The Queen Bee
Once upon a time two Princes started off in search of adventure, and,falling into a wild, free mode of life, did not come home again.
The third Brother, who was called the Blockhead, set out to look forthe other two. But when at last he found them, they mocked him forthinking of making his way in the world with his simplicity, whilethey, who were so much cleverer, could not get on.
They all three went on together till they came to an ant-heap. The twoelder Princes wanted to disturb it, to see how the little ants creptaway, carrying their eggs.
But the Blockhead said: 'Leave the little creatures alone; I will notallow you to disturb them.'
Then they went on further till they came to a lake, in which a greatmany ducks were swimming about. The two wanted to catch and roast apair.
But the Blockhead would not allow it, and said: 'Leave the creaturesalone. You shall not kill them.'
At last they came to a bee's nest, containing such a quantity of honeythat it flowed round the trunk of the tree.
The two Princes wanted to set fire to the tree, and suffocate thebees, so as to remove the honey.
But the Blockhead stopped them again, and said: 'Leave the creaturesalone. I will not let you burn them.'
At last the three Brothers came to a castle, where the stables werefull of stone horses, but not a soul was to be seen. They went throughall the rooms till they came to a door quite at the end, fastened withthree bolts. In the middle of the door was a lattice, through whichone could see into the room.
There they saw a little grey Man sitting at a table. They called tohim once--twice--but he did not hear them. Finally, when they hadcalled him the third time, he stood up and opened the door, and cameout. He said not a word, but led them to a richly-spread table, andwhen they had eaten and drunk, he took them each to a bedroom.
The next morning the little grey Man came to the eldest Prince,beckoned, and led him to a stone tablet whereon were inscribed threetasks by means of which the castle should be freed from enchantment.
This was the first task: In the wood, under the moss, lay thePrincesses' pearls, a thousand in number. These had all to be found,and if at sunset a single one were missing, the seeker was turned tostone.
The eldest went away, and searched all day, but when evening came, hehad only found the first hundred, and it happened as the inscriptionforetold. He was turned to stone.
The next day the second Brother undertook the quest; but he fared nobetter than the first, for he only found two hundred pearls, and hetoo was turned to stone.
At last came the Blockhead's turn; he searched in the moss, but thepearls were hard to find, and he got on but slowly.
Then he sat down on a rock and cried, and as he was sitting there, theAnt-King, whose life he had saved, came up with five thousand ants,and it was not long before the little creatures had found all thepearls and laid them in a heap.
Now the second task was to get the key of the Princesses' room out ofthe lake.
When the Blockhead came to the lake, the ducks he had once saved, swamup, dived, and brought up the key from the depths.
But the third task was the hardest. The Prince had to find out whichwas the youngest and most charming of the Princesses while they wereasleep.
They were exactly alike, and could not be distinguished in any way,except that before going to sleep each had eaten a different kind ofsweet. The eldest a piece of sugar, the second a little syrup, and thethird a spoonful of honey.
Then the Queen of the Bees, whom the Blockhead had saved from burning,came and tried the lips of all three. Finally, she settled on themouth of the one who had eaten the honey, and so the Prince recognisedthe right one.
Then the charm was broken and everything in the castle was set free,and those who had been turned to stone took human form again.
And the Blockhead married the youngest and sweetest Princess, andbecame King after her father's death, while his two Brothers marriedthe other sisters.
The Three Sleeping Princesses.]
{The Ducks, which he had once saved, dived and brought up the key from the depths.}]