Towards evening on the third day he came to a royal palace, which was so spacious that he thought he should never again see the like. He went to the kitchen and asked for employment. “What dost thou know, and what canst thou do?” inquired the master-cook. “I can tend cattle in the pasture,” answered the boy. The master-cook said: “The king is in great want of a herd-boy; but it will, no doubt, be with thee as with the others, that every day thou losest one of the herd.” The boy answered: “Hitherto I have never lost any beast that I drove to the field.” He was then taken into the king’s service, and tended the king’s cattle; but the wolf never got a beast from him: so he was well esteemed by all the king’s servants.
One evening, as the herd-boy was driving his cattle home, he observed a beautiful young damsel standing at a window and listening to his song. Though he seemed hardly to notice her, he, nevertheless, felt a glow suffused over him. Some time passed in this manner, the herd-boy being delighted every time he saw the young maiden; though he was still ignorant that she was the king’s daughter. It happened one day that the young girl came to him as he was driving the herd to their pasture. She had with her a little snow-white lamb, and begged him in a friendly tone to take charge of her lamb, and protect it from the wolves in the forest. At this the herd-boy was so confused that he could neither answer nor speak. But he took the lamb with him, and found his greatest pleasure in guarding it, and the animal attached itself to him, as a dog to its master. From that day the herd-boy frequently enjoyed the sight of the fair princess. In the morning, when he drove his cattle to the pasture, she would stand at the window listening to his song; but in the evening, when he returned from the forest, she would descend to caress her little lamb, and say a few friendly words to the herd-boy.
Time rolled on. The herd-boy had grown up into a comely, vigorous young man; and the princess had sprung up and was become the fairest maiden that could be found far or near. Nevertheless, she came every evening, according to her early custom, to caress her lamb. But one day the princess was missing and could nowhere be found. This event caused a great sorrow and commotion in the royal court, for the princess was beloved by every one; but the king and queen, as was natural, grieved the most intensely of all. The king sent forth a proclamation over the whole land, that whosoever should recover his daughter should be rewarded with her hand and half the kingdom. This brought a number of princes, and knights, and warriors from the east and the west. Cased in steel they rode forth with arms and attendants, to seek the lost princess; but few were they that returned from their wanderings, and those that did return brought no tidings of her they went in quest of. The king and queen were now inconsolable, and thought that they had sustained an irreparable loss. The herd-boy, as before, drove his cattle to the pasture but it was in sadness, for the king’s fair daughter engrossed his thoughts every day and every hour.
One night in a dream the little elfin king seemed to stand before him and to say: “To the north! to the north! there thou wilt find thy queen.” At this the young man was so overjoyed that he sprang up, and as he woke, there stood the little man, who nodded to him, and repeated: “To the north! to the north!” He then vanished, leaving the youth in doubt whether or not it were an illusion. As soon as it was day he went to the hall of the palace, and requested an audience of the king. At this all the royal servants wondered, and the master-cook said: “Thou hast served for so many years that thou mayest, no doubt, get thy wages increased without speaking to the king himself.” But the young man persisted in his request, and let it be understood that he had something very different in his mind. On entering the royal apartment, the king demanded his errand, when the young man said: “I have served you faithfully for many years, and now desire permission to go and seek for the princess.” Hereupon the king grew angry and said: “How canst thou, a herd-boy, think of doing that which no warrior nor prince has been able to accomplish?” But the youth answered boldly, that he would either discover the princess or, for her sake, lay down his life. The king then let his anger pass, and called to mind the old proverb: A heart worthy of scarlet often lies under a coarse woollen cloak. He therefore gave orders that the herd-boy should be equipped with a charger and all things requisite. But the youth said: “I reck not of riding; give me but your word and permission, together with means sufficient.” The king then wished him success in his enterprise; but all the boys and other servants in the court laughed at the herd-boy’s rash undertaking.
The young man journeyed towards the north, as he had been instructed by the elf-king, and proceeded on and on until he could not be far distant from the world’s end. When he had thus travelled over mountains and desolate ways, he came at length to a great lake, in the midst of which there was a fair island, and on the island a royal palace, much more spacious than the one whence he came. He went down to the water’s edge, and surveyed the palace on every side. While thus viewing it, he perceived a damsel with golden locks standing at one of the windows, and making signs with a silken band, such as the princess’s lamb was accustomed to wear. At this sight the young man’s heart leaped in his breast; for it rushed into his mind that the damsel could be no other than the princess herself. He now began to consider how he should cross over the water to the great palace; but could hit upon no plan. At last the thought occurred to him that he would make a trial whether the little elves would afford him some assistance; and he took forth his pipe, and blew a long-continued strain. He had scarcely ceased, when he heard a voice behind him, saying “Good evening.” “Good evening again,” answered the youth, turning about: when just before him there stood the little boy whose glass shoes he had found in the grass. “What dost thou wish of me?” asked the elfin boy. The other answered: “I wish thee to convey me across the water to the royal palace.” The boy replied: “Place thyself on my back.” The youth did so; and at the same instant the boy changed his form and became an immensely huge hawk, that darted through the air, and stopped not until it reached the island as the young man had requested.
He now went up to the hall of the palace and asked for employment. “What dost thou understand and what canst thou do?” inquired the master-cook. “I can take charge of cattle,” answered the youth. The master-cook then said: “The giant is just now in great want of a herdsman; but it will, I dare say, be with thee as with the others; for if a beast by chance is lost, thy life is forfeited.” The youth answered: “This seems to me a hard condition; but I will, nevertheless, agree to it.” The master-cook then accepted his service, and he was to commence on the following day.
The young man now drove the giant’s cattle, and sung his song, and rang his little bell, as he had formerly done; and the princess sat at her window, and listened, and made signs to him that he should not appear to notice her. In the evening he drove the herd from the forest, and was met by the giant, who said to him: “Thy life is in the place of any one that may be missing.” But not a beast was wanting, let the giant count them as he would. Now the giant was quite friendly, and said: “Thou shalt be my herdsman all thy days.” He then went down to the lake, loosed his enchanted ship, and rode thrice round the island, as he was wont to do.
During the giant’s absence the princess stationed herself at the window and sang:—
“To-night, to-night, thou herdsman bold,
Goes the cloud from under my star.