THE PIPE AND THE WHIP

Once upon a time there lived a man and his wife who were very poor and had three small sons to bring up. Two of the sons were clever lads, but the third, Oferma by name, was not.

The years went by, the man and his wife became old and feeble and their sons grew to .manhood and were as tall and strong as young oak trees.

One day the father, who felt that his death was near, called his sons to his side and said:

"When I die you must each in turn come and spend a night at my graveside."

"Very well, Father, if that's what you want," the sons said.

The father died and was buried, and the time came for the elder brother to spend a night at his graveside.

"I can't do it. I'm afraid!" said the elder son. "But perhaps you will go instead of me, Oferma?" "Why not? I don't mind," said Oferma.

He had his supper, put on a warm sheepskin coat and went to the graveyard. He lay down on his father's grave and was about to fall asleep when all of a sudden he heard his father's voice coming from within it.

"Is that you, Oferma?" his father asked. "Yes, it's me, Father," Oferma replied. "Why didn't my eldest son come to my graveside first?"

"He said he was afraid."

"Have you had anything to eat?"

"Yes."

"You're not cold, are you?"

"No, I have a warm sheepskin coat on, Father."

"Because you have shown yourself to be a good and kind son, here is a pipe for you. Play it, and whatever you wish for will come true. And now go home."

Oferma tucked the pipe into his belt and went home. He climbed up onto the stove where he slept, and his eldest brother asked:

"Well, did our Father talk to you, Oferma?”

"He did."

"What did he say?"

"He asked me if I had eaten and if I was cold."

The eldest brother didn't believe him and said:

"You dreamt all this up, you fool."

A week went by, and it was time for the middle brother to spend the night at his father's graveside.

"I can't do it, I have no time," said the middle brother. "But perhaps you will go instead of me, Oferma?"

"Why not? I don't mind," Oferma replied.

They fed him and gave him a warm shirt and jacket to wear at the graveyard, and Oferma came to his father's grave, spread the shirt on it and, covering himself with the jacket, was about to fall asleep when he heard his father's voice coming from within it.

" Is that you here again, my youngest son? Why hasn't my middle son come?" the father asked. "He said he had no time."

"Well, then, here is a whip for you. It will help you if ever you are in danger. And now go home and don't come to my grave at night any more."

Oferma tucked the whip into his belt and went home. He climbed up onto the stove for a sleep, and the middle brother asked:

"Well, did our father talk to you?"

"He did."

"What did he say?"

"That I was not to come to his grave at night any more."

The middle brother did not believe him.

"A plague on you! Only a fool could have such dreams!" said he.

Oferma fell asleep and his snoring filled the hut. He slept for three days and three nights, and when he woke, his brothers and their wives said to him:

"We are sick and tired of you, fool, and won't feed you any more! Leave the house and go where you will!"

"All right if that's what you want," Oferma said.

He put on his jacket, ragged and torn as it was, tucked his pipe and his whip into his belt and set out on his way.

He came to the king's own city asking everyone he came across if there wasn't any work for him to do, for he was very hungry and had to feed himself somehow, and one of the men he spoke to said:

"I heard that the king is in need of a shepherd. Go to the palace, and if you tend the king's sheep for him for five years he will give you one of his daughters in marriage."

Oferma made his way to the palace.

"I would like to tend your sheep for you, Your Majesty," said he to the king.

The king was overjoyed.

"Very well, my lad!" said he. "But on one condition. When you drive the sheep into the mountains you are to let them graze where they will and not stop them."

"All right, I don't mind," said Oferma.

The following day he drove the sheep to pasture into the mountains, and they ran on and on and did not stop for even a moment till they reached a glade grown with silken grass. They began to nibble the grass, and Oferma lay down under an oak tree and fell asleep. He was awakened by a mighty roar, and, opening his eyes, saw a three-headed dragon, his jaws open wide, standing before him.

"Why are your jaws open like that?" Oferma asked.

"Your sheep have trampled my silken grass, and I am going to eat you up!" roared the dragon.

But before he could make good his threat Oferma snatched the whip from under his belt and went at him. He waved the whip once, and one of the dragon's heads, looking like nothing so much as a big pumpkin, rolled to the ground. He waved the whip a second time, and the second head followed the first.

The dragon saw that he was in a bad way and began to plead with Oferma.

"Do not kill me, good youth!" he begged. "Leave me the last of my heads, and I will give you my golden house for a present."

Now, Oferma had a warm heart and felt sorry for the dragon.

"All right, let it be so!" said he. "Let us go to your house."

He walked on ahead, and the dragon crawled after him. He wanted to bite Oferma, but, seeing that the youth did not put away his whip, dared not do it.

They came to the golden house and stood before the door, and the dragon said:

"The key is in my left ear. Take it out and unlock the door."

"Do it yourself—it's your house and your key!" Oferma replied.

