THERE was once on a time a King who had a great forest near
his palace, full of all kinds of wild animals.  One day he sent
out a huntsman to shoot him a roe, but he did not come back.
"Perhaps some accident has befallen him," said the King, and the
next day he sent out two more huntsmen who were to search for him,
but they too stayed away.  Then on the third day, he sent for all
his huntsmen, and said, "Scour the whole forest through, and do
not give up until ye have found all three."  But of these also,
none came home again, and of the pack of hounds which they had
taken with them, none were seen more.  From that time forth,
no one would any longer venture into the forest, and it lay
there in deep stillness and solitude, and nothing was seen of it,
but sometimes an eagle or a hawk flying over it.  This lasted
for many years, when a strange huntsman announced himself
to the King as seeking a situation, and offered to go into the
dangerous forest.  The King, however, would not give his consent,
and said, "It is not safe in there; I fear it would fare with thee
no better than with the others, and thou wouldst never come out
again."  The huntsman replied, "Lord, I will venture it at my own
risk, of fear I know nothing."

The huntsman therefore betook himself with his dog to the forest.
It was not long before the dog fell in with some game on the way,
and wanted to pursue it; but hardly had the dog run two steps
when it stood before a deep pool, could go no farther, and a naked
arm stretched itself out of the water, seized it, and drew it under, 
When the huntsman saw that, he went back and fetched three men to
come with buckets and bale out the water.  When they could see to the
bottom there lay a wild man whose body was brown like rusty iron,
and whose hair hung over his face down to his knees.  They bound him
with cords, and led him away to the castle.  There was great astonishment
over the wild man; the King, however, had him put in an iron cage in his
court-yard, and forbade the door to be opened on pain of death, and the
Queen herself was to take the key into her keeping.  And from this time
forth every one could again go into the forest with safety.

The King had a son of eight years, who was once playing in the
court-yard, and while he was playing, his golden ball fell into
the cage.  The boy ran thither and said, "Give me my ball out."
"Not till thou hast opened the door for me," answered the man. 
"No," said the boy, "I will not do that; the King has forbidden it,"
and ran away.  The next day he again went and asked for his ball;
the wild man said, "Open my door," but the boy would not.  On the
third day the King had ridden out hunting, and the boy went once more
and said, "I cannot open the door even if I wished, for I have not the key."
Then the wild man said, "It lies under thy mother's pillow, thou canst get it
there."  The boy, who wanted to have his ball back, cast all thought to the
winds, and brought the key.  The door opened with difficulty, and the boy
pinched his fingers.  When it was open the wild man stepped out, gave him
the golden ball, and hurried away.  The boy had become afraid; he called

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