his concealment on the look-out for all he might see and hear. As he was a very sharp boy, with all his senses about him, it was not long before he made out that he was amongst a band of robbers, whose captain was the owner of the house. This latter, as soon as the newly arrived members of the band had stretched themselves on their couches, ascended an elevated seat, and said in a deep bass voice: "My brave comrades, give me an account of your day's work; where you have been, and what booty you have got!"

A tall man, with a coal black beard, was the first to raise himself from his bed, and answered: "My good captain, early this morning I robbed a rich nobleman of his leathern breeches; these have two pockets, and as often as they are turned inside out, and well shaken, a heap of ducats falls on the ground."

"That sounds well, indeed!" said the captain.

Then uprose another, and said: "I stole from a great general his three-cornered hat; and this hat has the property, that so long as it is turned round upon the head shots are fired off incessantly from its three corners."