The Invisible Shepherd Lad

: The Folk-tales Of The Magyars

There was once, I don't know where, a poor man who had a very good son

who was a shepherd. One day he was tending his sheep in a rocky

neighbourhood, and was sending sighs to Heaven as a man whose heart was

throbbing with burning wishes. Hearing a noise as of some one

approaching he looked round and saw St. Peter standing in front of him

in the guise of a very old grey man. "Why are you sighing, my lad?"

inquired he, "
nd what is your wish?" "Nothing else," replied the lad,

respectfully, "but to possess a little bag which never gets full, and a

fur cloak which makes me invisible when I put it on." His wish was

fulfilled and St. Peter vanished. The lad gave up shepherding now and

turned to the capital, where he thought he had a chance of making his

fortune. A king lived there who had twelve daughters, and eleven of them

wanted at least six pairs of shoes each every night. Their father was

very angry about this, because it swallowed up a good deal of his

income; he suspected that there was something wrong, but couldn't

succeed by any traps to get to the bottom of it. At last he promised the

youngest princess to him who would unveil the secret.



The promise enticed many adventurous spirits to the capital, but the

girls simply laughed at them, and they were obliged to leave in

disgrace. The shepherd lad, relying on his fur cloak, reported himself;

but the girls measured him, too, with mocking eyes. Night came, and the

shepherd, muffling himself in his fur cloak, stood at the bedroom door

where they slept, and stole in amongst them when they went to bed. It

was midnight and a ghost walked round the beds and woke the girls. There

was now great preparation. They dressed and beautified themselves, and

filled a travelling bag with shoes. The youngest knew nothing of all

this, but on the present occasion the invisible shepherd woke

her--whereupon her sisters got frightened; but as she was let into their

secret they thought it best to decoy her with them, to which, after a

short resistance, the girl consented. All being ready, the ghost placed

a small dish on the table. Everyone anointed their shoulders with the

contents, and wings grew to them. The shepherd did the same: and when

they all flew through the window, he followed them.



After flying for several hours they came to a huge copper forest, and to

a well, the railing round which was of copper, and on this stood twelve

copper tumblers. The girls drank here, so as to refresh themselves, when

the youngest, who was here for the first time, looked round in fear. The

lad, too, had something to drink after the girls had left and put a

tumbler, together with a twig that he broke off a tree, in his bag; the

tree trembled, and the noise was heard all over the forest. The youngest

girl noticed it and warned her sisters that some one was after them, but

they felt so safe that they only laughed at her. They continued their

journey, and after a short time came to a silver forest, and to a silver

well. Here again they drank, and the lad again put a tumbler and a

silver twig into his bag. In breaking off the twig the tree shook, and

the youngest again warned her sisters, but in vain.



They soon came to the end of the forest and arrived at a golden forest,

with a gold well and tumblers. Here again they stopped and drank, and

the lad again put a gold tumbler and twig in his bag. The youngest once

more warned her sisters of the noise the quivering tree made, but in

vain. Having arrived at the end of the forest they came to an immense

moss-grown rock, whose awe-inspiring lofty peaks soared up to the very

heavens. Here they all stopped. The ghost struck the rock with a golden

rod, whereupon it opened, and all entered, the shepherd lad with them.

Now they came to a gorgeous room from which several halls opened, which

were all furnished in a fairy-like manner. From these twelve fairy

youths came forth and greeted them, who were all wonderfully handsome.

The number of servants increased from minute to minute who were rushing

about getting everything ready for a magnificent dance. Soon after

strains of enchanting music were heard, and the doors of a vast dancing

hall opened and the dancing went on without interruption. At dawn the

girls returned--also the lad--in the same way as they had come, and

they lay down as if nothing had happened, which, however, was belied by

their worn shoes, and the next morning they got up at the usual hour.



The king was impatiently awaiting the news the shepherd was to bring,

who came soon after and told him all that had happened. He sent for his

daughters, who denied everything, but the tumblers and the twigs bore

witness. What the shepherd told the youngest girl also confirmed, whom

the shepherd woke for the purpose. The king fulfilled his promise with

regard to the youngest princess and the other eleven were burnt for

witchcraft.



More

;