So, after thinking all this over in his mind, the king told his daughter that he willingly forgave Peppercorn, and that she might invite him to the palace. This the princess did at once, and very soon after Peppercorn made his appearance before the king in splendid attire, and was received very kindly.
Not long afterwards, the marriage of Peppercorn with the beautiful princess, the king’s youngest daughter, was celebrated with great rejoicings, and the king built them a fine house near his palace to live in.
There Peppercorn and his princess lived long and happily, and he never had any wish to wander again about the world.
BASH-CHALEK; OR, TRUE STEEL.
ONCE upon a time there was a king who had three sons and three daughters. At length old age overtook him, and the hour came for him to die. While dying he called to him his three sons and three daughters, and told his sons to let their sisters marry the very first men who came to ask them in marriage. ‘Do this, or dread my curse!’ said he, and soon after expired.
Some time after his death there came one night a great knocking at the gate; the whole palace shook, and outside was heard a great noise of squeaking, singing, and shouting, whilst lightnings played round the whole court of the palace. The people in the palace were very much frightened, so that they shook for fear, when all at once some one shouted from the outside, ‘O princes! open the door!’ Thereupon the king’s eldest son said, ‘Do not open!’ The second son added, ‘Do not open, for anything in the world!’ But the youngest son said, ‘I will open the door!’ and he jumped up and opened it.
The moment he had opened the door something came in, but the brother could see nothing except a bright light in one part of the room; out of this light came these words: ‘I have come to demand your eldest sister for wife, and I shall take her away this moment, without any delay; for I wait for nothing, neither will I come a second time to ask her! Therefore answer me quickly—will you give her or not?’
The eldest brother said, ‘I will not give her. How can I give her when I cannot see you, and do not know who you are, nor whence you come? You come to-night for the first time, and wish to take her away instantly! Should I not know where I can visit my sister sometimes?’
The second said, ‘I will not give my sister to-night to be taken away!’