The Glass Box (2)
Later that day, Anna thought of another plan. She went into her room and shut the door. She made a small bag and she put little white stones in the bag. She made a small cut in the bottom of the bag and then put it in the princess's clothes. 'Now,' she said, 'when the princess goes out, the little stones will fall onto the road. We can follow the stones to the house.'
That night Hans called the princess again with the glass box. They walked in the garden. The dog with eyes as large as plates waited at the front of the house.
'I would like to be a prince,' said Hans.
'I would like not to be a princess,' said the princess.
'Why?' asked Hans. She didn't answer. 'I want to be a prince,' he said, 'because I want to marry you.' They sat down under a tree. Hans put the glass box on the ground next to him.
'Don't be a prince,' she said. 'I can't love a prince. I will be a poor girl and you will be Hans.'
At that minute the dog saw the king and Anna with a hundred servants. They came out of the king's house and looked at the little white stones. The white stones shone in the dark and they followed them. The dog ran to the princess.
'The king! The king is coming!' it cried. 'Come quickly!' The dog ran away through the streets with the princess on its back.
The king, Anna and the servants arrived at Hans's house. 'Is the princess here?' cried the king. Hans didn't answer. Suddenly the king saw his daughter's little shoe on the ground next to some beautiful white flowers. He couldn't speak for a minute. Then he said angrily to Hans, 'My wood-cutter will cut off your head at twelve o'clock tomorrow.' The servants took Hans to the king's house and shut him in a room.
Hans looked for his glass box. Where was it? Lost! He could not call the dogs. Then he remembered. It was under the tree.
When the sun came up, Hans went to the window and looked out. He was very high up. He saw a little boy below him and called to him.
'Hey! Little boy!'
'What do you want?' cried the boy.
'Would you like three pence?'
'Yes, please,' said the boy.
'Then run to my house. Say to my servant, "Hans has a little glass box. It is in the garden under a tree. He wants me to bring it to the king's house." When you bring me the box, I will give you three pence.'
The boy disappeared. A little time later he came back with the box.
'Throw it up to me,' called Hans. The boy threw up the box and Hans caught it. Then he threw down the money.
At that minute, the door opened and the king's men came in. They took Hans to a big square in the centre of the town. Everybody from the town was there. They wanted to watch. The king stood in the middle of the square with the important people of the town round him. In front of Hans stood a big strong wood-cutter. He wore a long red coat and a tall black hat.
'Are you ready?' said the king to the wood-cutter.
'Are you ready?' said the wood-cutter to Hans.
'No!' cried Hans, and he took out the glass box.
'Are you ready?' said the wood-cutter to Hans.
'No!' cried Hans, and he hit the box once. He hit the box again - one, two - and then again - one, two, three. The three dogs stood in front of him.
'Take the wood-cutter away,' he said to the dog with eyes as large as eggs. 'Throw him in the river.' The dog ran away with the wood-cutter on his back.
'Take the king's men away,' Hans said to the dog with eyes as large as plates. The dog got bigger and bigger. Everybody watched with open mouths. Now the dog was as big as a house. The king's men were very afraid and ran away.
'Bring the princess here,' Hans said to the dog with eyes as big as oranges. Where is the king?' he cried.
In a short time the princess and the king stood in front of Hans with the dogs behind them.
'Do you want to be king?' Hans asked the old king.
'No,' said the king. 'I only want to have white flowers in my garden, and a happy daughter.'
'When the princess and I marry, white flowers will live in your garden again and the princess will be happy.'
And so Hans married the princess. The new king and queen lived happily for many years. They had six children and a very big garden. The old king lived his last years near them. His garden was a sea of white flowers all year.
- THE END -
