dragones y lagartos

8/12/2019 Dragones y Lagartos

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King DragonONCE on a time there was a king who had a most beautiful queen. But they had no children,

and this made the king feel very sad, and the queen even sadder. So one day as she was walking,

lost in thought, she came to an outoftheway !lace. "here she met an old woman who asked

whether the queen would not tell her why she was so sad. "he queen looked u! and said, #$h, what

good would it do if % told you& "here is nothing you could do to hel! me'#

#(erha!s % could,# said the old woman, and once more begged the queen to confide in her.

$nd so the queen told her she had no children, and that was the reason she was so sad. )hy, that

could be remedied, said the old woman* she might have children if she wished. %n the evening, at

sundown, she need only take a dish and lay it on the ground, bottom u!, in the northwest corner of

the garden. %n the morning, at sunrise, when she lifted it u!, she would find two roses beneath it, a

red rose and a white one. #$nd if you eat the red rose, you will have a boy* but if you eat the white

rose, it will be a girl. But you must not eat both roses.#

"he queen went home, and did as the old woman had told her. %n the morning at sunrise, she

went to the garden and raised the dish from the ground, and there were the two roses, the red rose

and the white one. But she could not decide which to eat. %f she chose the red rose, it would be a

boy, and he might have to go to war and be slain* and then she would be without a child again. So

she thought she had best take the white rose* then it would be a girl, who would stay at home with

her, and marry and become the queen of some other land. So she took the white rose and ate it. But

it tasted so good that she took the red one and ate it as well. +or she thought to herself, #%f they are

twins, why, they will count as one.#

Now it chanced that the king was at war when the queen wrote him that they were to be

blessed with a child. But when the child came it turned out to be a little dragon, who sli!!ed under

the bed in her room, and made that his nesting!lace. $fter a time came a letter from the king,

saying that he would soon be home. $nd when the king did come home, and drove u! to the castle

in his coach, and the queen came out to meet him, the little dragon came out to greet him at the

same time. e lea!ed u! in the air beside the coach and cried- #)elcome home, father'#

#)hat'# said the king, #$m % your father

#es, and if you do not want to be my father, %/ll tear you to !ieces, and smash the whole

castle to bits'# So the king had to agree to be his father. "hen they went into the castle, and the

queen had to confess all that had !assed between her and the old woman.

$ few days later the whole council and all the nobles assembled to welcome the king back to


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his own country, and to congratulate him on his victory over the enemy. $nd the dragon came, too,

and said, #+ather, now % want to marry'#

#"hat/s all very well,# said the king, #but who do you think will marry you

#)ell, if you do not find a bride for me, young or old, large or small, rich or !oor, %/ll tear

you to !ieces, and smash the whole castle to bits./'

"he king wrote to every kingdom to ask whether anyone would marry his son. $nd a

beautiful !rincess came, though she thought it strange that she was not allowed to see her intended

until they stood in the room in which they were to be married. Only then did the dragon make his

a!!earance and stand beside her. "he weddingday came to an end, but no sooner were they alone,

than the dragon devoured her.

"ime went on, and the king/s birthday came. "hen, when they were all sitting around thetable, the dragon came and said, #+ather, % want to marry'#

"he king re!lied, #)here is the woman who would be willing to marry you

#)ell, if you don/t find a bride for me, some kind of a bride, % will devour you and swallow

the castle as well'#

Once more the king sent letters to all the other kingdoms, to ask whether any one wished to

marry his son. $nd again a beautiful !rincess a!!eared, from a far country. She did not lay eyes on

her intended until they stood in the room where they were to be married. "hen the dragon a!!eared,

and stood beside her. But when the wedding was over, and they were alone, the dragon did away

with her.

Not long after came the queen/s birthday. "he dragon came in when all were sitting around

the table and said, #+ather, % want to marry'#

#)ell, % cannot find you another bride,# said the king. #"he two !owerful kings whose

daughters % gave you, want to make war on me, so what am % to do

#Oh, 0ust let them come' So long as you are on good terms with me, their coming need not

worry you, though there were ten instead of two of them. But if you do not find me a bride, young

or old, large or small, rich or !oor, % will tear you to !ieces and smash the whole castle to bits'# On

this the king had to yield* but he felt very unha!!y.

