Once upon a time there lived a Danish king. And now no one remembers what the king’s name was. They only say that that king had one and only daughter.
The young princess won over everyone - with her intelligence, her beauty, and her good disposition. Only here’s the problem: there was nothing sadder than her in the whole world. It happened that the princess wouldn’t laugh, wouldn’t even smile - do whatever you want!
Day after day he cries and grieves, frowns and sulks. So they called her - Princess Kuksa.
The king himself was a cheerful man. However, looking at his daughter, he himself became not himself: he grumbles, grumbles, everything is not like him. And that’s to say: he has only one child, a daughter. So, she will be the queen after him. How can she be entrusted with the state when all she can do is cry and sigh. The hour is not even certain - he will die of sadness!
The king was frightened and announced: “Whoever makes the princess laugh will receive her as a wife and half the kingdom in addition.”
There were a lot of hunters here to try their luck. How they did not amuse the royal daughter! And they told parables, and made riddles, and sang, and danced. But all in vain! The princess won't even smile. So all the suitors drove away from the yard without a quick slurp.
The king had seen so much of this fun, had heard so many different jokes and jokes, that he could no longer see or hear them. And most of all, he was tired of his own daughter. No matter how much they cheered her up, no matter how much they amused her, she kept crying and sulking.
And so, so that mediocre suitors would bother him less, the king issued a new decree:
“Anyone who makes the princess laugh will receive her as a wife and half the kingdom in addition. But if he doesn’t make him laugh, woe to him! They will dip him in tar, roll him in feathers and drive him out of the court in disgrace.”
The number of suitors immediately decreased. And the princess, as she was, remains Kuksa.
There lived in that very country one man, and he had three sons: Peder, Palle and Esper, nicknamed Assertive.
They lived in the wilderness, so a considerable period of time passed before they heard about the royal decree.
The brothers realized at once: “Happiness comes into our hands. All we have to do is make the princess laugh!”
“I know a lot about fun,” thought Peder and immediately decided to try his luck. His mother gave him a knapsack with all sorts of food for the journey, and his father gave him a wallet with dalers.
Peder was walking along the road, and when he reached the mounds of Os, which is between the North Sea and the Limfjord, lo and behold, an old woman was coming towards him, poor, in rags, dragging a sleigh behind her.
- Hello, good man! - says the old woman. - Can you give me some bread and some skill for poverty?
- Look what the old hag wanted! - Peder got angry. “I don’t have enough bread and money, and the journey is still long!”
- There will be no way for you! - said the old woman.
Peder waved his hand at the old woman’s speech.
"Let her, the old witch, talk!" - they thought
Peder walked, walked, whether close or far, came to the royal court and said:
“My name is Peder, and I want to make the princess laugh.”
Lead him into the royal chambers, and he began to show the king and her daughter his art. And Peder knew how to sing the sweetest songs in the world. He firmly relied on them when he went to the castle. Now he sang these songs, sang one after another. But it’s not worth a penny! At least the princess would smile. Here they dipped Peder in tar, rolled him in feathers and drove him out of the royal court in disgrace.
The mother used up a good quarter of the vegetable oil while she washed the tar off Peder.
“Peder was unlucky, maybe Palla will be lucky,” the old people decided.
They packed Palle for the road. His mother gave him a knapsack with food, and his father gave him a wallet with dalers. He set off on his journey, and near the mounds he met an old woman with a sleigh.
- Hello, good man! - says the old lady.
Would you give me some bread and some skill for poverty?
But Palle made an excuse and didn’t give her anything.
- There will be no way for you! - said the old woman.
Palle waved his hand at the old woman’s speeches.
“Let her, the old witch, talk,” he thought.
Palle walked, walked, whether close or far, he came riding to the royal court and said:
- My name is Palle, and I want to make the princess laugh
They brought him into the royal chambers, and he began to show the king and her daughter his art. And Palle knew how to weave the most amusing tales. He used to weave his tales, he would weave, and everyone around would die laughing. And now, as he began to say, he himself laughs, the king laughs, and the princess only yawns out of boredom.
Here they treated Palle in the same way as Peder: they dipped him in resin, rolled him in feathers, and he returned home - it’s a pity to look at.
And at least that would help Esper! He is not afraid that his fate will befall him. Got one thing wrong:
“I’ll go to the royal court to make the princess laugh!”
- Oh, you miserable fool! - said the father and mother. - Do you really think you are luckier than your brothers? Where do you care about them? And they sing songs and weave tales. And with you - one sin! You don’t know how to do anything, you’ll only expose yourself to amusement!
- This is exactly what I need! - Esper was happy.
The old men tried to dissuade him in every way, only Esper, know his own thing, repeats:
“I’ll go to the royal court to make the princess laugh!”
Palle waved his hand at the old woman’s speeches.
“Let her, the old witch, talk,” he thought.
Palle walked, walked, whether close or far, he came riding to the royal court and said:
“My name is Palle, and I want to make the princess laugh.”
They brought him into the royal chambers, and he began to show the king and her daughter his art. And Palle knew how to weave the most amusing tales. He used to weave his tales, he would weave, and everyone around would die laughing. And now, as he began to say, he himself laughs, the king laughs, and the princess* only yawns out of boredom.
Here they treated Palle in the same way as Peder: they dipped him in resin, rolled him in feathers, and he returned home - looking pitiful.
And at least that would help Esper! He is not afraid that his fate will befall him. Got one thing wrong:
“I’ll go to the royal court to make the princess laugh!”
- Oh, you miserable fool! - said the father and mother. “Do you really think you are luckier than your brothers?” Where do you care about them? And they sing songs and weave tales. And with you - one sin! You don’t know how to do anything, you’ll only expose yourself to amusement!