The dragon shook his head, and the key fell to the ground.

"Pick up the key, my lad," the dragon said.

But Oferma would not.

"Pick it up yourself — it was you who dropped it!" he said.

The dragon bent down, and Oferma struck him with his whip and killed him.

After that he opened the door and went in. There was a table there with a golden snuff-box in the shape of a cannon on it, and he sat down at the table and opened it, and lo! — out jumped a shaggy dog and asked in a human voice:

"What do you wish, Master?"

"First bring me a pipe and then a horse, not an ordinary one, mind, but a golden one, for I want to ride around the house."

"Yes, Master," said the dog.

He brought Oferma a pipe, but before Oferma had taken a puff at it there was the golden horse standing under the window!

Oferma stepped outside, and, seizing the horse by his golden mane, jumped into the golden saddle.

"Shall I fly above the clouds or beneath them?" the horse asked.

"Beneath them," Oferma replied.

Away went the horse in a flash, he flew as if on wings round the house, and a whole year had passed before he was back in the yard again.

"Do you want to go farther, Master?" he asked.

"No, for I must see where the king's sheep are," Oferma replied.

He went to the glade but the sheep were not there, and though he called them again and again not one appeared, and it was as if the earth had swallowed them. But Oferma recalled the pipe his father had given him, and, pulling it out from under his belt, began to play. And before the minute was up there were all the sheep running toward him, bleating loudly as they ran. And there were twice as many as there had been before, for the ewes had all lambed.

Oferma drove the flock to the king's palace, and the king's youngest daughter saw Mim through the window and cried joyously:

"The shepherd is bringing back the sheep, Father!"

"Don't talk nonsense!" said the king, vexed. "The three-headed dragon tore him to pieces long ago."

"No, he didn't, Father, for there he is! Come and see for yourself!"

The king climbed out onto the palace roof and stared in disbelief at the approaching flock.

"A plague on the loafer!" he cried. "I'll kill him myself if I find even one sheep missing!"

Oferma drove the flock into the palace yard, and the king ran out and began counting the sheep. It took him three days to count them, and there turned out to be many more than there had been before.

"You'll pasture them again tomorrow!" said he to Oferma.

"All right, that's my job," agreed the shepherd.

The following morning Oferma took a bagful of bread and onions, tucked the pipe and whip into his belt and drove the sheep to pasture, and they ran on and on for three days and nights until they came to a glade grown with silken grass. They began nibbling the grass, and Oferma had some bread and onions and lay down for a rest under an old oak tree. All of a sudden he heard a mighty roar and felt something burning him. He opened his eyes, and there before him was a six-headed dragon, tongues of flame spurting from his mouth.

Oferma sprang to his feet.

"Begone, you evil dragon!" he cried. "Am I a hog that you want to make smoked ham out of me?"

"Your sheep have trampled my silken grass, you will pay for it with your life!" roared the dragon, opening wide his six jaws, each of which was as big as a barn.

But Oferma snatched the magic whip from his belt and went with it at the dragon, and before the minute was up five of the dragon's heads had rolled to the ground.

The dragon began to plead with Oferma and beg him to spare his life.

"Do have mercy on me, my lad, and leave me .the last of my heads, and I will give you my crystal house for a present," he said.

"Very well, so be it!" said Oferma. "You can go on living till you drop dead without my help. And now let us go to your crystal house!"

Oferma walked on ahead, and the dragon crawled after him trying to pounce on him and eat him up. But Oferma, who was no fool even if he was thought to be one, waved his whip, and the dragon shrank back and coiled himself into a ball.

They came to the crystal house and stopped at the door.

"The key is under my tongue. Take it out!" said the dragon.

"Find someone else fool enough to do it! Do you think I want my arm bitten off?" said Oferma. "Come, spit out the key!" And he waved his whip.

The dragon obeyed.

"And now pick it up and unlock the door!" Oferma said.

"Unlock it yourself!" the dragon hissed angrily, a tongue of flame spurting from his mouth.

But Oferma struck him with his whip and cut off the last of his heads, and the dragon dropped dead. Then he picked up the key, unlocked the door and stepped into the house. Everything in it sparkled and shone and was so beautiful that he could hardly believe his own eyes! He sat down at the table and on it there was a golden snuff-box shaped like a cannon, and, feeling that he was now the true master of the house, he decided to have a smoke. He opened the box, and lo! — out jumped a shaggy dog and said in a human voice:

"What do you wish, Master?"

"First bring me a pipe, for I would like to sit here and smoke awhile and enjoy the sight of the beauty about me, and then a horse so that I can ride round the house and see what the grounds look like."

The dog brought him a pipe, but before Oferma had taken so much as a puff, there under the window was a crystal horse with a crystal saddle.

Oferma went outside and jumped into the saddle, and the horse said:

"Do you want me to fly over the clouds or beneath them, Master?"