Now there was an old man who was the king/s she!herd. e had a little hut in the woods,

and a daughter. "he king went to him and said, #1isten, my dear fellow, won/t you give your

daughter to my son for a bride-

#No, % could not do that* first of all, % have only this one child to take care of me in my old


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age and, besides, the !rince, if he has no !ity on such beautiful !rincesses, will surely have none to

s!are my daughter, which would be a sin'#

But the king insisted on having the girl, and the old man had to yield. "he old she!herd went

home and told his daughter, and she felt very unha!!y* and went off with her sad thoughts to the

woods. $s she was walking, she met an old woman, in a red coat and a blue 0acket, who was also

going to the woods, to !ick berries and craba!!les.

#)hy are you so sad the woman asked her.

#% have good reason to be sad,# said the girl, #but there is little use in my telling you, since

there is nothing you can do to hel! me'#

#(erha!s there is,# said the old woman, #so tell me what it is'#

#)ell, % am to marry the king/s son, but he is a dragon who has already done away with two

!rincesses, and % am sure he will make way with me as well.#

#%f you listen to me, there is a way to hel! you,# said the old woman. $nd the girl was glad

to listen to her advice. #)hen you have been married, and are alone with the !rince, you must wear

ten shifts. %f you do not own that many, you must borrow them. "hen you must ask for a bucket of

lye, and one of fresh milk, and a bundle of switches. "hese things must be brought to the room.

)hen he comes in he will say- #1ovely maiden, take off your shift'# "hen you must say- #2ing

3ragon, take off your skin'# $nd so he will say to you, and you to him, until you have taken off

nine shifts, and he has sli!!ed out of nine skins. "hen he will no longer have any skin left* but you

will still have a shift. "hen you must take him, for he will be no more than a skinless lum! of flesh,

di! the switches into the lye, and beat him until he wellnigh falls a!art. "hereu!on you must bathe

him in the fresh milk, wra! him in the nine shifts, and !ut him to bed. $nd then you will fall aslee!

yourself, though but for a short time.# "he girl thanked the old woman for her good advice* but in

s!ite of it she was afraid, for after all, it was a daring game to !lay with such a sinister beast.

"he weddingday came, and two court ladies drove u! in a large and magnificent coach, to

adorn the maiden with her bridal finery. She was brought to the castle and to the room* the dragon

came and stood beside her, and they were married.

Evening came, and they were left alone. "hen the bride called for a bucket of lye, and one of

sweet milk, and the switches. "he courtiers made fun of her, and s!oke of !easant su!erstitions* but

the king said that she was to have what she wanted. $nd it was given her. Before she was left alone

with her husband she !ut on the nine shifts she had obtained over the one she wore. "hen the dragon

said, #1ovely maiden, take off your shift'# $nd she re!lied, #2ing 3ragon, take off your skin'# $nd

thus it went, until she had taken off nine shifts and he nine skins. "hen she regained her courage, for


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the dragon lay on the floor and could scarcely move. So she took the switches, di!!ed them in the

lye, and beat him as long and as hard as she could, until the switches were worn out. "hen she

di!!ed him in the fresh milk, wra!!ed him in the nine shifts, and !ut him to bed. "hen she at once

fell aslee! herself, for it was late. )hen she awoke she saw a handsome !rince standing before her.

)hen morning came, none dared look through the door of the room, for all thought she had

met with the fate of her two !redecessors. But the king determined to have a !ee!, and as soon as he

o!ened the door he cried out, #Come on in' Everything is as it should be'# $nd he went himself, full

of 0oy, and brought in the queen and the whole court. "here stood the newlywedded !air, and

received the congratulations showered on them. Now the wedding was celebrated all over again

with the utmost s!lendour and ha!!iness, and the king and queen grew very fond of their daughter

inlaw, and could not do enough to show her how much they thought of her, who had delivered their

dragon.

Now war broke out again, and the old king and 2ing 3ragon were both with the army when

the young queen was blessed with two handsome boys. $t that time there was a knight at court

called the Bed 2night. e was sent to 2ing 3ragon with a letter, to tell him that he was the father of

two fine boys. "he 4ed 2night rode a little way, then o!ened the letter, took it out, and wrote

instead that there were two young !u!s at the castle. "his letter the king received, and it made him

very sad, since he found it strange that his children should be !u!s* he would rather have e5!ected a

dragon or something of that sort. e wrote back that they were to allow the creatures to live until

his return, if they showed any signs of life at all. "his letter the 4ed 2night was to take back with

him. But when he had ridden a while, he o!ened this letter as he had done the first, and wrote

another one, saying that they were to burn u! the queen, together with the children.

