The Devil's Castle
In ancient times, there lived a poor peasant who, one way or another, managed to raise three children—three boys. The eldest was named Richard, the middle one Pierre, and the youngest was called Jean. All three were brave young men who were bored to death in their village. One day, Richard came to his father and said:"Father, it is time for me to choose a trade. I have thought it over and decided that the best thing for me is to become a soldier. Please allow me to leave you and enlist in the army."
"Richard, I always hoped you would take to the peasant life. But since you want to become a soldier—very well, I won't stop you. Besides, your brothers will stay here and help me. Take ten écus; they will be useful on your journey. Farewell, and may God bless you! Remember my advice—always be an honest man."
Richard carefully tucked the ten écus into his pocket, hugged his father and brothers, and set off to enlist as a soldier.
Three months later, Pierre, who was very worried about not hearing from his brother, decided to find him and also enlist in the army.
He began to ask his father to let him go.
"My God," said the peasant, "you want to leave too! I thought you would take over the farm! So, you will leave Jean and me? Think carefully, and then decide."
"Father, my mind is made up. I have already thought about it, but I am too eager to try the soldier's life."
"Very well, I won't stand in your way. Go, and may God protect you!"
The father placed ten shiny sous in Pierre's hand, and he left.
Three years later, Jean, the only son left living with his father, came to him and also asked to be allowed to join the army.
"Now, this is too much! Have you lost your mind like your brothers? You know how long ago they left the village, and we haven't heard a word from them since. Stay home and work the land."
"Father, I have thought a lot about this, but the temptation is too strong. I want to experience the soldier's life and find Richard and Pierre as soon as possible."
"I won't sadden you. I still have ten livres left; take them and go."
Jean hugged his father and left.
He walked straight ahead until he reached a town and then a regiment. You can imagine the surprise and joy of Richard and Pierre when they saw their brother Jean!
Six months later, it happened that Richard drank too much and insulted his commanding officer. A military court sentenced him to death.
Richard came to his brothers and said:
"I have just been sentenced to death and will be hanged in two hours. I have been allowed to come and say goodbye to you, and since I know a way to slip out of the city unnoticed, follow me. We have enough time to escape."
"Very well, let's run," the brothers decided.
They took their swords, slipped out of the city, and walked wherever their eyes led them. For two days, they walked without rest until they came to a crossroads. Three roads lay before them. The brothers didn't know which one to take, so Richard, as the eldest, said:
"Let's each go a different way. Whoever finds a place to stay first will call the others with a whistle. Now, let's go, each on his own road."
And they split up, each taking a different road. Jean was the first to notice a lone mill on the plain. He immediately whistled loudly, as agreed, and when his brothers approached, he knocked on the miller's door.
"Who's there?" a voice called from inside.
"We are three poor travelers who have lost our way and want something to eat and a place to sleep for the night."
"Something to eat? What else do you want? Go on your way!"
"But we don't know this area; we are strangers."
"What do I care! Go past the devil's castle, and you will reach the town. But God forbid you enter the castle. The devil kills all travelers who dare to enter."
"Very well, farewell, miller!"
The three brothers headed toward the devil's castle and soon reached it. The doors opened by themselves before them. In one of the richly decorated rooms, a table was set for three, as if on purpose.
"Nothing better could be wished for," thought the brothers, and they sat down at the table laden with delicious food. As you can imagine, they ate heartily and then decided to go to sleep.
They entered the bedroom, where there were only two beds: Richard and Pierre lay down on them, while Jean barred the door and stood guard, protecting his brothers.
Around midnight, there was such a crash that it seemed the whole castle shook—the devil had arrived. He tried to open the door, hoping to catch the sleeping brothers off guard.
"Hey," shouted the sentry, "you can't come in here without my permission!"
"I'm telling you, let me in."
"No, I won't."
"If you open the door, I will give you a self-setting tablecloth, from which you can demand as much food as you want at any time."
"Agreed, but swear you won't harm me or my brothers."
"I swear!" roared the devil.
The soldier opened the door, and the evil spirit entered the room where Richard and Pierre were sleeping. He somersaulted in the air a few times and flew out through the chimney.
The next night, while the brothers slept, Pierre stood guard.
Midnight came. The devil arrived again and saw that the door was locked.
"Open the door for me!" he shouted.
"And what will you give me if I open it?"
"I'll give you a stick."
"What do I need a stick for?"
"It will give you as much gold as you desire."
"Agreed, but swear that you won't harm me or my brothers."
"I swear!"
Pierre opened the door. The devil once again jumped around the room, just like the night before, and then disappeared.
The next night, Richard was supposed to stand guard.
Around midnight, the devil came, knocked on the door, and asked to be let into the room. Richard refused the devil.
But the devil really wanted to enter, so he said:
"Open the door for me one last time, and I'll give you a cloak that will make you invisible and instantly transport you wherever you wish."
"Swear that you won't harm me or my brothers."
"I swear!"
After that, the devil entered the room, handed over the tablecloth, the stick, and the invisibility cloak, jumped around to his heart's content, and flew away through the chimney once more.
The next day, Richard, Pierre, and Jean left the castle, taking with them the devil's gifts.
They hadn't even reached the forest when a terrible crash was heard, the ground shook, and before their eyes, the devil's castle collapsed.
Some time later, Richard suggested to his brothers that they test the stick, the cloak, and the tablecloth to see if the devil had deceived them.
He took the tablecloth, spread it on the grass, and said:
"Magic tablecloth, serve us a delicious breakfast right away."
And immediately, delicious food appeared on the tablecloth. When the brothers had eaten and drunk their fill, Jean took the stick and said:
"Magic stick, fill our pockets with gold."
There were so many coins that they had to pour some onto the ground, or else the brothers couldn't move.
