(Translator’s note: The following is a modernization of the English version of H. Gering’s German translation. It was originally printed in “The Northern Sagas” by E. E. Kellett (publishers: L. & V. Woolf, Hogarth Press, London, 1929) who offers no specific credit for the English translation but acknowledges including some minor works of noted medievalist Nora Kershaw Chadwick in his volume.)
Once upon a time there met together in a hunt a king’s son, a duke’s son, and an earl’s son. They were all strong and of full growth, though none had as yet succeeded to his father’s place. Now it chanced that the deer were so swift and the young men so eager in the chase, that they were parted from their attendants and found themselves alone in a small clearing in the wood. Then said the king’s son, “How to pass the time, seeing we have neither meat nor drink?” “You decide,” said the others. “Well,” he said, “let each of us tell the story of the greatest danger he’s ever been in during his life, beginning with you, earl’s son.”
So the earl’s son began, and spoke as follows. “It’s been some time since I set forth on a visit, having but one servant with me. Now the way ran along a steep ravine and, being eager to see the maiden I was visiting I set my horse to a gallop; but a loose stone twisted under his hoof and he fell sideways over the cliff, throwing me out of the saddle so that I was caught on a projecting ledge of the cliff. As for the horse, the precipice was so deep that I never heard where he had fallen to.
“There was such a long and steep overhanging rock above me that I gave myself up for lost. While I was looking round for a way of escape, I heard my servant come along. Loud were his cries when he saw where I had fallen, for he made sure that I was dead. I shouted out and told him to stay where he was; but even so I could see no way of safety, for the rock was as smooth as glass, and even on hands and knees I could not have climbed a yard.
“At last a sudden thought struck me. Feeling in my pocket I found there a needle and thread, without which no one in our country ever goes abroad. Then with my knife I slit a few strips off my cape, and, sewing these together, made a tolerably long rope. To one end of this, I tied a stone that I broke from the cliff, and then, exerting all my strength, threw it up towards the mouth of the ravine. Whether it was by good luck, or because God was willing to grant me a longer life, the stone went up over the edge of the cliff and my servant caught it. He was thus able to let down another stronger rope to me, by which I climbed up the side of the rock and so was safe.
“That was the greatest danger that ever I was in: and so ends my story.”
The king’s son answered, “You showed great presence of mind in getting out of so dangerous a place; but now it is the turn of the duke’s son to tell his tale.” The duke’s son answered, “I was in love with the daughter of a certain rich man, who lived an hour’s ride from my father’s house.
“When our affection had lasted some time she took a serious illness, so that she seemed to know her end was near. Accordingly, she sent a confidential messenger to bid me come and visit her. As you may imagine, I hastened to be by her side, and found her all alone. I thought that she wished to talk to me in private; and at first indeed she did speak of her love for me; but afterwards she said, ‘I wish you would unlock yonder chest, my love, that stands at the end of my bed, because in it there is something that I wish to entrust to you alone’.
“I did so, but found the chest empty except for some shavings and sawdust, which I tried to search in. As I bent down to do so, I was suddenly seized and pushed right into the box, which was instantly locked over me. Then my lover sent for her father and said to him, ‘Father, it is fated that you and I must soon part. But I wish to ask one favor of you: that you will have that box there carried to my grave and buried under my coffin, for I have put into it that which I am determined no one else shall enjoy after I am dead and I desire also that no one should know what is inside.’
“The father replied that he would see it done, though there were three chests instead of one. I thought my case a hard one and yet I held my peace, for shame seemed to me even harder to bear than being buried alive. There is no need to waste words: she died, and soon after was borne to the churchyard, to which I also was carried in the chest. I was let down into the grave below her; the grave was mounded up and everybody went away.
“Now, as I heard afterwards, the rumor was spread abroad widely that the great chest must hold gold and jewels, for the girl had loved them much during life. This rumor came to the ears of certain thieves, strong and vigorous men, who accordingly came to the grave next night, opened it, and pulled out both the coffin and the chest. When this was done, they deliberated some time as to what to do; for my chest was ironbound. At last, they decided to set it on end and stave a side in with hammers.
“Here, then, I was in great danger of being killed with their blows; therefore, as soon as the side was stove in, I set up a great cry whereupon the thieves, thinking I was a ghost or the devil, ran away as fast as their legs could carry them. But they had loosened the chest so much that, though with some difficulty, I got out. Then I threw chest and coffin again into the grave, and made all much as it was before, after which I slunk away home.
“That was the greatest danger I ever was in; and so ends my story.”
The king’s son answered, “You were indeed in such danger that it is hard to imagine one greater, and indeed you hit on a strange sort of sweetheart if her love could change so soon to murderous hate. But I will tell you my story, which also begins with a sweetheart, though she was not to blame for what happened.
“She lived not far from a certain abbey belonging to the Benedictines. I used often to ride over that way. Now it happened as such things will that my father’s judges had condemned to the gallows three of the worst robbers that ever were known; and the three gibbets stood not far from the road that I used to ride. The night after they were hanged, I rode that way for I thought myself brave enough not to be afraid of dead men.
“Now, when I came right opposite the gibbet of the worst robber of the three, he suddenly called out to me, and said, ‘O kind sir, release me from this torment! I was condemned on a false charge, and therefore I cannot die: come then and cut the rope with your sword.’ The villain spoke in so honest a tone that I thought he must be telling the truth; and so I went nearer. But when I saw his face, it was so devilish that I was sure he must be lying; and so I turned away.
“But he called after me, and told me not to be afraid. ‘What shame’, he said, ‘it will be if you let an innocent man die!’ To cut a long story short, I went back again, and a second time drew away from him; but the third time I went and cut the rope over his head.
“Then he fell down, and I set spurs to my horse to ride away; but a little after I heard a horrible sound behind me, and looking back saw that the demon had torn up the gallows and flung it over his shoulder, and was pursuing me at a great pace and with terrific howls. I spurred my horse to his fastest, and rode for dear life; but I soon saw that it could not be long before I was overtaken.
Now my course brought me to the churchyard of the abbey. I threw myself clean off the saddle and over the wall; and, as I knew the church well, I found the door and slipped in, locking the door behind me. Here I thought I was safe; but the fiend soon came to the door, and banged so furiously at it that it seemed to me as if it must soon fall. ‘Unlock the door’, he cried; ‘your flight shall serve you ill; I will pay you out for that blow before we part!’
“But in spite of everything, I would not unlock it. When he saw that, he cried with a loud voice, ‘Comrade, lying in the church, arise and help me catch him!’ At this, I was aware that a dead man lay near me. At the call of the fiend, he rose up and opened the door. Then both began to seek me; but I, knowing that to resist would have been useless, took to flight.
“I held my sword in front of me, and cut off great pieces of their strange weapons; for one had the gallows and the other the board on which he had been lying. I ran right along the nave, into the choir, and at last to the high altar. I was so tired that I could do no more. The church was well windowed and the it was a moonlit night so that I could see plainly. I gave myself into the hands of God, threw away my sword, and leant myself backwards against the altar.
“Nor did our Savior Christ abandon me in my misery: for the fiend that had sought me longest sank down into the ground, and the other gathered together the pieces I had hewn off his board and lay down again on his tombstone.
“And soon thereafter I stole from thence, and found my horse, thanking God for all His mercies, and purposing thenceforward to live a pure and good life. And that was the worst danger that ever I was in. And so ends my story.”
All agreed that of the three perils this was the worst, and the one wherein God’s favor was the most clearly shown.