The Drummer

A young drummer went out quite alone one evening into the country, and came to a lake on the shore of which he perceived three pieces of white linen lying.“What fine linen,”said he, and put one piece in his pocket. He returned home, thought no more of what he had found, and went to bed. Just as he was going to sleep, it seemed to him as if some one was saying his name. He listened, and was aware of a soft voice which cried to him,“Drummer, drummer, wake up!”As it was a dark night he could see no one, but it appeared to him that a figure was hovering about his bed.“What do you want?”he asked.

“Give me back my dress,”answered the voice,“that you took away from me last evening by the lake.”

“You shall have it back again,”said the drummer,“if you will tell me who you are.”

“Ah,”replied the voice,“I am the daughter of a mighty King; but I have fallen into the power of a witch, and am shut up on the glass-mountain. I have to bathe in the lake every day with my two sisters, but I cannot fly back again without my dress. My sisters have gone away, but I have been forced to stay behind. I entreat you to give me my dress back.”

“Be easy, poor child,”said the drummer.“I will willingly give it back to you.”He took it out of his pocket, and reached it to her in the dark. She snatched it in haste, and wanted to go away with it.“Stop a moment, perhaps I can help you.”

“You can only help me by ascending the glass-mountain, and freeing me from the power of the witch. But you cannot come to the glass-mountain, and indeed if you were quite close to it you could not ascend it.”

“When I want to do a thing I always can do it,”said the drummer;“I am sorry for you, and have no fear of anything. But I do not know the way which leads to the glass-mountain.”

“The road goes through the great forest, in which the man-eaters live,”she answered,“and more than that, I dare not tell you.”And then he heard her wings quiver, as she flew away.

By daybreak the drummer arose, buckled on his drum, and went without fear straight into the forest. After he had walked for a while without seeing any giants, he thought to himself,“I must waken up the sluggards,”and he hung his drum before him, and beat such a reveille that the birds flew out of the trees with loud cries. It was not long before a giant who had been lying sleeping among the grass, rose up, and was as tall as a fir-tree.“Wretch!”cried he;“what are you drumming here for, and wakening me out of my best sleep?”

“I am drumming,”he replied,“because I want to show the way to many thousands who are following me.”

“What do they want in my forest?”demanded the giant.

“They want to put an end to you, and cleanse the forest of such a monster as you art!”

“Oho!”said the giant,“I will trample you all to death like so many ants.”

“Do you think you can do anything against us?”said the drummer;“if you stoop to take hold of one, he will jump away and hide himself; but when you are lying down and sleeping, they will come forth from every thicket, and creep up to you. Every one of them has a hammer of steel in his belt, and with that they will beat in your skull.”The giant grew angry and thought,“If I meddle with the crafty folk, it might turn out badly for me. I can strangle wolves and bears, but I cannot protect myself from these earth-worms.”

“Listen, little fellow,”said he;“go back again, and I will promise you that for the future I will leave you and your comrades in peace, and if there is anything else you wish for, tell me, for I am quite willing to do something to please you.”

“You have long legs,”said the drummer,“and can run quicker than I; carry me to the glass-mountain, and I will give my followers a signal to go back, and they shall leave you in peace this time.”

“Come here, worm,”said the giant;“seat yourself on my shoulder, I will carry you where you wish to be.”The giant lifted him up, and the drummer began to beat his drum up aloft to his heart's delight. The giant thought,“That is the signal for the other people to turn back.”After a while, a second giant was standing in the road, who took the drummer from the first, and stuck him in his button-hole. The drummer laid hold of the button, which was as large as a dish, held on by it, and looked merrily around. Then they came to a third giant, who took him out of the button-hole, and set him on the rim of his hat. Then the drummer walked backwards and forwards up above, and looked over the trees, and when he perceived a mountain in the blue distance, he thought,“That must be the glass-mountain,”and so it was. The giant only made two steps more, and they reached the foot of the mountain, where the giant put him down. The drummer demanded to be put on the summit of the glass-mountain, but the giant shook his head, growled something in his beard, and went back into the forest.

And now the poor drummer was standing before the mountain, which was as high as if three mountains were piled on each other, and at the same time as smooth as a looking-glass, and did not know how to get up it. He began to climb, but that was useless, for he always slipped back again.“If one was a bird now,”thought he; but what was the good of wishing, no wings grew for him. Whilst he was standing thus, not knowing what to do, he saw, not far from him, two men who were struggling fiercely together. He went up to them and saw that they were disputing about a saddle which was lying on the ground before them, and which both of them wanted to have.“What fools you are,”said he,“to quarrel about a saddle, when you have not a horse for it!”

