Страшные сказки / Scary stories

Then his old mother began to weep and said,

“You wicked man, why did you write to me to kill those two innocent lives?”

She showed him the letters from the Devil, and then continued,

“I did as you ordered,” and she showed the tokens, the tongue and eyes.

Then the King began to weep for his poor wife and his little son bitterly. His aged mother said,

“Be at peace, she still lives. I secretly killed a hind, and took these tokens from it. Then I bound the child to your wife’s back and sent her away into the wide world.

Then the King spoke,

“I will neither eat nor drink until I find again my dear wife and my child, if they are alive!”

Thereupon the King travelled about for seven long years, and sought her in every cleft of the rocks and in every cave. But he did not find her, and thought she was dead. During the whole of this time he neither ate nor drank, but God supported him.

At length he came into a great forest, and found therein the little house whose sign was,

“Here all dwell free”.

Then forth came the white maiden, took him by the hand, led him in, and said,

“Welcome, King,” and asked him from whence he came.

He answered, “I seek my wife and her child, but cannot find them”.

The angel offered him meat and drink, but he did not take anything, and only wished to rest a little. Then he lay down to sleep, and put a handkerchief over his face.

Thereupon the angel went into the chamber where the Queen sat with her son, whom she usually called “Sorrowful,” and said to her,

“Go out with your child, your husband is here”.

So the Queen went to the place where he lay, and the handkerchief fell from his face. Then she said,

“Sorrowful, pick up your father’s handkerchief, and cover his face again”.

The child picked it up, and put it over his face again. The King in his sleep heard what passed, and threw the handkerchief away once more.

“Dear mother, how can I cover my father’s face when I have no father in this world? I only know the prayer, �Our Father, which is in Heaven’. My father is in Heaven, and is the good God. How can I know a wild man like this? He is not my father!”

When the King heard that, he got up, and asked who they were.

Then said she, “I am your wife, and that is thy son, Sorrowful”.