乐播传媒

Tale Summary

There was once a youth named Martin, whose poor father died and left him and his mother a measly two hundred florins. They soon ran low on food and Martin went to the village with half the money, but spent it instead on a dog named Schurka who was being flogged for eating a pig. His mother was angry and sent him out the next day with the last of the money, but he bought a cat named Waska who was also being beaten. His mother threw him out of the house, and he found work with a rich peasant who he served for a year, at the end of which he was given the choice of taking a sack of silver or a bag of sand. Suspecting some trick, Martin took the sand and left, and in the woods saw a lovely damsel surrounded by fire and used the sand to put out the fire and save her. She turned into a snake and coiled around his neck, and told him that she loved him and would go through the world with him. First, he must go with her underground, where he would be offered treasures by her father, a king, but must only request the ring he wore, because it was magic and could summon twelve men who would do his bidding. The king agreed when he asked, under the condition that he must never tell anyone about it. Martin went home and lived with his mother for some time, after which he decided he wanted to marry the princess of their kingdom. He sent his mother to ask for her hand, which made the King angry, but he said that if Martin was able to build a magnificent castle to his specifications, along with a crystal bridge, all in one day, then he would have his daughter. If he failed, he and his mother would be tarred and burnt at the stake. That night, Martin summoned the twelve men with his ring, and they carried out his exact commands, and when the King saw the result he had to make Martin a duke and marry his daughter to him. The princess resented this and resolved to find her husband鈥檚 secret and do away with him, and so she drugged him and he told her about the ring. She took it in the night and told the twelve men to do away with the castle and put in its place Martin鈥檚 mother鈥檚 house, and to take her to a far-away country where she would be appreciated. The next day, Martin was accused of witchcraft and condemned to a tower to starve to death, but his cat and dog brought him rolls that they stole and promised to find his ring. They talked to every animal they could for directions, and eventually made it to the princess鈥檚 new residence, but none of the courtly animals could help them. One day, Waska was hunting in the cellar, when the rat she caught begged for his life and promised her anything, as he was the King of the Rats. She agreed and he gathered his whole court and offered a prize for whoever could fetch the magic ring. One little mouse said that she frequently visited the princess鈥檚 room at night, and that the maiden kept the ring in her mouth while she slept. The mouse snuck in that night and tickled the princess鈥檚 nose with feathers from her pillow, so that she sneezed and the ring flew across the room. After the mouse brought it back, Waska and Schurka traveled back to the tower and presented the ring to Martin. The twelve men were told to bring food and musicians, and there was a great celebration, which puzzled the people of the town. The King sent a messenger to see what was happening, but he was transfixed with wonder, and after his chief counselors were also awe-struck, the King himself investigated and was spellbound. Martin commanded that the twelve men rebuild his castle and bring the princess back, and then he took aside the King and asked how he should deal with her. The King asked for grace, and so Martin forgave his wife and lived happily ever after with her, his old mother, and his cat and dog.