Then all three wrapped themselves in the cloak and said:
"Invisibility cloak, take us to France, to the city of Paris."
And instantly, they found themselves in Paris. The brothers went to an inn, had a drink, and then headed into the city.
On every street, the sounds of trumpets and drums could be heard: the officers of the French king were announcing that the king would give his daughter's hand in marriage, along with half the kingdom, to anyone who could prepare a lavish feast for five hundred foreign ambassadors who had just arrived at the palace within one hour.
"This is exactly what we need," said Richard. "I'll take the magic tablecloth and go to the king."
He returned to the inn, took the devil's tablecloth, and ran to the royal palace. The guards didn't want to let him in, but when he said he needed to speak to the king, they brought him in.
"What do you want?" the king asked him.
"I happened to hear what your officers announced in the streets, and I will prepare this feast for you; only, first, promise me once more that you will give me your daughter's hand and half the kingdom."
"I promise, but how will you do it?"
"That's my business. Show me where the feast will be held."
The king led him to the banquet hall, and Richard locked himself inside.
He took the tablecloth, spread it on the floor, and said:
"Magic tablecloth, serve me the finest feast for five hundred people right now."
No sooner had he said this than everything was ready for the ambassadors. The king was very surprised and said to the soldier:
"You've fulfilled your promise, now I must fulfill mine. I'll call my daughter now. We'll hold the wedding tomorrow, after the ambassadors from the English king have left."
The princess came and took Richard to her chambers. As they climbed the stairs, the king's daughter began to ask how Richard had managed to arrange everything so quickly.
"It wasn't difficult for me. I have a tablecloth that, as soon as I wish, serves me food and drink."
And Richard showed the tablecloth to the princess, who immediately grabbed it. He tried to take it back, but the king's daughter cried out:
"Help! Help! They're killing me!"
The guards came running, took Richard away, and locked him in a dungeon.
The brothers, seeing that Richard did not return, decided that he had died.
A short time later, the king's officers announced throughout the city of Paris that their sovereign would give his daughter and half of his kingdom to anyone who could procure the gold needed to pay the ransom for the king's son, who had been captured by the Prussian king.
Jean took the magic wand and went to the royal palace. He was led into a grand hall filled with many sacks that needed to be filled with gold to gather the ransom.
Jean took his wand and said:
"Wand, fill all the sacks with louis d'or and pistoles."
The wand, as always, obeyed his command.
The king led Jean to his daughter and immediately declared that he could marry her the next day.
The princess said to her fiancé, as she had previously said to Richard:
"Come with me, I will show you my chambers. You will see, you will be pleased."
"Very well," replied Jean, unsuspecting.
Then the king's daughter wanted to see the magic wand. As soon as Jean showed her the wand, the princess snatched it from his hands.
"Give me back the wand, or I'll throw you out the window!" Jean shouted.
"Help! Help! Guards!" the princess called.
Before the soldier could react, he was seized, bound hand and foot, and thrown into the tower where Richard was already languishing.
Pierre was left alone. For the third time, the city announced that the king would give his daughter and half of his kingdom to anyone who could quickly transport him to a king who lived far, far away from France.
Pierre, seeing that his brothers did not return, went to the palace but decided to remain vigilant at all times.
He first carefully inspected everything around the palace, then approached the doors. He was led to the king.
Pierre draped the cloak he had once received in the devil's castle over himself and the king and said:
"Cloak of invisibility, take us to the palace of the king who owns twelve fiery horses."
And instantly, they found themselves in that palace.
After visiting with the host and speaking with him for a while, the king wanted to return home. Pierre took the king by the arm, draped the cloak over them, and that same evening they returned to France, to the city of Paris.
Now Pierre only had to say to the king:
"Well, will you give me your daughter in marriage?"
The king replied:
"She will come to you now. You may marry her in an hour. I will arrange the wedding, and you can explore the palace with my daughter in the meantime."
The princess came and took Pierre to her chambers. Immediately, she seized the cloak of invisibility.
When Pierre tried to take it back, she called the guards. But Pierre swiftly jumped out the window into the courtyard and hid in a shed.
They searched for him all day but could not find him.
When evening came, Pierre emerged from his hiding place and sneaked into the royal garden. Seeing beautiful pears on a tree, he climbed up and began picking the fruit. He noticed that there were two types of pears on the tree—large and small. He gathered some of each, stuffed them into his pockets, and climbed down.
But imagine his surprise when, after eating a large pear, he noticed that his nose suddenly grew six feet long! However, he continued his supper and ate several small pears. Then his nose shortened again. Realizing that these pears could be useful, he stopped eating them and left the garden. Some masons were building a wall; they asked Pierre why he was leaving the palace so late, but he replied that he had been with the king, and they let him pass.
The next day, there was a grand celebration at the palace: the wedding of a court lady. Hearing this, Pierre disguised himself so that he was unrecognizable and went to the palace, taking the large pears with him. They were served as dessert. The guests greatly enjoyed the beautiful fruit, and soon all the pears were eaten. Immediately, their noses grew six feet long.
And since the king's daughter had eaten two pears, her nose grew a full two toises.
They called for a doctor. He said that the growths needed to be cut off. But an old woman died when they tried to cut her nose, and after that, no one dared to attempt it.
Then Pierre appeared and offered to cure the princess, provided that the king agreed to return both his brothers, the self-setting tablecloth, the magic wand, and the cloak of invisibility.
In addition, he demanded the king's daughter in marriage and half of France. The king gladly agreed to everything.
Pierre cured the princess and all the guests: he immediately fed them the small pears. That same day, he married the princess and from then on lived happily with his father, brothers, and the many children that were later born to him.
As for what became of the wand, the cloak, and the tablecloth from the devil's castle, I do not know. If I ever find out, I will tell you.
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