Now this letter saddened the old queen greatly, for she was very fond of her young daughter

inlaw. Shortly after there came a letter from the king announcing his return home. "hen they were

frightened, and did not know what to do* for the old queen could not make u! her mind to have

them burned at the stake. She had the children handed over to a nurse, bidding her take care of

them, since she thought that, after all, when the king reached home he might change his mind for

the better. $nd she gave the young queen food and some money, and told her to hide away in the

woods.

So the young queen went into the woods, and wandered about for two whole days, and was

in great straits. "hen she saw a lofty mountain, and climbed to the to! without sto!!ing by the way.

On the to! of the mountain were three benches, and she seated herself on the one in the middle, and

longed for her children, whom she missed at her breast. "hen, as she sat there, came two great birds,

a swan and a crane, who !laced themselves beside her, and begged that she would nourish them, in


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!lace of her children, who had been taken away. $nd when, out of the kindness of her heart, she had

done so, they were suddenly changed to two of the handsomest !rinces one could imagine, and the

mountain turned into the most s!lendid royal castle one might ho!e to see, with courtiers and well

filled stables, and gold and silver, and everything such a castle should have. "he two !rinces had

been enchanted, and could never have been released from their enchantment, had they not met abereaved queen, who in her !ity had nourished them as she would her own lost little ones. So the

queen stayed at the castle with 2ing Stork and 2ing Crane who, now that they had been delivered,

wanted to marry her.

6eanwhile 2ing 3ragon came home, and asked for his queen.

#)ell,# said the old queen, #that is about all there is lacking that you should ask for her' ou

are a fine fellow' ou never even remembered that she rescued you from the !rofoundest

wretchedness' ou could even write us to burn her and the children at the stake' ou ought to be

ashamed of yourself'#

#No,# said 2ing 3ragon, #you wrote me that instead of two fine sons she had given me two

young !u!s* and % wrote back to let the creatures live until % reached home'#

"hen there was a great deal of talk, and at last they found out that the 4ed 2night had been

the traitor. So they sei7ed him, and he had to confess. $nd when he had confessed he was !ut in a

barrel s!iked with nails, to which four horses were harnessed, and they gallo!ed off with him overhill and dale.

"he king was filled with sorrow because of his wife and children, es!ecially when he found

out that they had been two fine boys. But the old queen said to him- #3o not worry' "he children

are well taken care of, for % have handed them over to a nurse* but as to your wife, % do not know

what has become of her. % gave her some food and some money, and told her to hide in the woods,

and since then % have had no news of her.#

"hen the king commanded that the children be brought back to the castle, and he took food

and some money, and went into the woods to look for his wife. e wandered about looking for her

three days* but could find no trace of her. )hen he met !eo!le in the woods, he asked them if they

had seen a strange maiden go into the forest* but no one had seen her. $t length he came to the

castle in the woods, and decided to enter and see the royalties who lived in it. So in he went. $nd

the moment he went in, he saw his young queen, and she saw him* but she was afraid that he had

come to burn her u!, and ran away. "hen the two !rinces came along, and all began to talk, and

became good friends. "hey invited 2ing 3ragon to stay to dinner. e said that they had a beautifulmaiden in their castle, and where did she come from& "hey re!lied she was very kind indeed, and


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that she had released them both from their enchantment. "hen 2ing 3ragon wanted to know from

what sort of enchantment she had released them, and they told him the whole story. e said that he

liked her, too, and asked whether they could not come to some agreement as to which of them was

to marry her. ow would it be to !ut too much salt in the dinner* then, whichever one of them she

should ask to drink with her, should have her. "he two !rinces were well content with this !ro!osal,as in this way they could decide at once which of them was to get her hand* for they did not believe

that she would ask the stranger to drink with her.

So they went to dinner, and before long she said, #%t seems to me that the dinner is very

salty.

