The Twelve Dancing Princesses

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.  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  traveling  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  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  king's  sons  have  already  watched  in  vain?

And  as  for  the  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  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?  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  thee  today  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  eld