“The saddle is worth fighting about,”answered one of the men;“whosoever sits on it, and wishes himself in any place, even if it should be the very end of the earth, gets there the instant he has uttered the wish. The saddle belongs to us in common. It is my turn to ride on it, but that other man will not let me do it.”

“I will soon decide the quarrel,”said the drummer, and he went to a short distance and stuck a white rod in the ground. Then he came back and said,“Now run to the goal, and whoever gets there first, shall ride first.”Both put themselves into a trot; but hardly had they gone a couple of steps before the drummer swung himself on the saddle, wished himself on the glass-mountain, and before any one could turn round, he was there. On the top of the mountain was a plain; there stood an old stone house, and in front of the house lay a great fish-pond, but behind it was a dark forest. He saw neither men nor animals, everything was quiet; only the wind rustled amongst the trees, and the clouds moved by quite close above his head. He went to the door and knocked. When he had knocked for the third time, an old woman with a brown face and red eyes opened the door. She had spectacles on her long nose, and looked sharply at him; then she asked what he wanted.“Entrance, food, and a bed for the night,”replied the drummer.

“That you shall have,”said the old woman,“if you will perform three services in return.”

“Why not?”he answered,“I am not afraid of any kind of work, however hard it may be.”The old woman let him go in, and gave him some food and a good bed at night. The next morning when he had had his sleep out, she took a thimble from her wrinkled finger, reached it to the drummer, and said,“Go to work now, and empty out the pond with this thimble; but you must have it done before night, and must have sought out all the fishes which are in the water and laid them side by side, according to their kind and size.”

“That is strange work,”said the drummer, but he went to the pond, and began to empty it. He baled the whole morning; but what can any one do to a great lake with a thimble, even if he were to bale for a thousand years? When it was noon, he thought,“It is all useless, and whether I work or not it will come to the same thing.”So he gave it up and sat down. Then came a maiden out of the house who set a little basket with food before him, and said,“What ails you, that you sit so sadly here?”He looked at her, and saw that she was wondrously beautiful.

“Ah,”said he,“I cannot finish the first piece of work, how will it be with the others? I came forth to seek a king's daughter who is said to dwell here, but I have not found her, and I will go farther.”

“Stay here,”said the maiden,“I will help you out of your difficulty. You are tired, lay your head in my lap, and sleep. When you awake again, your work will be done.”The drummer did not need to be told that twice. As soon as his eyes were shut, she turned a wishing-ring and said,“Rise, water. Fishes, come out.”Instantly the water rose on high like a white mist, and moved away with the other clouds, and the fishes sprang on the shore and laid themselves side by side each according to his size and kind. When the drummer awoke, he saw with amazement that all was done. But the maiden said,“One of the fish is not lying with those of its own kind, but quite alone; when the old woman comes to-night and sees that all she demanded has been done, she will ask you, ‘What is this fish lying alone for? ' Then throw the fish in her face, and say, ‘This one shall be for you, old witch.'”

In the evening the witch came, and when she had put this question, he threw the fish in her face. She behaved as if she did not remark it, and said nothing, but looked at him with malicious eyes.

Next morning she said,“Yesterday it was too easy for you, I must give you harder work. To-day you must hew down the whole of the forest, split the wood into logs, and pile them up, and everything must be finished by the evening.”She gave him an axe, a mallet, and two wedges. But the axe was made of lead, and the mallet and wedges were of tin. When he began to cut, the edge of the axe turned back, and the mallet and wedges were beaten out of shape. He did not know how to manage, but at midday the maiden came once more with his dinner and comforted him.“Lay your head on my lap,”said she,“and sleep; when you awake, your work will be done.”She turned her wishing-ring, and in an instant the whole forest fell down with a crash, the wood split, and arranged itself in heaps, and it seemed just as if unseen giants were finishing the work. When he awoke, the maiden said,“Do you see that the wood is piled up and arranged, one bough alone remains; but when the old woman comes this evening and asks you about that bough, give her a blow with it, and say,‘That is for you, you witch.'”

The old woman came,“There you see how easy the work was!”said she;“but for whom hast you have that bough which is lying there still?”

“For you, you witch,”he replied, and gave her a blow with it. But she pretended not to feel it, laughed scornfully, and said,“Early to-morrow morning you shall arrange all the wood in one heap, set fire to it, and burn it.”