#2ing Swan sits close to me,

2ing Crane is kind to me,

2ing 3ragon, drink with me'#

2ing 3ragon at once took u! the silver tankard and drank to her health, and the others drank

to their own health* and then they had to drink her health and his as well, though they were not

content. But 2ing 3ragon told them how she had released him from enchantment before releasing

them, so that he really had the first claim to her. "he two !rinces said that he ought to have told

them so straight off, as then they would have surrendered the queen to him. But 2ing 3ragon

re!lied that he could not have been altogether sure of that.

"hen 2ing 3ragon returned home with his queen, and the children also had been brought

home in the meantime. 2ing Swan ke!t the !alace in the woods, and married a !rincess from

another kingdom. $nd 2ing Crane went into another land, and married there. So each of them got

something. 2ing 3ragon and his queen were held in high esteem all their life long. "hey were very

ha!!y and had many children, and the last time % visited them they gave me a tin sandwich in a

sieve.


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La joven mara y el prncipe lagarto

8rase una ve7 un rey y una reina que no consegu9an tener descendencia. Esto los ten9a muy

!reocu!ados y una ve7 la reina, en un ataque de ira !orque 3ios no les daba un hi0o, le !idi: a 3ios

que le diera un hi0o aunque fuera un lagarto. 3ios, !ara castigarla, le dio un hi0o lagarto.

Cuando el hi0o lagarto naci:, le buscaron un ama de cr9a, !ero sucedi: que en !ocos d9as el

lagarto le hab9a comido los !echos, de manera que buscaron una segunda y con ;sta ocurri: lo

mismo que con noticia se e5tendi: !or el reino y nadie quer9a criar al hi0o lagarto.

ab9a una muchacha que se llamaba 6ar9a y que viv9a con sus dos hermanas mayores y esta

muchacha se ofreci: a amamantar al hi0o lagarto. E hi7o que le construyeran dos !echos de hierro y

que se los llenaran de leche !or de esta manera cri: al lagarto.Cuando el lagarto se hi7o mayor, le di0o a su madre la reina que se quer9a casar. 1a reina

decidi: consultar con 6ar9a !ara buscarle novia y result: que la hermana mayor de 6ar9a di0o que

se casar9a con ;l. 1a reina qued: tan contenta, y al d9a siguiente se casaron. $ la noche de ese d9a, el

lagarto le di0o a la hermana mayor que se acostara !rimero y lo es!erase hasta las doce, que no se

durmiera sino que estuviese bien des!ierta !ara que le sacara del encantamiento. 1a novia se acost:

y es!er: y es!er:, !ero al rato se aburri: y se qued: dormida y as9 la encontr: el lagarto. cuando

se ech: sobre ella, la mat:.No mucho tiem!o des!u;s, el lagarto volvi: a hablar con su madre y le di0o que se quer9a

volver a casar. 1a reina !regunt: entonces a la hermana segunda de 6ar9a si ace!taba casarse con

su hi0o lagarto y ella le di0o que s9. 3e modo que se casaron y, al ir a acostarse esa noche, el lagarto

le e5!lic: lo mismo que a su hermana mayor- le di0o que no se durmiera y que le es!erase hasta las

doce de la noche, !ero la hermana, que no deb9a de haber dormido en una cama tan buena en su

vida, as9 que se ech: en ella se qued: dormida. cuando el lagarto vino a buscarla la encontr:

dormida. cuando se ech: sobre ella, la mat:.

(as: otro !oco de tiem!o y el lagarto quiso casarse !or tercera ve7. 1o que !asa es que se

sab9a en todo el reino lo sucedido a las dos hermanas y nadie quer9a casarse con el lagarto. Entonces

el lagarto le di0o a la reina que con quien quer9a casarse era con 6ar9a, la que le hab9a criado. 1a

reina se fue a ver a 6ar9a !ara decirle lo que quer9a su hi0o, !ero ella di0o que ni hablar, que no se

casaba con ;l. 1a reina insisti: e insisti: y le di0o que su hi0o estaba encantado y que s:lo !od9a

desencantarlo la mu0er que se casara con ;l* y le di0o tambi;n la reina que ella la ayudar9a en la

noche de bodas* en fin, que con unas y otras ra7ones consigui: que 6ar9a ace!tara casarse con su

hi0o.

