Fix-It-Up
had been a soldier for a long time. When the war came to an end, however, and
there was nothing but the same old things to do every day, he resigned from the
army and decided to become a servant for a great lord. There would be clothes
trimmed with gold, a lot to do, and always new things happening. So he set out
on his way and came to a foreign court, where he saw a lord taking a walk in
the garden. Fix-It-Up did not hesitate. He moved briskly over to the lord and
said, "Sir, I'm looking for employment with a great lord. If Your Majesty
is himself such a person, it would give me great pleasure to serve you. There's
nothing I don't know or can't do. I know just how to carry out orders, no
matter how they are given."
"Fine, my son," the lord said. "I'd be
pleased to have you. First tell me, what do I desire right now?"
Without answering, Fix-It-Up spun around, rushed away, and
returned with a pipe and tobacco.
"Fine, my son. You are hired as my servant, but now
I'm going to command you to get Princess Nomini, the most beautiful maiden in
the world. I want to have her for my wife."
"All right," said Fix-It-Up. "That's a
trifle for me. Your Majesty shall soon have her. Just give me a coach drawn by
six horses, a coachman, guards, couriers, servants, and a cook, all in full
dress. I myself must have princely garments, and everyone must obey my
commands."
Soon they departed. Fix-It-Up, the servant, sat inside the
coach, which headed straight toward the beautiful princess's court. When the
road came to an end, they drove into a field and soon reached the edge of a
large forest filled with many thousands of birds. A boisterous song soared
splendidly into the blue air.
"Stop! Stop!" exclaimed Fix-It-Up. "Don't
disturb the birds. They are praising their creator and will serve me some other
time. Let's go to the left."
So the coachman had to turn and drive around the forest.
Soon after, they came to a large field, where close to a thousand million
ravens were sitting and crying shrilly for food.
"Stop! Stop!" exclaimed Fix-It-Up. "Untie
one of the horses way up front. Lead it into the field and slaughter it so that
the ravens can eat. I don't want them to suffer from hunger."
After the ravens had eaten, the journey continued, and they
came to a pond with a fish in it that was moaning and groaning: "For God's
sake, I have nothing to eat in this terrible swamp. Throw me into a running
river, and I'll repay your deed one day."
Before the fish could even finish speaking, Fix-It-Up had
exclaimed, "Stop! Stop! Cook, put the fish in your apron. Coachman, drive
it to a running river."
Fix-It-Up himself got out and threw the fish into the
water, and the fish flapped its tail in joy.
"Now, get the horses going," said Fix-It-Up.
"We must arrive at the designated spot by evening."
When he reached the royal residence, he drove straight to
the best inn, where the innkeeper and all his people came out and welcomed him
in their best manners, thinking that a foreign king had arrived, though it was
only a servant. Fix-It-Up had himself announced at the royal court, where he
endeavored to make a good impression and court the princess.
"My son," said the king, "many such suitors
have already been turned away because they couldn't perform the tasks I
assigned them to win my daughter."
"All right," said Fix-It-Up,
"set any kind of hard task that you want me to do."
"I've ordered a quarter of a liter of poppy seeds to
be sown in a field. If you can gather them so that not one kernel is missing,
you shall have the princess for your wife."
"Hoho!" Fix-It-Up thought, "that's not much
for me." He then took a measuring cup, a sack, and snow-white sheets, went
out to the field, and spread the sheets next to the field where the seeds had
been sown. Soon after, those birds whose singing he had left undisturbed in the
forest arrived, and they picked up the seeds, kernel after kernel, and carried
them to the white sheets. When the birds had picked up all of them, Fix-It-Up
poured them into the sack, took the measuring cup under his arm, went to the
king, and measured out the poppy seeds for him. Now he thought the princess was
already his— but he was wrong.
"One thing more, my son," said the king. "My
daughter has recently lost her golden ring. You must return it to me before you
can have her."
Fix-It-Up did not get upset. "Let Your Majesty show me
the river and bridge where the ring was lost, then I shall soon return it to
you."
When Fix-It-Up was brought there, he looked down, and there
he saw the fish that he had thrown into the river. It stuck its head out into
the air and said, "Wait a moment. I'll dive below. A whale has the ring
underneath its fins, and I'll fetch it."
Indeed, the fish soon returned and tossed the ring onto the
shore. Fix-It-Up brought it to the king, but the latter replied, "Now,
just one more thing. There's a unicorn in the forest, and it's been causing a
great deal of damage. If you can kill it, there's nothing more you'll have to
do."
Fix-It-Up did not get very upset here either. Instead, he
went straight into the forest, where he came across the ravens whom he had once
fed.
"Just have a little more
patience," they said. "The unicorn is lying down and sleeping, but it's not on the side where you can see its eye. When it turns
over, we'll peck out its good eye. Then it'll be blind and run furiously
against trees and get itself stuck with its horn. That's when you'll be able to
kill it easily."
Soon the beast tossed itself around
a few times and lay on its other side. All at once the ravens swooped down and
pecked out its good eye. When it felt the pain, it jumped up and ran wildly
around the forest. After it got its horn stuck in a thick oak tree, Fix-It- Up
jumped out, cut off its head, and brought it to the king, who could no longer
deny him his daughter. She was delivered to Fix-It-Up, who took a seat next to
her in the coach. He was in full dress, just as he had come, and immediately
drove off and brought the lovely princess to his lord. Fix-It-Up was given a
fine reception, and the lord's wedding with the princess was celebrated in
great splendor. Then Fix-It-Up was appointed prime minister.
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