’Youuselessne’er-do-weel！’exclaimedhismotherinagreatpassion。’Leavethehouseatonce，andgoandbegyourbreadamongstrangers；’andasMartindidnotdaretocontradicther，hecalledSchurkaandWaskaandstartedoffwiththemtothenearestvillageinsearchofwork。Onthewayhemetarichpeasant，whoaskedhimwherehewasgoing。
’Iwanttogetworkasadaylabourer，’heanswered。
’Comealongwithme，then。ButImusttellyouIengagemylabourerswithoutwages。Ifyouservemefaithfullyforayear，Ipromiseyouitshallbeforyouradvantage。’
SoMartinconsented，andforayearheworkeddiligently，andservedhismasterfaithfully，notsparinghimselfinanyway。
Whenthedayofreckoninghadcomethepeasantledhimintoabarn，andpointingtotwofullsacks，said:’Takewhicheveroftheseyouchoose。’
Martinexaminedthecontentsofthesacks，andseeingthatonewasfullofsilverandtheotherofsand，hesaidtohimself:
’Theremustbesometrickaboutthis；Ihadbettertakethesand。’Andthrowingthesackoverhisshouldershestartedoutintotheworld，insearchoffreshwork。Onandonhewalked，andatlasthereachedagreatgloomywood。Inthemiddleofthewoodhecameuponameadow，whereafirewasburning，andinthemidstofthefire，surroundedbyflames，wasalovelydamsel，morebeautifulthananythingthatMartinhadeverseen，andwhenshesawhimshecalledtohim:
’Martin，ifyouwouldwinhappiness，savemylife。Extinguishtheflameswiththesandthatyouearnedinpaymentofyourfaithfulservice。’
’Truly，’thoughtMartintohimself，’itwouldbemoresensibletosaveafellow-being’slifewiththissandthantodragitaboutonone’sback，seeingwhataweightitis。’Andforthwithheloweredthesackfromhisshouldersandemptieditscontentsontheflames，andinstantlythefirewasextinguished；butatthesamemomentlo！andbeholdthelovelydamselturnedintoaSerpent，and，dartinguponhim，coileditselfroundhisneck，andwhisperedlovinglyinhisear:
’Donotbeafraidofme，Martin；Iloveyou，andwillgowithyouthroughtheworld。ButfirstyoumustfollowmeboldlyintomyFather’sKingdom，underneaththeearth；andwhenwegetthere，rememberthis——hewillofferyougoldandsilver，anddazzlinggems，butdonottouchthem。Askhim，instead，fortheringwhichhewearsonhislittlefinger，forinthatringliesamagicpower；youhaveonlytothrowitfromonehandtotheother，andatoncetwelveyoungmenwillappear，whowilldoyourbidding，nomatterhowdifficult，inasinglenight。’
Sotheystartedontheirway，andaftermuchwanderingtheyreachedaspotwhereagreatrockrosestraightupinthemiddleoftheroad。InstantlytheSerpentuncoileditselffromhisneck，and，asittouchedthedampearth，itresumedtheshapeofthelovelydamsel。Pointingtotherock，sheshowedhimanopeningjustbigenoughforamantowrigglethrough。Passingintoit，theyenteredalongundergroundpassage，whichledoutontoawidefield，abovewhichspreadabluesky。Inthemiddleofthefieldstoodamagnificentcastle，builtoutofporphyry，witharoofofgoldandwithglitteringbattlements。AndhisbeautifulguidetoldhimthatthiswasthepalaceinwhichherfatherlivedandreignedoverhiskingdomintheUnder-world。
Togethertheyenteredthepalace，andwerereceivedbytheKingwithgreatkindness。Turningtohisdaughter，hesaid:
’Mychild，Ihadalmostgivenupthehopeofeverseeingyouagain。Wherehaveyoubeenalltheseyears？’
’Myfather，’shereplied，’Iowemylifetothisyouth，whosavedmefromaterribledeath。’
UponwhichtheKingturnedtoMartinwithagracioussmile，saying:’Iwillrewardyourcouragebygrantingyouwhateveryourheartdesires。Takeasmuchgold，silver，andpreciousstonesasyouchoose。’
’Ithankyou，mightyKing，foryourgraciousoffer，’answeredMartin，’’butIdonotcoveteithergold，silver，orpreciousstones；yetifyouwillgrantmeafavour，giveme，Ibeg，theringfromoffthelittlefingerofyourroyalhand。EverytimemyeyefallsonitIshallthinkofyourgraciousMajesty，andwhenImarryIshallpresentittomybride。’
SotheKingtooktheringfromhisfingerandgaveittoMartin，saying:’Takeit，goodyouth；butwithitImakeonecondition——
youarenevertoconfidetoanyonethatthisisamagicring。Ifyoudo，youwillstraightwaybringmisfortuneonyourself。’
Martintookthering，and，havingthankedtheKing，hesetoutonthesameroadbywhichhehadcomedownintotheUnder-world。
Whenhehadregainedtheupperairhestartedforhisoldhome，andhavingfoundhismotherstilllivingintheoldhousewherehehadlefther，theysettleddowntogetherveryhappily。Souneventfulwastheirlifethatitalmostseemedasifitwouldgooninthiswayalways，withoutletorhindrance。Butonedayitsuddenlycameintohismindthathewouldliketogetmarried，and，moreover，thathewouldchooseaverygrandwife——aKing’sdaughter，inshort。Butashedidnottrusthimselfasawooer，hedeterminedtosendhisoldmotheronthemission。
’YoumustgototheKing，’hesaidtoher，’anddemandthehandofhislovelydaughterinmarriageforme。’
