Once upon a time there was a king; he had a daughter who was so difficult that no one could make her keep quiet. Therefore he promised that the man who could would get the princess and half the kingdom.
A lot of people wanted to try, I should think, because it’s not every day one can get a king’s daughter and half a kingdom. The gate to the king’s farm was opened often enough, people came in a row from east and west, riding and walking. But no one could keep the princess quiet. Finally the king said that the ones who tried, but could not keep the princess quiet were to be burned on both ears with the king’s big iron. – He didn’t want people running to his farm for nothing.
Then there were three brothers who had heard about the princess, and since they came from a poor family, they wanted to try their luck to see if they could win the king’s daughter and half the kingdom. They were good friends, so they walked together to the king’s farm.
When they had walked for a while, the Ashlad found a dead baby crow.
“I found, I found” he yelled.
“What did you find?” the brothers asked.
”I found a dead baby crow,” he said.
”Oh yak, throw it away! What do you need that for?” the two asked, they always thought that they were the smarter.
“Oh, I have such to do, I have such to bring, so I will bring this,” the Ashlad said.
When they had walked along for another while, the Ashlad found an old wire; he picked it up.
“I found, I found” he yelled.
“What did you find?” the brothers asked
”I found a wire”, he said.
“Phu, what do you need that for? Throw it away”, the two said.
“Oh, I have such to do, I have such to bring, so I will bring this,” the Ashlad said.
After a little while of walking, he found a piece of broken pottery, he picked that up too.
“Boys, I found, I found!” he said.
“Well, what did you find now?” the brothers asked.
“A piece of broken pottery” he said.
“Sh! Who wants to carry that around? Throw it away!” they said.
“Oh, I have such to do, I have such to bring, so I will bring this,” the Ashlad said.
When they had gotten a little further, he found a crooked horn from a ram, and a little later he found another one.
“I found, I found, boys” he yelled.
“What did you find this time?” the others asked.
“Two horns from a ram” the Ashlad answered.
”Sh! Throw them away! What do you need those for?” they said.
“Oh, I have such to do, I have such to bring, so I will bring these,” the Ashlad said.
A while later he found a wedge.
“Oh boys. I found, I found!” he yelled.
“You sure found a lot! What did you find this time?” the two elder brothers asked.
After a little while he found a wedge.
“I found a wedge,” he said.
”Oh, throw it away. What do you need that for?” they asked.
“Oh, I have such to do, I have such to bring, so I will bring this,” the Ashlad said.
When they crossed the fields by the King’s farm – they had just spread manure - he bent down and picked up the worn sole of a shoe.
“Oh, oh, boys, I found, I found!” he said.
“We wish you had found some sense before we arrived!” the two said. “What did you find this time?”
“The worn sole of a shoe,” the Ashlad answered
”Oh yak! Ican’t believe you picked that up! Throw it away! What do you need that for?” the brothers asked.
“Oh, I have such to do, I have such to bring, so I will bring this, if I want to win the princess and half the Kingdom”, the Ashlad said.
“Yes, you look like it!” the two said.
Then they came to the King’s daughter. The oldest went in first.
“Good day,” he said.
“Good day to you too,” she said and squirmed.
“It’s very hot in here,” he said.
“It’s warmer in the fireplace,” the princess said; there was the iron ready waiting to burn him. When he saw that he didn’t know what to say, and then he was out.
It didn’t go much better with the middle brother.
“Good day,” he said.
“Good day to you too,” she said and wriggled.
“It’s awfully hot in here,” he said.
“It’s warmer in the fireplace,” she said. Then the cat got his tongue too – and then the iron was used again.
Then the Ashlad came in.
“Good day,” he said.
“Good day to you too,” she answered and wriggled and squirmed.
“It is nice and hot in here,” the Ashlad said.
“It’s hotter in the fireplace,” she answered; she wasn’t happy when the third one arrived.
“I guess I can roast my crow here then?” he asked.
“I’m worried it may burst,” the King’s daughter said.
“Oh that’s no problem, I’ll tie this wire around it,” the boy said.
”It’s too big,” she said.
“I’ll put a wedge in it,” the boy said and took out the wedge.
”The fat will drip from it,” the King’s daughter said.
“I’ll hold this under it,” the boy said showing her the piece of broken pottery.
“Your words are so crooked,” the princess said.
“No I’m not crooked, but this is crooked,” the boy answered and took out one of the ram’s horns.
“Oh. I have never seen anything like it!” the Princess yelled.
”Here’s something like it,” the boy said and took out the other horn.
”I can see that you are wearing yourself out trying to keep me quiet,” she said.
“No I’m not worn out, but this is worn out,” the boy answered and took out the worn sole of the shoe.
Then the Princess kept quiet.
”Now you’re mine,” the Ashlad said. And then he got her and half the kingdom as well.