He rose at break of day, and began to pick up the wood, but how can a single man get a whole forest together? The work made no progress. The maiden, however, did not desert him in his need. She brought him his food at noon, and when he had eaten, he laid his head on her lap, and went to sleep. When he awoke, the entire pile of wood was burning in one enormous flame, which stretched its tongues out into the sky.“Listen to me,”said the maiden,“when the witch comes, she will give you all kinds of orders; do whatever she asks you without fear, and then she will not be able to get the better of you, but if you are afraid, the fire will lay hold of you, and consume you. At last when you have done everything, seize her with both your hands, and throw her into the midst of the fire.”

The maiden departed, and the old woman came sneaking up to him.“Oh, I am cold,”said she,“but that is a fire that burns; it warms my old bones for me, and does me good! But there is a log lying there which won't burn, bring it out for me. When you have done that, you are free, and may go where you like, come; go in with a good will.”The drummer did not reflect long; he sprang into the midst of the flames, but they did not hurt him, and could not even singe a hair of his head. He carried the log out, and laid it down. Hardly, however, had the wood touched the earth than it was transformed, and the beautiful maiden who had helped him in his need stood before him, and by the silken and shining golden garments which she wore, he knew right well that she was the King's daughter. But the old woman laughed venomously, and said,“You think you have her safe, but you have not got her yet!”Just as she was about to fall on the maiden and take her away, the youth seized the old woman with both his hands, raised her up on high, and threw her into the jaws of the fire, which closed over her as if it were delighted that an old witch was to be burnt.

Then the King's daughter looked at the drummer, and when she saw that he was a handsome youth and remembered how he had risked his life to deliver her, she gave him her hand, and said,“You have ventured everything for my sake, but I also will do everything for yours. Promise to be true to me, and you shall be my husband. We shall not want for riches, we shall have enough with what the witch has gathered together here.”She led him into the house, where there were chests and coffers crammed with the old woman's treasures. The maiden left the gold and silver where it was, and took only the precious stones. She would not stay any longer on the glass-mountain, so the drummer said to her,“Seat yourself by me on my saddle, and then we will fly down like birds.”

“I do not like the old saddle,”said she,“I need only turn my wishing-ring and we shall be at home.”

“Very well, then,”answered the drummer,“then wish us in front of the town-gate.”In the twinkling of an eye they were there, but the drummer said,“I will just go to my parents and tell them the news, wait for me outside here, I shall soon be back.”

“Ah,”said the King's daughter,“I beg you to be careful. On your arrival do not kiss your parents on the right cheek, or else you will forget everything, and I shall stay behind here outside, alone and deserted.”

“How can I forget you?”said he, and promised her to come back very soon, and gave his hand upon it.

When he went into his father's house, he had changed so much that no one knew who he was, for the three days which he had passed on the glass-mountain had been three years. Then he made himself known, and his parents fell on his neck with joy, and his heart was so moved that he forgot what the maiden had said, and kissed them on both cheeks. But when he had given them the kiss on the right cheek, every thought of the King's daughter vanished from him. He emptied out his pockets, and laid handfuls of the largest jewels on the table. The parents had not the least idea what to do with the riches. Then the father built a magnificent castle all surrounded by gardens, woods, and meadows as if a prince were going to live in it, and when it was ready, the mother said,“I have found a maiden for you, and the wedding shall be in three days. The son was content to do as his parents desired.”

The poor King's daughter had stood for a long time without the town waiting for the return of the young man. When evening came, she said,“He must certainly have kissed his parents on the right cheek, and has forgotten me.”Her heart was full of sorrow, she wished herself into a solitary little hut in a forest, and would not return to her father's court. Every evening she went into the town and passed the young man's house; he often saw her, but he no longer knew her. At length she heard the people saying,“The wedding will take place to-morrow.”Then she said,“I will try if I can win his heart back.”On the first day of the wedding ceremonies, she turned her wishing-ring, and said,“A dress as bright as the sun.”Instantly the dress lay before her, and it was as bright as if it had been woven of real sunbeams. When all the guests were assembled, she entered the hall. Every one was amazed at the beautiful dress, and the bride most of all, and as pretty dresses were the things she had most delight in, she went to the stranger and asked if she would sell it to her.“Not for money,”she answered,“but if I may pass the first night outside the door of the room where your betrothed sleeps, I will give it up to you.”The bride could not overcome her desire and consented, but she mixed a sleeping-draught with the wine her betrothed took at night, which made him fall into a deep sleep, When all had become quiet, the King's daughter crouched down by the door of the bedroom, opened it just a little, and cried,

“Drummer, drummer, I pray you hear!

Have you forgotten you held me dear?

