The Story of the Three Dogs - Part Thirteen

The Boy lay almost dead in the forest. But he was not forsaken. His faithful dogs came close to him to warm his body, and they licked his wounds. The dogs did not leave and their master slowly regained his breath and showed signs of life.

Then, the Boy regained his strength and started his way to the king's palace and finally reached there too.

The Boy was shocked because he found that in the kingdom, there were banquets everywhere and everyone was happy and joyful.

The Boy asked one of the people in the kingdom what the celebrations were for. 

The people replied. “The three daughters of the kingdom are back safe and sound from the power of the mountain ogres and today is the wedding of the two eldest princesses.”

“Is the youngest princess also getting married?” The Boy asked anxiously.

The people unhappily shook their heads. “The youngest princess would not accept anyone as her husband and she is constantly weeping. But nobody knows why she is so unhappy.”

The boy was happy because he realized that the third princess also loved him and that was the reason that she had not accepted anyone as her husband. 

He then went to the guard room and sent a message to the king. “I am a guest at the wedding and I ask permission to add to the joy of the weddings by showing my performing dogs.”

The king was happy when he heard this message and he asked that the stranger should be received and brought inside the palace.

Adapted from Swedish Folk Stories

The Story of the Three Dogs - Part Twelve

The two princes told the others that they had been very unsuccessful and were now forced to return home on foot, when they had met the Boy and the three princesses.

The Boy was worried about the two princes, and he asked them to travel with them so that they could all go back together to the kingdom of the three princesses.

However, when they were travelling together, the two princes realised how the poor Boy had not only protected the three princesses and brought them back, but he also served them well. 

Naturally, the two princes were very envious of the Boy and decided to do away with him. That way, the two princes could tell everyone that they were the ones who had saved the three princesses.

Soon the two princes found themselves alone with the Boy and they fell on him and choked him and left him dead in the deep forest.

After that, the two princes threatened the three princesses to take an oath to keep a secret about what had happened. If the princesses did not agree to it the princes said that the princesses would be killed. Now that the three princesses were under the power of the princes, they did not refuse the princes. 

Though they deeply grieved for the Boy who had lost his life for them, they could not do anything.

The youngest princess who loved the Boy wept day and night.

The two princes took the three girls back to the kingdom and there was great joy there.

Adapted from Swedish Folk Stories

The Story of the Three Dogs - Part Eleven

 

Now that the giant was free of the three dogs, he looked smugly at the Boy. He pulled out his sword that hung from the wall. “I will now avenge my brothers.”

The Boy was shocked and realized that he had no one to fight the Giant, because his dogs were trapped. But the Boy thought fast.

“Before I fight you, I want to say a prayer and play a hymn in my pipe.”

The Giant did not see anything wrong with the request and agreed to it.

After saying his prayer the boy then played on his pipe.

When the pipe’s music sounded over the hill, the Giant’s magic spell lost its power and the three dogs became free.

The three dogs came rushing to the Boy’s aid, like a gust of wind.

“Hold On,” The Boy cried. “Hold this Giant!” The Boy turned to his two other dogs. “Tear and List tear this Giant into a thousand pieces.”

The Giant lay dead.

Then the boy took all the precious things from the mountains and took the Giant’s horses, the golden chariot and placed the princesses in the chariot and drove away from the mountain.

The three princesses were happy at being free for saving them.

But the Boy fell in love with the youngest princess and the third princess also loved the Boy back.

Then they drove towards the kingdom of the three Princesses.

However, on the same road were two wanderers and these wanderers looked terrible. Their clothes were torn and their feet were sore from the continuous walking.

These wanderers were the two princes who had travelled in search of the three princesses.

Adapted from Swedish Folk Stories

The Story of the Three Dogs - Part Ten

The boy and the giant had eaten to their fill. The boy then nodded at the giant. “Give me something for my thirst.”

The giant pretended to frown. “At the top of this mountain there is a spring that gives the purest wine ever. But I have no one in the castle who can go and bring it.”

The boy waved that away. “Is that all? One of my dogs can bring the wine.”

On hearing this, the giant was glad because the giant wanted nothing more than for the boy to send his dogs away.

The boy ordered Hold On to go to the spring and fetch some wine. The giant gave a huge jar to the dog. The dog left to bring the wine, but it was obvious that the dog did not want to do this.

Though the boy and the giant waited for a long time, the dog did not return.

The giant frowned some more. “I do not know why it is taking so long for the dog. I think it would be best if you send another dog to go and help Hold On. The jar is probably too heavy for one dog to carry.”

The boy did not suspect anything and he asked Tear to go and see why Hold On did not return.

Tear did not want to leave his master. But the boy did not listen and drove the dog off to the spring. 

The giant laughed silently and the princess wept, but the boy did not pay attention to it, for he was in high spirits and did not think he was in danger at all.

