BOOTS AND HIS BROTHERS
Once upon a time there was a King who had seven sons. One day he said to the six older ones: “You must go forth into the world, each one, and seek a bride. But Boots is too young to go, so he shall stay at home. And when you have found brides for yourselves, each one, you shall seek the fairest Princess in all the seven kingdoms, and bring her home with you, and she shall be a bride for Boots.”
So the six sons set out, and each found a bride, all so lovely that it was not possible to say which was the most beautiful. But the brothers were so interested, each one, in his own bride, that all forgot they were to seek a bride for Boots, and they started home again.
One night on the way they were forced by a storm to seek shelter in the castle of a Giant, and the next morning while they were standing in the front of the castle, with their retainers about them and their horses saddled ready to mount and depart, the Giant suddenly turned them all into stone where they stood—the brothers into large stone pillars, the brides into smaller pillars, the retainers into small stones, and the horses into stone horses. And there all stood in front of the castle, and the Giant went away laughing.
After a long time of waiting at home, one day the King said to his youngest son: “It must be that your brothers are dead. My heart is broken, and had I not you, my son, to console me in my old age, I should die of sorrow.”
“But, my father,” said Boots, “for long I have been thinking that I must go forth into the world and find my brothers.”
“Do not say that,” said the King, “for evil has certainly befallen them, and the same evil may befall you, and I shall be left alone.”
“Nay,” said Boots, “whatever evil has befallen them I must fare forth and find out; and I will come back to you and bring my brothers with me, that will I.”
So at last the King yielded, and Boots set out. But there were no retainers to go with him, and his father had only an old, broken-down horse to give him, for the other brothers had taken all the fine horses from the stables, for their own riding, and to bring back their brides upon. But Boots set forth right merrily on the old horse, often stopping to let him rest, for he could not go fast, as could a younger steed.