The Shoes Which Were Danced to Pieces

There was once upon a time a King, who had twelve daughters, every one of whom was prettier than her sisters. They slept together in one room, where their beds all stood in a row, and in the evening, as soon as they were gone to sleep, the King shut the door and bolted it. One morning, when he opened the door as usual, he perceived that their shoes were danced to pieces, and nobody could tell how it happened. The King, therefore, caused it to be proclaimed that whoever could discover where they had danced in the night should receive one of them to wife, and become King at his death; but whoever should attempt to do it, and after three nights and days fail, must lose his life. In a short time a Prince came and offered himself to undertake the task. He was well received, and at night led to a room which adjoined the bed-chamber of the Princesses. There he was to watch whither they went to dance; and, in order that they might not slip out secretly to another place, their room-door was left open for him to see. But the Prince soon felt a mist steal over his eyes, and he went to sleep; and when he awoke in the morning he found the Princesses had all been dancing as usual, for their shoes stood there with holes in the soles. The second and third night it happened just the same; and on the morrow the Prince lost his head without mercy. Afterwards came many more and attempted the task, but they all lost their lives.

One day it chanced that a poor Soldier, who had a wound which prevented him from serving, came upon the road which led to the city where the King dwelt. There he met an old woman, who asked him whither he was going. “I do not know myself altogether,” he replied, “but I had an idea of going to the place where the Princesses dance their shoes to pieces, to find out the mystery and so become King.” “That is not difficult,” said the old woman, “if you do not drink the wine which will be brought to you in the evening, but feign to be asleep.” With these words she gave him a cloak, and told him that if he put it on his shoulders he would become invisible and be able to follow the Princesses. As soon as the soldier had received this good advice he plucked up courage and presented himself before the King as a suitor. He was as well received as the others had been, and was dressed in princely clothes. When evening came he was led to his sleeping-room, and, as he was about to go to bed, the eldest Princess came and brought him a cup of wine, but he had fastened a bag under his throat into which he poured the wine, and drank none.

Then he laid himself down and in a short time began to snore as if he were in a deep sleep, while the twelve sisters laughed to one another, saying, “He might have spared himself the trouble!” In a few minutes they arose, opened cupboards, closets, and drawers, and pulled out a variety of beautiful clothes. As soon as they were dressed they looked at themselves in the glass, and presently began to dance; but the youngest sister said, “I know not how you are enjoying yourselves, but my heart sickens as if some misfortune were about to fall upon us!” “What a goose you are!” cried the eldest sister, “you are always fearing something; have you forgotten how many kings’ sons have already lost their lives? why, if I had not given this soldier his sleeping draught, the simpleton could not even then have kept his eyes open!” As they were now quite ready, they first looked at the soldier and satisfied themselves all was right, for he kept his eyes shut and did not move a bit; and then the eldest sister knocked on her bed it sank down in the ground, and the twelve Princesses followed it through the opening, the eldest one going first. The Soldier, having observed everything all the while, put on his invisible cloak, and descended with the youngest sister. About the middle of the steps down he trod on her cloak, and she exclaimed, much frightened, “Who is that who holds my cloak?” “Don’t be so silly,” said the eldest sister, “you caught it on some nail or other, that is all.” So they went completely down, and at the bottom was a wonderful avenue of trees, whose leaves were all silver, and shone and glittered. The Soldier thought to himself he would take one branch for a token, and broke it off, when a tremendous crack sounded as from the tree. “It is not all right!” cried the youngest; “did you not hear the crack?” “That is a shot of welcome!” said the eldest, “because we have been so lucky.” Then they passed into another avenue where the leaves were of gold, and then into a further one where they shone like diamonds. From both he broke off a twig, and each time the youngest Princess shrieked with terror, while the eldest ones declared they were merely guns of welcome. So they went further and came to a lake, on which were twelve little boats, and in each boat a handsome Prince, who each took one sister, and the old Soldier sat down in the boat where the youngest one was. “I know not how it is,” said the Prince, “but the boat seems much heavier than usual, and I am obliged to use all my strength to row it along.” “Perhaps that proceeds from the warmth of the weather,” said the Princess, “I am, myself, much more heated than usual.” On the other side of this water stood a noble castle, which was well lighted, and one could hear the music of horns and fiddles within. Towards this they rowed, went in, and each Prince danced with his own partner, while the Soldier danced among them all invisible; and whenever a glass of wine was handed to one or the other he drank it out, so that it was empty when held to the lips; and the youngest sister again felt very uneasy, but her sister bade her hold her tongue. Here they danced till three in the morning, at which hour, because their shoes were in holes, they were compelled to desist. The Princes rowed them back again over the water, but this time the Soldier sat down with the eldest Princess. On the shore they took leave of the Princes and promised to return the following morning. When they came back to the steps, the Soldier ran up first, and lay down again in his bed; and when the twelve sisters came up, weary and sleepy, he snored so loudly that they all listened, and cried, “How much safer could we be?” Then they took off their fine clothes, and locked them up, and, putting their dancing shoes under the bed, they lay down to sleep. The next morning the Soldier said nothing, wishing to see more of this wonderful affair, and so the second and third nights passed like the first; the Princesses danced each time till their shoes were in holes, and the Soldier, for an additional token of his story, brought away a cup with him from the ball-room. When the time arrived for him to answer, he first concealed the twigs and cup about him, and then went before the King, while the twelve Princesses stood behind the door, and listened to all that was said. “Where have my daughters danced during the night?” asked the King. “With twelve Princes, in a subterranean castle,” he replied; and, relating everything as it had occurred, he produced his witnesses in the three twigs and the cup. The King then summoned his daughters, and asked them if the Soldier had spoken the truth. They were obliged to confess he had; and the King asked him which he would have for a wife. “I am no longer young,” he replied, “and so it had better be the eldest.” Thereupon the wedding was celebrated the self same day, and the kingdom appointed to him at the old King’s death. But the Princes were again bewitched in as many days as they had danced nights with the twelve Princesses.