When they did not hear anything of the wine or the dogs, the giant then convinced the boy to send the third dog too.

The boy asked List to go to the spring, but the dog did not obey the boy. 

Then the boy became angry and drove the dog away with blows.

Then, List also ran up the mountain.

On top of the mountain, the giant had used sorcery to create a huge wall to trap the dogs. 

Just like what had happened to the first two dogs, List also became a captive of the giant, as a high wall rose around the dog.

Adapted fromSwedish Folk Stories

The Story of the Three Dogs - Part Nine

The boy took all the valuables he found in the second mountain hall, and he also packed the ogre's gold shoes and went away from the city with the two princesses.

This time also the boy waited on the two princesses as would be worthy for the grand ladies.

Finally, as they were travelling, List came back hastily and told his master about how he had heard the third princess high up a mountain. The princess had been weaving a golden skein and high up in the mountain, the princess had been muttering that the giant was not at home.

As the boy, the three dogs and the two princesses went up the mountain, List turned to his master. “The giant is only thirty miles away and I can hear the golden shoes of the giant's horses clink against the stones on the road.”

The boy commanded the dogs to break down the doors of the mountain.

Inside, they found a beautiful princess and once the boy had seen the third princess, he thought that this was one of the most beautiful women that he had ever seen in his entire life.

This time too the third princess was frightened and asked the boy to leave immediately. But even as the Boy was explaining to the princess that he had come here to rescue her, the third Ogre came near the palace. 

The third Ogre saw the broken door of the palace. 

However, this giant was frightened when he saw this because he knew what had happened to his two brothers.

The giant spoke cunningly and said many nice things about the boy and even ordered the princess to prepare a meal for their guests. 

The giant spoke so well that the boy was engrossed in the conversation and sat on the table with the giant.

The three dogs were uneasy and the third princess cried in secret but the boy did not pay any attention to that.

Adapted from Swedish Fairy Tales

The Story of the Three Dogs - Part Eight

 

The boy boldly came forward. “I was the one who broke your granite door.”

The giant angrily came forward, but the boy immediately turned to his dogs. “Hold on, hold the giant. Tear, tear the giant into little bits.” The boy had not even finished speaking the word when the dogs rushed forward and threw themselves upon the giant. 

The dogs tore the giant into countless pieces.

The princess was stunned when she saw what happened. 

“I am saved!” She exclaimed and threw her arms around the young man and kissed him. 

However, the boy did not remain in the mountain for long, and he found the horse of the giant and loaded it with all the gold that he could find in the mountain and he galloped away with the first princess.

They had travelled for a long time together. 

During this time, the boy waited upon the princess with all humility and modesty as was fit for a grand lady. 

It was at this time that List came back and told the boy about how he had been to a high mountain nearby and he had heard the second princess sitting near a golden thread and the second princess had been talking about the giant not being at home.

The boy hastily went towards the mountain and as soon as they came there, List turned to the Boy. “The giant is only 50 miles away, and I can hear how the golden shoes of the giant's horse clink on the stones of the road.” 

The boy then commanded his dogs to break down the mountain door and once they went inside, the boy found a beautiful girl sitting in a vaulted hall and she was winding golden threads on a reel of gold. 

The second princess also became very frightened when she saw the boy because she had not seen anyone else other than a giant for the seven years that she had been here. 

This time too the giant returned as the boy and the princess were talking and the two dogs threw themselves on the giant, at the boy's command and tore the giant to shreds.

This way, the boy freed the second princess too

Adapted from Swedish Fairy Tales

The Story of the Three Dogs - Part Seven

 

The boy went through many kingdoms, and through all of that his three dogs followed him. List, the first dog would run before all of them to listen if anything was heard in the neighbourhood. The second dog Hold On carried the provision wallet in its mouth. Tear was the strongest among the three dogs and when the boy was very tired, he sometimes rode on Tear.

Once List hastily came back and told his master something important. List had been close to a very high mountain, and List had heard one of the royal maidens, who was spinning, telling another maiden that the giant ogre was not at home.

The boy realised that he was on the right track and he went towards the mountain with his three dogs following him.

The mountain had doors below and suddenly List turned to its master. “We cannot waste any more time. I can hear the ogre who is only sixty miles away. In fact, I can even hear the clink of the golden shoes of the ogre’s horse against the road.”

Then, the boy ordered his dogs to batter down the doors of the mountain.

Inside the boy found a beautiful maiden who was in a vaulted hall and she was spinning gold thread on a spindle of gold.

However, the girl was frightened when she saw him. “For seven long years, I have never seen another human being. But please leave before the ogre returns home or the ogre will kill you!”

However, the boy was not afraid. He smiled at the princess. “I want to stay here until the giant comes back.”

Before the girl could say anything else, the ogre came back and the ogre was furious when he saw that the granite door of his palace was open.

Adapted from Swedish Fairy Tales