There was once upon a time a King, but where he reigned and what
he was called, I do not know.  He had no son, but an only daughter
who had always been ill, and no doctor had been able to cure her.
Then it was foretold to the King that his daughter should eat herself
well with an apple.  So he ordered it to be proclaimed throughout
the whole of his kingdom, that whosoever brought his daughter an
apple with which she could eat herself well, should have her to wife,
and be King.  This became known to a peasant who had three sons,
and he said to the eldest, "Go out into the garden and take a basketful
of those beautiful apples with the red cheeks and carry them to the court;
perhaps the King's daughter will be able to eat herself well with them,
and then thou wilt marry her and be King."  The lad did so, and set
out.
 
When he had gone a short way he met a little iron man who asked him
what he had there in the basket, to which replied Uele, for so was
he named, "Frogs' legs."  On this the little man said, "Well, so
shall it be, and remain," and went away.  At length Uele arrived at
the palace, and made it known that he had brought apples which
would cure the King's daughter if she ate them.  This delighted the
King hugely, and he caused Uele to be brought before him; but,
alas! when he opened the basket, instead of having apples in it he
had frogs' legs which were still kicking about.  On this the King
grew angry, and had him driven out of the house.  When he got
home he told his father how it had fared with him.  Then the father
sent the next son, who was called Seame, but all went with him just
as it had gone with Uele.  He also met the little iron man,
who asked what he had there in the basket.  Seame said, "Hogs'
bristles," and the iron man said, "well, so shall it be, and remain."
When Seame got to the King's palace and said he brought apples
with which the King's daughter might eat herself well, they did not
want to let him go in, and said that one fellow had already been
there, and had treated them as if they were fools.  Seame, however,
maintained that he certainly had the apples, and that they ought
to let him go in.  At length they believed him, and led him to the
King.  But when he uncovered the basket, he had but hogs' bristles.
This enraged the King most terribly, so he caused Seame to be whipped
out of the house.  When he got home he related all that had befallen
him, then the youngest boy, whose name was Hans, but who was
always called Stupid Hans, came and asked his father if he might go
with some apples.  "Oh!" said the father, "thou wouldst be just the
right fellow for such a thing!  If the clever ones can't manage it,
what canst thou do?"  The boy, however, did not believe him, and
said, "Indeed, father, I wish to go."  "Just get away, thou stupid fellow,
thou must wait till thou art wiser," said the father to that, and
turned his back.  Hans, however, pulled at the back of his smock-
frock and said, "Indeed, father, I wish to go."  "Well, then, so far
as I am concerned thou mayst go, but thou wilt soon come home
again!" replied the old man in a spiteful voice.  The boy, however,
was tremendously delighted and jumped for joy.&

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