Se casaron y al llegar la noche el lagarto le di0o a 6ar9a que fuera a acostarse ella !rimero, le


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es!erase des!ierta hasta las doce, en que llegar9a ;l, y tuviera buen cuidado de no dormirse. 6ar9a

fue y se acost: y en la cama se frot: los o0os con unas guindillas que le hab9a dado la reina y los

o0os le !icaban que no se !od9a dormir. en esto dieron las doce, a!areci: el lagarto y la encontr:

des!ierta.

Entonces se quit: la !iel de lagarto y a!areci: en su lugar un a!uesto !r9nci!e, que se acost:con su mu0er. 3e0: la !iel de lagarto en una silla y le advirti: a 6ar9a que ni siquiera la tocara,

!orque si la tocaba no lograr9a desencantarse.

$ la maolver=s* que ella, !ara rom!er el encantamiento, tendr9a que ir a buscarle hasta all= y que no

lo !odr9a encontrar hasta que hubiera gastado un !ar de 7a!atos de hierro. lo mismo del niolver=s y qui7= usted !ueda indicarnos el camino.

le contest: el =guila-

8ste es el castillo de las =guilas. Es!erad aqu9 a que vuelva el =guila real, que es la que

vuela m=s alto y m=s le0os, y qui7= ella !ueda deciros d:nde est= lo que busc=is.

Es!eraron mucho tiem!o, y a!rovecharon !ara descansar un !oco. (or fin lleg: el =guila

real, y les di0o-


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@$h, el castillo de %r=s y No >olver=s' @(recisamente vengo de all9, !ues se ha celebrado la

boda de un !r9nci!e encantado en el castillo' Subid en mis alas y os llevar;.

tal como di0o, los !uso en la !uerta del castillo.

6ar9a vio que los 7a!atos se les hab9an gastado del todo y su!o que aquel era el castillo de

%r=s y No >olver=s. Entonces !arti: una de las nueces que le hab9a dado la vie0ecilla y de ella sali:una rueca tan !reciosa como no se hab9a visto igual. ?na criada de la novia la vio y fue corriendo a

dec9rselo a su se


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a dormir yo con ;l&

la criada volvi: a decirle en vo7 ba0a-

$nde, d;0ela, que haremos como la otra ve7. 1e damos las adormideras al !r9nci!e y no

!asa nada, y usted se queda con el huso.

>olvi: a consentir la novia y se acostaron otra ve7 el !r9nci!e y 6ar9a. 6ar9a em!e7: adecirle-

6ira que yo soy 6ar9a, tu mu0er, a la que tanto quieres y que tanto te quiere, y te traigo a tu

hi0o tambi;n.

El !r9nci!e estaba dormido !or las adormideras que le hab9an dado y no se enter: de nada.

a la maolvi: a !onerse a la !uerta del castillo y !arti: la tercera nue7 que la vie0ecilla le hab9a

dado. 3e ella sali: un soberbio ovillo de hilo de oro !ur9simo. 1o vio la criada y corri: de nuevo acasa de su ama a decirle-

@$y, si viera esta ve7 el ovillo de oro que tiene la !obre'

$cudi: la novia y nada m=s verlo e5clam:-

@Au; maravilla de ovillo tiene usted' Cu=nto quiere !or ;l&

Se


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di0o-

Si ustedes tuvieran una llave y se les !erdiera y no la !udieran hallar e hicieran otra llave, y

des!u;s de un tiem!o encontraran la llave !erdida con cu=l de ellas se quedar9an, con la !rimera o

con la segunda&

"odos los !resentes, o9do esto, estuvieron en seguida de acuerdo y di0eron-Con la !rimera.

;l les di0o entonces-

(ues he ah9 lo que me ha ocurrido. o me cas; con esta mu0er que aqu9 veis y que se llama

6ar9a y con ella tengo un hi0o que aqu9 veis tambi;n. (ero, !or arte del encantamiento que yo ten9a,

la !erd9 y no su!e m=s de ella y no vi nacer a mi hi0o. $hora me he casado con otra, !ero ha venido

la !rimera y con ella me tengo que ir.

1uego se volvi: al !adre de la novia y le di0o-$qu9 tiene usted a su hi0a tal como me la entreg:, que no la he tocado.

, sin m=s, volvi: con 6ar9a y con su hi0o al !alacio de sus !adres.

dragones y lagartos

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