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