’Whatareyouthinkingof，myson？’answeredtheoldwoman，aghastattheidea。’Whycannotyoumarrysomeoneinyourownrank？Thatwouldbefarmorefittingthantosendapooroldwomanlikemea-wooingtotheKing’sCourtforthehandofaPrincess。Why，itisasmuchasourheadsareworth。NeithermylifenoryourswouldbeworthanythingifIwentonsuchafool’serrand。’
’Neverfear，littlemother，’answeredMartin。’Trustme；allwillbewell。Butseethatyoudonotcomebackwithoutananswerofsomekind。’
Andso，obedienttoherson’sbehest，theoldwomanhobbledofftothepalace，and，withoutbeinghindered，reachedthecourtyard，andbegantomounttheflightofstepsleadingtotheroyalpresencechamber。Attheheadofthelandingrowsofcourtierswerecollectedinmagnificentattire，whostaredatthequeeroldfigure，andcalledtoher，andexplainedtoher，witheverykindofsign，thatitwasstrictlyforbiddentomountthosesteps。Buttheirsternwordsandforbiddinggesturesmadenoimpressionwhateverontheoldwoman，andsheresolutelycontinuedtoclimbthestairs，bentoncarryingoutherson’sorders。Uponthissomeofthecourtiersseizedherbythearms，andheldherbackbysheerforce，atwhichshesetupsuchayellthattheKinghimselfheardit，andsteppedoutontothebalconytoseewhatwasthematter。Whenhebeheldtheoldwomanflingingherarmswildlyabout，andheardherscreamthatshewouldnotleavetheplacetillshehadlaidhercasebeforetheKing，heorderedthatsheshouldbebroughtintohispresence。
Andforthwithshewasconductedintothegoldenpresencechamber，where，leaningbackamongstcushionsofroyalpurple，theKingsat，surroundedbyhiscounsellorsandcourtiers。Courtesyinglow，theoldwomanstoodsilentbeforehim。’Well，mygoodolddame，whatcanIdoforyou？’askedtheKing。
’Ihavecome，’repliedMartin’smother——’andyourMajestymustnotbeangrywithme——Ihavecomea-wooing。’
’Isthewomanoutofhermind？’saidtheKing，withanangryfrown。
ButMartin’smotheransweredboldly:’IftheKingwillonlylistenpatientlytome，andgivemeastraightforwardanswer，hewillseethatIamnotoutofmymind。You，OKing，havealovelydaughtertogiveinmarriage。Ihaveason——awooer——ascleverayouthandasgoodason-in-lawasyouwillfindinyourwholekingdom。Thereisnothingthathecannotdo。Nowtellme，OKing，plumpandplain，willyougiveyourdaughtertomysonaswife？’TheKinglistenedtotheendoftheoldwoman’sstrangerequest，buteverymomenthisfacegrewblacker，andhisfeaturessterner；tillallatoncehethoughttohimself，’IsitworthwhilethatI，theKing，shouldbeangrywiththispooroldfool？’
Andallthecourtiersandcounsellorswereamazedwhentheysawthehardlinesroundhismouthandthefrownonhisbrowgrowsmooth，andheardthemildbutmockingtonesinwhichheansweredtheoldwoman，saying:
’Ifyoursonisaswonderfullycleverasyousay，andifthereisnothingintheworldthathecannotdo，lethimbuildamagnificentcastle，justoppositemypalacewindows，infourandtwentyhours。Thepalacemustbejoinedtogetherbyabridgeofpurecrystal。Oneachsideofthebridgetheremustbegrowingtrees，havinggoldenandsilverapples，andwithbirdsofParadiseamongthebranches。Attherightofthebridgetheremustbeachurch，withfivegoldencupolas；inthischurchyoursonshallbeweddedtomydaughter，andwewillkeeptheweddingfestivitiesinthenewcastle。Butifhefailstoexecutethismyroyalcommand，then，asajustbutmildmonarch，Ishallgiveordersthatyouandhearetaken，andfirstdippedintarandtheninfeathers，andyoushallbeexecutedinthemarket-placefortheentertainmentofmycourtiers。’
AndasmileplayedroundtheKing’slipsashefinishedspeaking，andhiscourtiersandcounsellorsshookwithlaughterwhentheythoughtoftheoldwoman’sfolly，andpraisedtheKing’swisedevice，andsaidtoeachother，’Whatajokeitwillbewhenweseethepairofthemtarredandfeathered！Thesonisjustasabletogrowabeardonthepalmofhishandastoexecutesuchataskintwenty-fourhours。’
Nowthepooroldwomanwasmortallyafraidand，inatremblingvoicesheasked:
’Isthatreallyyourroyalwill，OKing？MustItakethisordertomypoorson？’
’Yes，olddame；suchismycommand。Ifyoursoncarriesoutmyorder，heshallberewardedwithmydaughter；butifhefails，awaytothetar-barrelandthestakewithyouboth！’
Onherwayhomethepooroldwomanshedbittertears，andwhenshesawMartinshetoldhimwhattheKinghadsaid，andsobbedout:
’Didn’tItellyou，myson，thatyoushouldmarrysomeoneofyourownrank？Itwouldhavebeenbetterforusthisdayifyouhad。
AsItoldyou，mygoingtoCourthasbeenasmuchasourlivesareworth，andnowwewillbothbetarredandfeathered，andburntinthepublicmarket-place。Itisterrible！’andshemoanedandcried。
’Neverfear，littlemother，’answeredMartin；’trustme，andyouwillseeallwillbewell。Youmaygotosleepwithaquietmind。’
And，steppingtothefrontofthehut，Martinthrewhisringfromthepalmofonehandintotheother，uponwhichtwelveyouthsinstantlyappeared，anddemandedwhathewantedthemtodo。ThenhetoldthemtheKing’scommands，andtheyansweredthatbynextmorningallshouldbeaccomplishedexactlyastheKinghadordered。
