THE SPENDTHRIFT MERCHANT’S SON
THERE was once a merchant’s son, who, when his father died, squandered all his inheritance. At last he had nothing to eat. So he took a spade, went to the market-place, and stood waiting to see if anyone would hire him for a laborer. By and by a rich noble drove into the market-place in his golden coach. As soon as the men who were waiting there for work saw him, all except the merchant’s son scattered in every direction and hid. The gilded coach came to a stop before him, and the noble said, “Do you want work, young man?”
“It is for no other purpose than to get work that I stand here,” replied the merchant’s son.
“Then I will hire you,” said the noble. “What wages do you require?”
“One hundred silver pieces a day,” was the answer.
“That is a high price,” said the noble.
“If you think it too much,” said the merchant’s son, “go and find a cheaper article. But I observe that you are not very popular as an employer. Crowds of laborers seeking work were here a few minutes ago, but you came, and away they all bolted.”
“Well,” said the noble, “I agree to pay your price. Meet me at the harbor tomorrow.”
Early the next day the youth resorted to the harbor, where he found the noble awaiting him. They went on board a ship, which soon put out to sea, and sailed and sailed until it approached an island. On this island were high mountains, and by the shore was a splendid castle. The ship cast anchor, and the noble and the merchant’s son were rowed to the castle, where they were met by the noble’s wife and daughter. After the greetings were over they sat down at table and began to eat, drink, and be merry. “Today we’ll feast,” said the noble, “and tomorrow we’ll work.”
The noble’s daughter was beautiful beyond anything that pen can tell, and the merchant’s son fell in love with her. Nor could she help liking him, for he was lively, sturdy, and handsome. At length she found an opportunity to call him secretly into an adjacent room, and gave him a flint and steel. “Use these, if you should be in great danger,” said she, “and they will bring you help.”
Next day the noble mounted a handsome steed and had his laborer mount an old rackabones, and they set off for the mountains. They went up and up till there rose before them a smooth wall of rock near the summit of the loftiest peak, and they could go no farther. “I am thirsty after all this climbing,” said the noble. “We will dismount and have something to drink.”
He handed the merchant’s son a flask that contained a sleeping potion, and the youth drank without any suspicion that he was being drugged. It made him very drowsy, and he sat down by a tree and was soon fast asleep. Then the noble killed the wretched nag on which the youth had ridden, removed its entrails, put the young man and his spade inside of the body, and sewed it up. That done, he went and hid in the bushes. In a little while there flew down a host of black, iron-beaked crows. They took up the carcass and carried it to the mountain-top, where they began to peck and eat it. Presently they had eaten their way in to where lay the merchant’s son. Then he awoke, beat off the crows, looked hither and thither, and said, “Where am I?”
The noble at the foot of the precipice heard him and shouted: “You are on the golden mountain. Take your spade and dig gold and throw it down to me.”
Then the youth saw that the whole mountain-top was composed of gold, and he dug and dug, and threw the gold down to the noble, who loaded it on to his horse. When the noble had all the horse could carry, he bawled out: “That’ll do. Thanks for your labor. Good-by!”
“But what is to become of me?” the merchant’s son shouted back.
“You will have to get along as best you can,” replied the noble. “Ninety-nine of your sort have already perished on this mountain-top. You will just make up a hundred.”
Thus spoke the noble and departed.
“What is to be done now?” thought the merchant’s son. “To get down the steep, slippery sides of this mountain summit is impossible. I shall starve to death.”
There he stood on the bleak height, and above him circled the iron-beaked crows, which evidently regarded him as their prey. He recalled the events that led to his being in his present plight, and it occurred to him how the lovely damsel had given him the flint and steel he had in his pocket. “She told me to use them if ever I was in great danger,” said he. “I will try them now.”
He took them out and struck a spark from the flint with the steel. Immediately there appeared before him two stout young men. “What do you want?” they asked.
“I will first fill my pockets with gold,” said he, “and then I would like to go from this mountain to the seashore.”
As soon as he was ready they lifted him and carried him away through the air to the seashore. Then they vanished. While he was walking about there he saw a ship not far distant sailing by the island. “Ho! good ship-folk!” he shouted, “take me with you.”
“No, brother,” they responded, “to stop would cause us to lose too much time.”
The mariners went on, but soon contrary winds began to blow, and they were presently beset by a hurricane. “Alas!” said they, “the person who hailed us from that island was no ordinary man. He has brought this storm on us for a punishment, and we shall perish unless we return and take him on the ship.”
So they went back and got him and conveyed him to his native town. The gold he had brought from the mountain supported him for a time, but when it was gone he again took a spade and went to the market-place to wait for some one to hire him. By and by the same noble who had hired him before came to the market-place in his gilded coach. The men waiting for employment all scattered in every direction and hid, except the merchant’s son. The noble spoke to him and said, “Will you come and work for me?”
“Willingly,” replied the youth, “if you will pay me two hundred pieces of silver a day.”
“Isn’t that rather dear, eh?” said the noble.
“If you find it dear,” said the merchant’s son, “go and hire some other man. But you saw how many people were waiting here for work when you came, and in what haste they all got out of the way.”
“Very well,” said the noble, “meet me tomorrow morning at the harbor.”
Early next day they met at the harbor, went on board a ship, and sailed to the island. There they ate and drank and took their ease for one day, and on the following morning mounted horses and rode up into the mountains. They arrived at the steep wall of rock near the summit of the highest peak, and the noble said, “Now let us have a drink.”
“But first,” said the youth, “you who are chief must drink. Let me treat you with what I have brought in my own flask.”
So the noble drank, but the merchant’s son had betimes filled his flask with a sleeping potion that put his master into a sound sleep. Then he killed the lame old horse he rode, removed the entrails, thrust the noble and the spade into the body and sewed him up in there. Afterward he hid in the bushes. Soon the black, iron-beaked crows flew down, took up the carcass of the horse, carried it to the top of the cliff, and began pecking at it. When they had made an opening to where the noble lay, he awoke, crawled out, and looked around. “Where am I?” said he.
“You are on the golden mountain,” bawled the merchant’s son. “Take your spade and dig gold and throw it down to me.”
The noble dug and dug, and threw down the gold, and the youth packed it on to the noble’s horse until he had all the creature could carry. “That’s enough,” he called. “Thanks for your labor. Adieu!”
“But how am I to get off this mountain?” cried the noble.
“Why, get off as best you can,” answered the youth. “Ninety-nine of your sort have perished on that golden summit. You can be the hundredth.”
The merchant’s son returned to the splendid castle beside the sea, married the lovely damsel, took possession of the noble’s riches, and then went in a ship to his native city. There he dwelt in peace and plenty the rest of his life.
