Both prepared for the wooing a whole week, which was the longest time allowed them; but, after all, it was quite long enough, for they both had preparatory knowledge, and everyone knows how useful that is. One knew the whole Latin dictionary and also three years’ issue of the daily paper of the town off by heart, so that he could repeat it all backwards or forwards as you pleased. The other had worked at the laws of corporation, and knew by heart what every member of the corporation ought to know, so that he thought he could quite well speak on State matters and give his opinion. He understood, besides this, how to embroider braces with roses and other flowers, and scrolls, for he was very ready with his fingers.
‘I shall win the king’s daughter!’ they both cried.
Their old father gave each of them a fine horse; the one who knew the dictionary and the daily paper by heart had a black horse, while the other who was so clever at corporation law had a milk- white one. Then they oiled the corners of their mouths so that they might be able to speak more fluently. All the servants stood in the courtyard and saw them mount their steeds, and here by chance came the third brother; for the squire had three sons, but nobody counted him with his brothers, for he was not so learned as they were, and he was generally called ‘Blockhead-Hans.’
‘Oh, oh!’ said Blockhead-Hans. ‘Where are you off to? You are in your Sunday-best clothes!’
‘We are going to Court, to woo the Princess! Don’t you know what is known throughout all the country side?’ And they told him all about it.
‘Hurrah! I’ll go to!’ cried Blockhead-Hans; and the brothers laughed at him and rode off.
‘Dear father!’ cried Blockhead-Hans, ‘I must have a horse too. What a desire for marriage has seized me! If she will have me, she WILL have me, and if she won’t have me, I will have her.’
‘Stop that nonsense!’ said the old man. ‘I will not give you a horse. YOU can’t speak; YOU don’t know how to choose your words. Your brothers! Ah! they are very different lads!’
‘Well,’ said Blockhead-Hans, ‘if I can’t have a horse, I will take the goat which is mine; he can carry me!’
And he did so. He sat astride on the goat, struck his heels into its side, and went rattling down the high-road like a hurricane.
‘Hoppetty hop! what a ride!’ Here I come!’ shouted Blockhead- Hans, singing so that the echoes were roused far and near. But his brothers were riding slowly in front. They were not speaking, but they were thinking over all the good things they were going to say, for everything had to be thought out.
‘Hullo!’ bawled Blockhead-Hans, ‘here I am! Just look what I found on the road!’— and he showed them a dead crow which he had picked up.
‘Blockhead!’ said his brothers, ‘what are you going to do with it?’
‘With the crow? I shall give it to the Princess!’
‘Do so, certainly!’ they said, laughing loudly and riding on.
‘Slap! bang! here I am again! Look what I have just found! You don’t find such things every day on the road!’ And the brothers turned round to see what in the world he could have found.
‘Blockhead!’ said they, ‘that is an old wooden shoe without the top! Are you going to send that, too, to the Princess?’
‘Of course I shall!’ returned Blockhead-Hans; and the brothers laughed and rode on a good way.
‘Slap! bang! here I am!’ cried Blockhead-Hans; ‘better and better — it is really famous!’
‘What have you found now?’ asked the brothers.
‘Oh,’ said Blockhead-Hans, ‘it is really too good! How pleased the Princess will be!’
‘Why!’ said the brothers, ‘this is pure mud, straight from the ditch.’
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