“Did I not tell you that the stories of her mir are not the same as the stories of our mir?” replied the grandmother. “I do not know those Vila stories.”
“But you know other stories, very nice stories, little grandmamma,” said the little boy. Then, after a pause, “Please tell me one now!”
Then the grandmother told the story of
PRINCE HEDGEHOG
Once upon a time there was an Emperor and an Empress who for many years had been childless. One day the Empress wished for a son, were he no bigger than a hedgehog. The proverb says, “What one wishes for, that one gets,” and so it was with her, for she shortly gave birth to a son who looked exactly like a hedgehog and was covered all over with sharp spines.
Far and wide the news was spread abroad through the world, and the parents were much ashamed of such a son. Nevertheless, they had him educated in all useful knowledge, and he had so clever a head that by the time he was fourteen he knew all knowledge through and through.
By this time his parents could no longer endure him near them, and they assigned to him a great forest as a place of abode, feeling certain that he would then fall a prey to a wolf or a fox or some sort of a beast. They strictly commanded him not to return before the expiration of seven years. They gave him permission, however, to take with him anything that he especially cared for; but he would take nothing with him except a Sow and a great Cock upon which he was wont to ride. With these he went away into the forest.
Year out, year in, Prince Hedgehog remained in the forest, and he raised so many swine that at last they were too many for even him to count. Finally he thought to himself, “My seven years are up; I will go back home.” So he quickly gathered his swine together and drove them to the city of his parents.
When they perceived afar off the immense drove of swine, they thought, “Here comes a wealthy swine-drover.” But soon they recognized their son, who was riding upon his Cock behind the swine and making straight for the imperial castle. So they received him into the castle and showed him the best of hospitality, dividing his swine among different pens, for they filled every swine-pen in the city.