Érase una vez un rey que tenía doce hijas, a cual más hermosa. Dormían todas juntas en una misma sala, con las camas alineadas, y por la noche, a la hora de acostarse, el Rey cerraba la puerta con llave y corría el cerrojo. Mas por la mañana, al abrir de nuevo el aposento, advertía que todos los zapatos estaban estropeados de tanto bailar sin que nadie pudiese poner en claro el misterio. Al fin, el Rey mandó pregonar que quien descubriese dónde iban a bailar sus hijas por la noche, podría elegir a una por esposa, y, a la muerte del Monarca, heredaría el trono; pero con la condición de que quien se ofreciese y al cabo de tres días con sus noches no hubiese esclarecido el caso, perdería la vida. Al cabo de poco tiempo presentóse un príncipe, que se declaró dispuesto a intentar la empresa. Fue bien recibido, y al llegar la noche se le condujo a una habitación contigua al dormitorio de las princesas. Pusiéronle allí la cama. Él debía averiguar adónde se iban ellas a bailar, y para que no pudiesen hacerlo en secreto o escaparse a otro lugar, dejaron abierta la puerta de la sala. Mas al príncipe le pareció que tenía plomo en los ojos y se quedó dormido; y cuando se despertó por la mañana, encontróse con que las doce habían ido al baile, pues todas tenían agujereadas las suelas de los zapatos. Lo mismo se repitió la segunda noche y la tercera, por lo cual el príncipe fue decapitado sin compasión. Después de él vinieron otros muchos dispuestos a correr la suerte, y todos dejaron la vida en la empresa. En esto, un pobre soldado que, habiendo recibido una herida, no podía seguir en el servicio, acertó a pasar por las inmediaciones de la ciudad donde aquel rey vivía. ... [leer más]
Topóse con una vieja, que le preguntó adónde iba. - Ni yo mismo lo sé - respondióle él y, en broma, añadió -: Me entran ganas de averiguar dónde se desgastan los zapatos bailando las hijas del Rey. Así, un día podría subir al trono. - Pues no es tan difícil - replicó la vieja -. Para ello, basta con que no bebas el vino que te servirán por la noche y simules que estás dormido -. Luego, dándole una pequeña capa, añadió -: Cuando te la pongas, quedarás invisible y podrás seguir a las doce muchachas. Con aquellas instrucciones, el soldado se tomó en serio la cosa y, cobrando ánimos, presentóse al Rey como pretendiente. Recibiéronle con las mismas atenciones que a los demás y le dieron vestidos principescos. A la hora de acostarse, lo condujeron a la antesala de costumbre, y, cuando ya se dispuso a meterse en la cama, entró la princesa mayor a ofrecerle un vaso de vino. Pero él se había atado una esponja bajo la barbilla y, echando en ella el líquido, no se tragó ni una gota. Acostóse luego y, al cabo de un ratito, se puso a roncar como si durmiese profundamente. Al oírlo, las princesas soltaron las carcajadas, y la mayor exclamó: - He aquí otro que podría haberse ahorrado la muerte. Se levantaron. Abrieron armarios, arcas y cajones y sacaron de ellos magníficos vestidos; y mientras se ataviaban y acicalaban ante el espejo, saltaban de alegría pensando en el baile. Sólo la más joven dijo: - No sé. Vosotras estáis muy contentas, y yo, en cambio, siento una impresión rara. Presiento que nos ocurrirá una desgracia. - Eres una boba - replicó la mayor -. Siempre tienes miedo. ¿Olvidaste ya cuántos príncipes han tratado, en vano, de descubrirnos? A este soldado ni siquiera hacía falta darle narcótico. No se habría despertado el muy zopenco. Cuando todas estuvieron listas, salieron a echar una mirada al mozo; pero éste mantenía los ojos cerrados y permaneció inmóvil, por lo que ellas se creyeron seguras. Entonces la mayor se acercó a su cama y le dio unos golpes. Inmediatamente, el mueble empezó a hundirse en el suelo, y todas pasaron por aquella abertura, una tras otra, guiadas por la mayor. El soldado, que lo había visto todo, sin titubear se puso su capita y bajó también detrás de la menor. A mitad de la escalera le pisó ligeramente el vestido, por lo cual la princesa, asustada, exclamó: - ¿Qué es eso? ¿Quién me tira de la falda? - ¡No seas tonta! - exclamó la mayor -. Te habrás cogido en un gancho. Llegaron todos abajo, encontrándose en una maravillosa avenida de árboles, cuyas hojas, de plata, brillaban y refulgían esplendorosamente. Pensó el soldado: "Es cuestión de proporcionarme una prueba," y rompió una rama, produciendo un fuerte crujido al quebrarla. La más joven volvió a exclamar: - Pasa algo extraño. ¿No oísteis un crujido? Pero la mayor replicó: - Son disparos de regocijo, por la pronta liberación de nuestros príncipes. Llegaron luego a otra avenida cuyos árboles eran de oro, y, finalmente, a una tercera, en que eran de diamantes; y de cada una desgajó el soldado una rama, con gran susto de la pequeña; pero la mayor insistió en que eran disparos de regocijo. Prosiguiendo, no tardaron en hallarse a la orilla de un gran río, en el que había doce barquitas, y, en cada una, un gallardo príncipe. Aguardaban a las princesas, y cada cual subió a una en su barca, sentándose el soldado en la de la menor. Dijo el príncipe: - No sé por qué, pero esta barca es hoy mucho más pesada que de costumbre. Tengo que remar con todas mis fuerzas para hacerla avanzar. - Debe de ser el tiempo - respondió la princesa -. Hoy está bochornoso, y también yo me siento deprimida. En la orilla opuesta levantábase un magnífico y bien iluminado castillo, de cuyo interior llegaba una alegre música de timbales y trompetas. Entraron en él, y cada príncipe bailó con su preferida. Y también el soldado bailó, invisible, y cuando la princesa menor levantaba un vaso de vino, él se lo bebía, vaciándolo antes de que llegase a los labios de la muchacha, con el consiguiente azoramiento de ella; pero la mayor siempre le imponía silencio. Duró la danza hasta las tres de la madrugada, hora en que todos los zapatos estaban agujereados y hubieron de darla por terminada. Los príncipes las devolvieron a la orilla opuesta, y esta vez el soldado se embarcó con la mayor. En la ribera se despidieron de sus acompañantes, prometiéndoles volver a la noche siguiente. Al llegar a la escalera, el soldado pasó delante y se metió en su cama. Cuando las doce muchachas entraron fatigadas y arrastrando los pies, reanudó él sus ronquidos, y ellas, al oírlos, dijéronse entre sí: - ¡De éste nos hallamos seguras! Desvistiéronse, guardando sus ricas prendas y, dejando los estropeados zapatos debajo de las respectivas camas, se acostaron. A la mañana siguiente, el soldado no quiso decir nada, deseoso de participar de nuevo en la magnífica fiesta, a la que concurrió la segunda noche y la tercera. Todo discurrió como la primera vez, durando el baile hasta el desgaste total de los zapatos. La tercera noche, empero, el soldado se llevó una copa como prueba. Cuando sonó la hora de rendir cuentas, cogió el mozo las tres ramas y la copa y se presentó al Rey, mientras las doce hermanas escuchaban detrás de la puerta lo que decía. Al preguntar el Rey: - ¿Dónde han estropeado mis hijas sus zapatos? - respondió él: - Bailando con doce príncipes en un palacio subterráneo y relató cómo habían ocurrido las cosas, aportando en prueba las ramas y la copa. Mandó entonces el Rey que compareciesen sus hijas, y les preguntó si el soldado decía la verdad. Al verse ellas descubiertas, y que de nada les serviría el seguir negando, hubieron de confesar. Entonces preguntó el Rey al soldado a cuál de ellas quería por mujer. - Como ya no soy joven, dadme a la mayor - contestó. El mismo día se celebró la boda, y el Rey lo nombró heredero del trono. En cuanto a los príncipes, quedaron encantados durante tantos días como noches habían bailado con las princesas. Siguió la fiesta. THE END ... [leer menos]
There was a king who had twelve beautiful daughters. They slept in twelve beds all in one room; and when they went to bed, the doors were shut and locked up; but every morning their shoes were found to be quite worn through as if they had been danced in all night; and yet nobody could find out how it happened, or where they had been.Then the king made it known to all the land, that if any person could discover the secret, and find out where it was that the princesses danced in the night, he should have the one he liked best for his wife, and should be king after his death; but whoever tried and did not succeed, after three days and nights, should be put to death. A king's son soon came. He was well entertained, and in the evening was taken to the chamber next to the one where the princesses lay in their twelve beds. There he was to sit and watch where they went to dance; and, in order that nothing might pass without his hearing it, the door of his chamber was left open. But the king's son soon fell asleep; and when he awoke in the morning he found that the princesses had all been dancing, for the soles of their shoes were full of holes. The same thing happened the second and third night: so the king ordered his head to be cut off. After him came several others; but they had all the same luck, and all lost their lives in the same manner.... [leer más]
Now it chanced that an old soldier, who had been wounded in battle and could fight no longer, passed through the country where this king reigned: and as he was travelling through a wood, he met an old woman, who asked him where he was going. 'I hardly know where I am going, or what I had better do,' said the soldier; 'but I think I should like very well to find out where it is that the princesses dance, and then in time I might be a king.' 'Well,' said the old dame, 'that is no very hard task: only take care not to drink any of the wine which one of the princesses will bring to you in the evening; and as soon as she leaves you pretend to be fast asleep.' Then she gave him a cloak, and said, 'As soon as you put that on you will become invisible, and you will then be able to follow the princesses wherever they go.' When the soldier heard all this good counsel, he determined to try his luck: so he went to the king, and said he was willing to undertake the task. He was as well received as the others had been, and the king ordered fine royal robes to be given him; and when the evening came he was led to the outer chamber. Just as he was going to lie down, the eldest of the princesses brought him a cup of wine; but the soldier threw it all away secretly, taking care not to drink a drop. Then he laid himself down on his bed, and in a little while began to snore very loud as if he was fast asleep. When the twelve princesses heard this they laughed heartily; and the eldest said, 'This fellow too might have done a wiser thing than lose his life in this way!' Then they rose up and opened their drawers and boxes, and took out all their fine clothes, and dressed themselves at the glass, and skipped about as if they were eager to begin dancing. But the youngest said, 'I don't know how it is, while you are so happy I feel very uneasy; I am sure some mischance will befall us.' 'You simpleton,' said the eldest, 'you are always afraid; have you forgotten how many kings' sons have already watched in vain? And as for this soldier, even if I had not given him his sleeping draught, he would have slept soundly enough.' When they were all ready, they went and looked at the soldier; but he snored on, and did not stir hand or foot: so they thought they were quite safe; and the eldest went up to her own bed and clapped her hands, and the bed sank into the floor and a trap-door flew open. The soldier saw them going down through the trap-door one after another, the eldest leading the way; and thinking he had no time to lose, he jumped up, put on the cloak which the old woman had given him, and followed them; but in the middle of the stairs he trod on the gown of the youngest princess, and she cried out to her sisters, 'All is not right; someone took hold of my gown.' 'You silly creature!' said the eldest, 'it is nothing but a nail in the wall.' Then down they all went, and at the bottom they found themselves in a most delightful grove of trees; and the leaves were all of silver, and glittered and sparkled beautifully. The soldier wished to take away some token of the place; so he broke off a little branch, and there came a loud noise from the tree. Then the youngest daughter said again, 'I am sure all is not right--did not you hear that noise? That never happened before.' But the eldest said, 'It is only our princes, who are shouting for joy at our approach.' Then they came to another grove of trees, where all the leaves were of gold; and afterwards to a third, where the leaves were all glittering diamonds. And the soldier broke a branch from each; and every time there was a loud noise, which made the youngest sister tremble with fear; but the eldest still said, it was only the princes, who were crying for joy. So they went on till they came to a great lake; and at the side of the lake there lay twelve little boats with twelve handsome princes in them, who seemed to be waiting there for the princesses. One of the princesses went into each boat, and the soldier stepped into the same boat with the youngest. As they were rowing over the lake, the prince who was in the boat with the youngest princess and the soldier said, 'I do not know why it is, but though I am rowing with all my might we do not get on so fast as usual, and I am quite tired: the boat seems very heavy today.' 'It is only the heat of the weather,' said the princess: 'I feel it very warm too.' On the other side of the lake stood a fine illuminated castle, from which came the merry music of horns and trumpets. There they all landed, and went into the castle, and each prince danced with his princess; and the soldier, who was all the time invisible, danced with them too; and when any of the princesses had a cup of wine set by her, he drank it all up, so that when she put the cup to her mouth it was empty. At this, too, the youngest sister was terribly frightened, but the eldest always silenced her. They danced on till three o'clock in the morning, and then all their shoes were worn out, so that they were obliged to leave off. The princes rowed them back again over the lake (but this time the soldier placed himself in the boat with the eldest princess); and on the opposite shore they took leave of each other, the princesses promising to come again the next night. When they came to the stairs, the soldier ran on before the princesses, and laid himself down; and as the twelve sisters slowly came up very much tired, they heard him snoring in his bed; so they said, 'Now all is quite safe'; then they undressed themselves, put away their fine clothes, pulled off their shoes, and went to bed. In the morning the soldier said nothing about what had happened, but determined to see more of this strange adventure, and went again the second and third night; and every thing happened just as before; the princesses danced each time till their shoes were worn to pieces, and then returned home. However, on the third night the soldier carried away one of the golden cups as a token of where he had been. As soon as the time came when he was to declare the secret, he was taken before the king with the three branches and the golden cup; and the twelve princesses stood listening behind the door to hear what he would say. And when the king asked him. 'Where do my twelve daughters dance at night?' he answered, 'With twelve princes in a castle under ground.' And then he told the king all that had happened, and showed him the three branches and the golden cup which he had brought with him. Then the king called for the princesses, and asked them whether what the soldier said was true: and when they saw that they were discovered, and that it was of no use to deny what had happened, they confessed it all. And the king asked the soldier which of them he would choose for his wife; and he answered, 'I am not very young, so I will have the eldest.'--And they were married that very day, and the soldier was chosen to be the king's heir. THE END ... [leer menos]
