Prevod

The East Indies was besieged by an enemy who refused to leave the town until he had received six hundred thalers. So they had it proclaimed by drum that whoever could produce the money would be made mayor. Now there was a poor fisherman there who fished at sea with his son. The enemy came, took the son prisoner, and paid the fisherman six hundred thalers for him.

The father went and gave the money to the town’s officials, whereupon the enemy withdrew, and the fisherman was made mayor. Then it was proclaimed that anyone who failed to address him as “Mr Mayor” would be hanged.

The son managed to escape from the enemy and came to a great forest on a high mountain. The mountain opened, and he found himself in a great enchanted castle, where the chairs, tables, and benches were all draped in black. Then three princesses appeared, dressed entirely in black, with only a little white showing in their faces. They told him not to be afraid: they would do him no harm, and he could free them from the spell. He said he would gladly do so, if only he knew how. They told him that for a whole year he must neither speak to them nor look at them; whatever he wished for, he need only ask, and if they were permitted to answer, they would grant it. After he had been there for some time, he said he would like to visit his father. They told him to go, taking this purse of gold with him and putting on these clothes, but he must be back in eight days.

Then he was lifted up and found himself at once in the East Indies. But he could no longer find his father in the fisherman’s hut, and asked the people what had become of the poor fisherman. They told him he must not call him that, or he would be hanged. Then he came to his father and said, “Fisherman, how did you come by all this?” His father said, “You must not call me that! If the town’s officials hear of it, you will be hanged!” But he would not stop, and so he was taken to the gallows. When he arrived there, he said, “Oh, gentlemen, grant me leave to go once more to the old fisherman’s hut.” There he put on his old smock, returned to the officials, and said, “Do you see now? Am I not the poor fisherman’s son? In these very clothes I earned bread for my father and mother.” Then they recognized him, begged his forgiveness, and took him home with them, where he told everyone what had happened to him: how he had come to a forest on a high mountain; how the mountain had opened and he had entered an enchanted castle where everything was black; and how three princesses had appeared, who were black too, with only a little white in their faces. They had told him not to be afraid, for he could free them from the spell. His mother said this could hardly be anything good; he should take a blessed wax candle and drip hot wax onto their faces.

So he went back, filled with dread. While they slept, he dripped wax onto their faces, and they turned half white. Then all three princesses sprang up and said, “You accursed dog, may our blood cry out for vengeance upon you! No one now living, nor anyone yet to be born, can ever free us from the spell! We have three brothers bound in seven chains, and they shall tear you to pieces!” Suddenly a great outcry arose throughout the castle, and he leapt out of the window and broke his leg. The castle sank back into the earth, the mountain closed again, and no one knew where it had stood.