Pepper & Salt Part 9

After a while the King began to question Peter how he came by all these fine things--the precious stones, the silver bird, and the golden sword; but no, Peter would not tell. Then the King and the Princess begged and begged him, until, at last, Peter lost his wits and told all about the bottle. Then the King said nothing more, and presently, it being nine o'clock, Peter went to bed. After he had gone the King and the Princess put their heads together, and the end of the matter was that the wicked King went to Peter's room and stole the bottle from under the pillow where he had hidden it, and put one in its place that was as empty as a beer barrel after the soldiers have been in the town; for the King and the Princess thought that it would be a fine thing to have the bottle for themselves.

When the next morning had come, and they were all sitting at their breakfast together, the King said, "Now, Lord Peter, let us see what your bottle will do; give us such and such a kind of wine."

"Nothing easier," said Peter. Then he uncorked the bottle, but not so much as a single dead fly came out of it.

"But where is the wine?" said the King.

"I do not know," said Peter.

At this the King called him hard names and turned him out of the palace, neck and heels; so back poor Peter went to his mother with a flea in his ear, as the saying is. Now he was poor again, and everybody called him a dull block, for he rode no great white horse and he wore wooden shoes.

"Never mind," said his mother, "here is another basket of eggs from the speckled hen." So Peter set off with these to the market town, as he had done with the others before. When he had come to the great stone at the forking of the road, whom should he meet but the same little gentleman he had met the first time. "Will you strike a bargain?" said he. Yes, Peter would strike a bargain, and gladly. Thereupon the little old man brought out another black bottle.

"Two men are in this bottle," said the little old man; "when they have done all that you want them to do, say 'brikket-ligg' and they will go back again. Will you trade with me?" Yes, Peter would trade. So Peter gave the little man the eggs, and the little man gave Peter the second bottle, and they parted very good friends.

After a while Peter grew tired. "Now," said he to himself, "I will ride a little"; and so he drew the cork out of the bottle. Pop! pop! out came two men from the bottle; but this time they were ugly and black, and each held a stout stick in his hand. They said not a word, but, without more ado, fell upon Peter and began threshing him as though he was wheat on the barn floor. "Stop! stop!" cried Peter, and he went hopping and skipping up and down, and here and there, but it seemed as though the two ugly black men did not hear him, for the blows fell as thick as hail on the roof. At last he gathered his wits together, like a flock of pigeons, and cried, "Brikket-ligg! brikket-ligg!" Then, whisk! pop! they went back into the bottle again, and Peter corked it up, and corked it tightly, I can tell you.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Clever Peter and the Unlucky Bottle]

The next day he started off to the palace once more. Rap! rap! rap! he knocked at the door. Was the King at home? Yes, the King was at home; would he come and sit in the parlor?

Presently the King came in, in dressing-gown and slippers. "What! are you back again?" said he.

"Yes; I am back again," said Peter.

"What do you want?" said the King.

"I want to marry the Princess," said Peter.

"What have you brought this time?" said the King.

"I have brought another bottle," said Peter.

Then the King rubbed his hands and was very polite indeed, and asked Peter in to breakfast, and Peter went. So they all three sat down together, the King, the Princess, and Peter.

"My dear," said the King, to the Princess, "the Lord Peter has brought another bottle with him." Thereat the Princess was very polite also.

Would Lord Peter let them see the bottle? Oh yes! Peter would do that: so he drew it out of his pocket and sat it upon the table.

Perhaps they would like to have it opened. Yes, that they would. So Peter opened the bottle.

Hui! what a hubbub there was! The King hopped about till his slippers flew off, his dressing-gown fluttered like great wings, and his crown rolled off from his head and across the floor, like a quoit at the fair.

As for the Princess, she never danced in all of her life as she danced that morning. They made such a noise that the soldiers of the Royal Guard came running in; but the two tall black men spared them no more than the King and the Princess. Then came all of the Lords of the Council, and they likewise danced to the same music as the rest.

"Oh, Peter! dear Lord Peter! cork up your men again!" they all cried.

"Will you give me back my bottle?" said Peter.

"Yes! yes!" cried the King.

"Will you marry me?" said Peter.

"Yes! yes!" cried the Princess.

Then Peter said "brikket-ligg!" and the two tall men popped back into the bottle again. So the King gave him back his other bottle, and the minister was called in and married him to the Princess.

After that he lived happily, and when the old King died he became King over all of the land. As for the Princess, she was as good a wife as you ever saw, but Peter always kept the bottle near to him--maybe that was the reason.

Ah me! if I could only take my eggs to such a market and get two such bottles for them!

What would I do with them? It would take too long to tell you.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Clever Peter opens the Unlucky Bottle for the King and Princess.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Ye Romantic Adventures of Three Tailors. This is a full page poem showing the three tailors walking together, the three approaching the milk-maids, and the three walking away saddened.]

YE ROMANTIC ADVENTURES OF THREE TAILORS

Three little men went ajogging along-- Along in the sunshiny weather.

And they laughed and they sang an occasional song Which they all of them caroled together.

And the great white clouds floated over the sky And the day it was warm and the sun it was high.

As three jolly tailor men all were they As you'd find in a dozen of years.

One carried the yardstick another the goose And the bravest of all bore the shears So they merrily trudged until after awhile The came where three milk-maids sat all on a stile.

The gra.s.s it was green and the flowers were gay, And it was the pleasantest weather.

And the milkmaids were pretty as blossoms in May As they sat on the stile all together.

Then they stopped on the high-way those three gallant men For they never had seen as fair la.s.ses as then.

Then up spake the first of the tailor men three And the one with the goodliest parts.

"We are all of us good men gallant and free And have never yet plighted our hearts.

So prithee fair maids will you marry us all For our hearts they be great as our bodies be small."

Then up spake the first of the three pretty dears "Pray tell what your fortunes may be sir."

"Oh three loving hearts and a yard goose and shears."

"Then you've not enough fortune for me sir.

So get you along while your boots are still green For richer young men we shall marry I ween."

Three little tailor men jogging along-- Along in the sunshiny weather.

No longer they laugh with a jest and a song But they walk very sadly together.

For when maidens are proud like the milkmaidens cold, The lads they grow sad like the tailors so bold.

Howard Pyle