- This is exactly what I need! - Esper was happy.
The old men tried to dissuade him in every way, only Esper, know his own thing, repeats:
“I’ll go to the royal court to make the princess laugh!”
You say: “Whoa!” - they will. And if anyone touches the sled, the bird will perk up and shout: “Chick-chirp! Chick-chirp!” You order: “Hold tight!” - and no matter who is in the sled, he cannot tear himself away from it until you say: “Let go!” Take good care of your sled so that no one steals it from you. Good luck will surely await you with them!
“Thank you, grandma, for the gift,” Esper thanked the old woman, sat down in the sled, and shouted: “Chick-cheek, birdie!”
Here the self-propelled sleds rushed along the country road as if they were being rushed by a pair of dashing horses. People look after you, they are amazed, but they are not surprised. But Esper doesn’t seem to care, as if he’s not used to driving like this.
A sled is rushing along a country road, but Esper does not stop them. Only late in the evening did he turn to the inn to spend the night. He took Sankey with him to the room and tied them tightly to the bed. The sleds are fast and playful, just like that, they’ll run away!
The people at the inn saw how dashingly Esper drove up to the gate, and for a long time they were amazed at such a miracle. But what was most striking was the curiosity of the three maids.
They really wanted to see the self-propelled sleds. And at night, as soon as Esper fell asleep, one of the maids gets up and quietly makes her way into the upper room. She crept up to the sled, felt for it, and then:
- Chik-chirp! Tick-tweet! - the bird started and screamed. Esper instantly woke up and ordered:
- Hold it tight!
And now the maid can’t tear herself away from the sled. He stands there and cannot move. And Esper turned over on his side and fell asleep again.
A little later another maid crept into the room and then - grabbed the sleigh!
- Chik-chirp! Tick-tweet! - the bird shouted. Esper woke up and ordered:
- Hold it tight!
And now the second maid cannot move. And Esper turned over on his side and fell asleep again.
The maids at the inn were each more curious than the other. In the end, the third maid could not stand it, she sneaked into the upper room and also grabbed the sled.
- Chik-chirp! Tick-tweet! - the bird shouted. Esper woke up and ordered:
- Hold it tight!
All three maids are standing there, unable to move.
Early in the morning, before anyone at the inn had yet woken up, Esper dragged the sled onto the road. And the maids had to follow, like it or not, and they were in only their nightgowns!
- Chick-chirp, bird!
And the sled rolled along the country road, and the miserable maids ran as fast as they could after. Their cheeks are burning with shame, tears are rolling down in hail: they appeared in front of all the honest people in their shirts.
Esper was driving, driving, and he came across a church along the way. And the pastor and the sexton are just going there to conduct the service.
They saw a wonderful train and were baptized!
Hey you shameless ones! “You’re running after a guy, and in only your shirts!” the pastor shouted to the maids.
He grabbed the hand of the one who was running behind everyone and pulled her away.
But that was not the case!
- Chik-chirp! Tick-tweet! - the bird shouted.
- Hold it tight! - ordered Esper.
And there’s no way to loosen the pastor’s hands. He had to run after the maids.
- Lord, have mercy on us! Your Reverence! - the sexton yelled. -Where are you going? And it’s not appropriate at your age and in your rank to chase young maids!
The sexton runs up to the sled and grabs the pastor's robe.
- Chik-chirp! Tick-tweet! - the bird shouted.
- Hold it tight! - ordered Esper.
The sexton had to run along the road along with everyone else.
The sled arrived at the forge. The blacksmith had just shod the horse and was still holding the blacksmith's pliers in his right hand, and in his left hand he was holding a bunch of hay with which he was feeding the horse.
A sled rushes past, the hem of Ponomarev's cassock flutters in the wind. And the blacksmith was a cheerful little fellow. When he saw the self-propelled train, he laughed at the top of his lungs and grabbed the sexton with his tongs on the floor.
- Chik-chirp! Tick-tweet! - the bird shouted.
- Hold it tight! - ordered Esper.
The blacksmith had to run after the sexton, with a bundle of hay trailing behind him.
A sled is flying along the road, and a flock of geese meets them. The geese saw the hay, spread their wings, ran to the sled, waddled from foot to foot, and began to pluck the hay.
- Chik-chirp! Tick-tweet! - the bird shouted.
The geese also had to keep up with the others; No matter how much they hissed, no matter how much they cackled, it was of little use. They run after, shifting from foot to foot.
Whether it was a long or short ride, the sleigh ride for the royal court arrived. Esper and his entire retinue turned there.
The funny train drove around the castle three times. What happened here! Noise all over the area!
The maids in their shirts are screaming at the top of their lungs; the pastor in full vestments prays and groans; the sexton howls and roars in a voice not his own; the blacksmith laughs and curses; geese cackle and hiss.
At the noise, all the servants from the castle came running, and the king and princess had to come out to look at Esper and his retinue. Well, the king laughed and even began to hiccup. And when I looked at my daughter, I couldn’t believe my eyes, Princess Kuksa laughed, so much so that tears rolled down her cheeks.
- Whoa! - Esper ordered, and the self-propelled sleds began to move.
- Let go! - Esper Nastyrny ordered again.
The geese and the blacksmith, the sexton and the pastor, and in the end, all three maids, began to run without looking back.
Esper ran up to the princess’s porch and said:
- Yeah, I made you laugh! Now you are mine!
That’s how Esper, nicknamed Assertive, took Princess Kuksa as his wife, and received half a kingdom in addition. And after the death of the old king, he inherited the entire kingdom.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru