Read on line
Listen on line
Main > Slavic Folktale > Fairy tale "The flying carpet, the invisible cap, the gold-giving ring and the smiting club"

The flying carpet, the invisible cap, the gold-giving ring and the smiting club

“Your good health, my friend. By what happy fortune do you return safe and sound to my court? The chamberlain told me that through your own carelessness you had fallen out of the tower window; in truth, we mourned you as dead.”

“I should not have fallen out of the window if I had not been thrown down by your chamberlain; there is the traitor. I only escaped death through God’s help, and I have just come to the palace in my air-car.”

The king made a pretence of being angry with the guilty chamberlain, and ordered his guards to take him away to the donjon cell; then, with pretended friendship, he embraced the fisherman and led him to his own apartments. All the while he was thinking and thinking what he could do to get rid of him. The idea of having him, a mere peasant and one of his own subjects, for a son-in-law was most repugnant to him, and hurt his kingly pride. At last he said, “The chamberlain will most certainly be punished for his crime. As for you, who have twice been my saviour, you shall be my son-in-law. Now the customs observed at court demand that you should send your bride a wedding gift, a jewel, or some other trifle of value. When this has been observed I promise to give my blessing on the marriage, and may you both be happy and live long.”

“I have no jewel worthy of the princess’s acceptance. I might have given her as much gold as she wished, but your chamberlain took my magic golden ring from me.”

“Before insisting upon its return something else might be done. I thoroughly appreciate the value of your marvellous flying carpet—why should not we both sit on it and make an excursion to the Valley of Diamonds? There we can obtain stones of the finest water, such as no one in the world has ever possessed. Afterwards we will return here with your wedding present for my daughter.”

The king then opened the window, and the fisherman, spreading out his carpet, repeated the magic words.

Thus they took flight into the air, and after travelling one or two hours began to descend at their destination.

Also read
Read
The Last Pearl
Category: Andersen Hans Christian
Read times: 8
Read
A Leaf from Heaven
Category: Andersen Hans Christian
Read times: 17
Read
Two Maidens
Category: Andersen Hans Christian
Read times: 7