What Do You Need?

Go and get some other items and choose only the most beautiful and the rarest ones. He quickly put on his cap, picked some wildflowers, and tied them together. As he was climbing the steps with them, the gardener met him and said, How can you take the princess a bouquet of such common flowers? Oh, no, replied the boy, the wild ones have a stronger scent, and she will like them better. When he got into the room, the princess said, Take your cap off. It is not polite to keep it on in my presence. He again responded, I cannot do that. I have a scabby head. She, however, took hold of his cap and pulled it off. His golden hair rolled down onto his shoulders, and it was a magnificent sight. He wanted to run away, but she held him by his arm, and gave him a handful of gold pieces. He went away with them, but he did not care about the gold. He took the gold pieces to the gardener, saying, I am giving these things to your children for them to play with.

Viva La Vida

The next day the princess called to him again, asking him to bring her a bouquet of wildflowers. When he went in with it, she immediately grabbed at his cap, and wanted to take it away from him, but he held it firmly with both hands. She again gave him a handful of gold pieces. He did not want to keep them, giving them instead to the gardener for his children to play with. On the third day it was no different. She was not able to take his cap away from him, and he did not want her gold. Not long afterwards, the country was overrun by war. The king gathered together his people, not knowing whether or not to fight back against the enemy, who was more powerful and had a large army. Then the gardener’s boy said, I am grown up, and I want to go to war as well. Just give me a horse. The others laughed and said, After we have left, then look for one by yourself. Nevertheless he mounted it, and rode away towards the dark woods.

Nobody Told Me

When he came to the edge of the woods, he called Iron Hans three times so loudly that it sounded through the trees. It was snorting with its nostrils, and could hardly be restrained. Behind them followed a large army of warriors, outfitted with iron armor, and with their swords flashing in the sun. When he approached the battlefield, a large number of the king’s men had already fallen, and before long the others would have to retreat. Then the youth galloped up with his iron army and attacked the enemies like a storm, beating down all who opposed him. They tried to flee, but the youth was right behind them, and did not stop, until not a single man was left. However, instead of returning to the king, he led his army on a roundabout way back into the woods, and then called for Iron Hans. When the almighty king returned to his castle, his daughter went to meet him, and congratulated him for his victory. Without me it would have gone badly.’ And then they laughed at him all the more. The king said to his daughter, I will proclaim a great festival. It shall last for three days, and you shall throw a golden apple.

Things Aren't Always Easy

Perhaps the unknown knight will come. When the festival was announced, the youth went out into the woods and called Iron Hans. What do you need? he asked. To catch the princess’s golden apple. It is as good as done, said Iron Hans. And further, you shall have a suit of red armor and ride on a spirited chestnut horse. When the day came, the youth galloped up, took his place among the knights, and was recognized by no one. The princess came forward and threw a golden apple to the knights. He was the only one who caught it, and as soon as he had it, he galloped away. On the second day Iron Hans had outfitted him as a white knight, and had given him a white horse. Again he was the only one who caught the apple. Without lingering an instant, he galloped away with it. The king grew angry and said, That is not allowed. He must appear before me and tell me his name. He gave the order that if the knight who caught the apple, were to go away again, they should pursue him, and if he would not come back willingly, they were to strike and stab at him. On the third day, he received from Iron Hans a suit of black armor and a black horse, and he caught the apple again. But when he was galloping away with it, the king’s men pursued him, and one of them got so close to him that he wounded the youth’s leg with the point of his sword. In spite of this he escaped from them, but his horse jumped so violently that his helmet fell from his head, and they could see that he had golden hair. They rode back and reported everything to the king. The next day the princess asked the gardener about his boy. He is at work in the garden. The strange fellow has been at the festival too. He came home only yesterday evening. And furthermore, he showed my children three golden apples that he had won. The king had him summoned, and he appeared, again with his cap on his head. But the princess went up to him and took it off. His golden hair fell down over his shoulders, and he was so handsome that everyone was amazed. Are you the knight who came to the festival every day, each time in a different color, and who caught the three golden apples? asked the king.