"Beneath them, for I would like to see what the house looks like on the outside."

They were off in a flash, and Oferma was silent and gazed about him in pleasure, for he liked the crystal house very much indeed. Two years passed before they were back in the front yard again, and the horse asked:

"Shall we go farther, Master?"

"No, I have to get off now, for I want to see where the king's sheep are," Oferma said.

He ran to the glade, but the sheep were gone. So he brought out his pipe and began to play, and before the minute was up there were the sheep running toward him, and there were three times as many as before for the ewes had all lambed twice over.

Oferma drove the flock home, and the youngest of the king's daughters saw him and clapped her hands in delight.

"The shepherd is back with the flock, Father!" she cried.

"Nonsense! The six-headed dragon ate him up long ago."

"No, he didn't, Father. Come and see for yourself!"

The king climbed onto the top of the palace chimney to see better and stared at the approaching flock in amazement. "A plague on that loafer!" he cried. "Will I ever get rid of him? But never mind, I'll kill him myself if I find even one of my sheep missing!"

Oferma walked happily along and winked at the king's youngest daughter who sat at the window and smiled.

So many were the sheep that the king did not bother counting them but stood there frowning and looking like nothing so much as an angry owl.

"It's settled, then, isn't it, Your Majesty—you'll let your youngest daughter marry me?" Oferma asked.

The king flew into a temper.

"Don't count your chickens before they're hatched!" he cried. "You may yet be slain by the eldest of the dragons! Don't forget that you are to drive my sheep to pasture again tomorrow.^

The following morning Oferma took a bagful of bread and onions and drove the sheep out to pasture. They came to a glade grown with silken grass and he ate some bread and an onion and lay down for a sleep under an oak tree.

All of a sudden there came so loud a roar that the leaves on the trees shook and trembled. Oferma at once recalled the king's threat.

"How can I sleep when the eldest of the dragons is on his way here!" said he to himself.

And lo! — there was the dragon flying toward him. He was old and had twelve heads, and so fierce were the flames pouring from his mouth that the trees and grass in his path were all scorched.

The dragon saw Oferma and let out a mighty roar.

"What are you trampling my grass for?" he asked.

"Because I like doing it," Oferma replied.

"I'll swallow you like a fly!"

"Just try, and you'll choke to death!"

And Oferma snatched the whip from his belt, and, waving it so that it cut the air with a whish, he sent the dragon's heads rolling to the ground one after another. The dragon was soon left with only one head and he began pleading with Oferma not to cut it off.

"Take mercy on me and spare my life, and I will give you my diamond house for a present," he said.

"Oh, no, I'm no such fool, I know you cursed dragons by now!" Oferma cried. "You offer me presents but what you really want to do is to eat me up!"

He waved his whip again, and the dragon's twelfth and last head rolled to the ground. He picked it up, took the diamond key from under the dragon's tongue, and, unlocking the door of the diamond house, stepped inside. It was as if the sun were ablaze so dazzling was the house and everything in it, and he had to cover his eyes with his hand for fear of being blinded.

There was a table there with a golden snuff-box in the shape of a cannon on it. He sat down at the table and opened the box, and lo! — out sprang a shaggy dog.

"What do you wish, Master?" the dog asked.

"First bring me a pipe and then a horse, I want to ride round the house," Oferma said.

The dog brought him a pipe, but he had only taken three puffs at it when, lo and behold! — there under the window stood a diamond horse saddled with a diamond saddle.

Oferma stepped outside and jumped on the horse's back.

"Take me round the house and fly below the clouds, for I want to see everything!" said he.

Away went the horse in a flash, they flew all around the house, and three years passed before they were back in the yard again.

"Shall we go farther, Master?" asked the horse.

"No, for I must see what has become of the king's sheep," Oferma replied.

He came to the glade, and there wasn't a single sheep there. But Oferma took out his pipe and began to play, and the sheep appeared as if out of thin air and came running. There were many more than there had been before, as many as there are leaves on a tree, for the ewes had all lambed thrice over.

Oferma drove the flock to the king's palace.

"The shepherd is back, Father!" the king's youngest daughter cried. The king turned white with rage.

"A beggar like that and he wants to marry my daughter. I hope the earth swallows him!" he cried.

But there was nothing he could do, and so Oferma married the princess, and a great wedding feast, at which two thousand guests were present, was held in their honor. The feast went on for a week, and the music never stopped playing all that time.

Oferma took his wife to each of -the three houses he received from the dragons. They lived for a day in the golden house, for another in the crystal house, and for a third in the diamond house, but on the fourth day Oferma said:

"I'm bored to death living in houses that aren't really mine, even if they are more like palaces! A man can only be happy in the place where he was born. Let us go back to my village, for the whole world seems dark to me here."

"All right, husband, I'll go wherever you want me to!" said the princess.