That on the glass-mountain we sat hour by hour?

That I rescued your life from the witch's power?

Did you not plight your troth to me?

Drummer, drummer, hearken to me!”

But it was all in vain, the drummer did not awake, and when morning dawned, the King's daughter was forced to go back again as she came.

On the second evening she turned her wishing-ring and said,“A dress as silvery as the moon.”When she appeared at the feast in the dress which was as soft as moonbeams, it again excited the desire of the bride,and the King's daughter gave it to her for permission to pass the second night also, outside the door of the bedroom. Then in the stillness of the night, she cried,

“Drummer, drummer, I pray you hear!

Have you forgotten your held me dear?

That on the glass-mountain we sat hour by hour?

That I rescued your life from the witch's power?

Did you not plight your troth to me?

Drummer, drummer, hearken to me!”

But the drummer, who was stupefied with the sleeping-draught, could not be aroused. Sadly next morning she went back to her hut in the forest. But the people in the house had heard the lamentation of the strangermaiden, and told the bridegroom about it. They told him also that it was impossible that he could hear anything of it, because the maiden he was going to marry had poured a sleeping-draught into his wine. On the third evening, the King's daughter turned her wishing-ring, and said,“A dress glittering like the stars.”When she showed herself therein at the feast, the bride was quite beside herself with the splendour of the dress, which far surpassed the others, and she said,“I must, and will have it.”The maiden gave it as she had given the others for permission to spend the night outside the bridegroom's door. The bridegroom, however, did not drink the wine which was handed to him before he went to bed, but poured it behind the bed, and when everything was quiet, he heard a sweet voice which called to him,

“Drummer, drummer, I pray you hear!

Have you forgotten you held me dear?

That on the glass-mountain we sat hour by hour?

That I rescued your life from the witch's power?

Did you not plight your troth to me?

Drummer, drummer, hearken to me!”

Suddenly, his memory returned to him.“Ah,”cried he,“how can I have acted so unfaithfully; but the kiss which in the joy of my heart I gave my parents, on the right cheek, that is to blame for it all, that is what stupefied me!”He sprang up, took the King's daughter by the hand, and led her to his parents' bed.“This is my true bride,”said he;“if I marry the other, I shall do a great wrong.”The parents, when they heard how everything had happened, gave their consent. Then the lights in the hall were lighted again, drums and trumpets were brought, friends and relations were invited to come, and the real wedding was solemnized with great rejoicing. The first bride received the beautiful dresses as a compensation, and declared herself satisfied.

鼓手

一天晚上，一个年轻鼓手独自走在田野上，他走到一个湖边，看见岸上有三块白色亚麻布。“多么精细的亚麻啊，”说着，他便捡一块放在自己口袋里。回到家里，他也没再想起捡到的东西，就上床睡觉去了。刚要入睡，恍惚听见有人在叫他的名字。凝神细听，一个轻柔的声音在呼唤他：“鼓手，鼓手，醒来吧。”漆黑的夜里，他看不见人，只觉得有个人影在他的床前来回移动。“你要干什么？”他问。

“你昨晚在湖边拿走了我的衬衣，”那声音回答说，“请你把它还给我。”

“告诉我，你是谁？”鼓手说，“我就还你。”

“啊，”那声音回答说，“我是一个强国的公主，落入一个巫婆手里，被困在玻璃山上。每天我必须和我的两个姐妹一起在湖里洗浴，丢了衬衣我就无法飞回去。我的姐妹已经飞走了，我还不得不留在这里。求求你把我的衬衣还给我吧。”

“不要着急，可怜的孩子，”鼓手说，“我很乐意还给你。”他从口袋里取出那块亚麻布，在黑暗中递给她。她一把抓住，就要匆匆离去。“等一等，”他说，“说不定我能帮助你。”

“你要帮助我，就得上玻璃山，把我从巫婆手里救出来。但是你无法去玻璃山，即使到了山前，也爬不上去。”

“我要做什么，就一定能做到，”鼓手说，“我同情你，我什么都不怕，就是不知道要去玻璃山该走哪条路。”

“去玻璃山的路穿过一座大森林，森林里有吃人的巨人，”她回答说，“我只能讲这些，不能再多说了。”随后，他听见她飞走了。

鼓手天亮就起身，挂上鼓，毫不畏惧地径直走进森林。走了一会儿，没看见巨人，他想：“我得把睡懒觉的家伙叫醒。”就把鼓挂在身前，一通鼓打得树上的鸟儿惊叫着飞起来。很快就有一个躺在草里睡觉的巨人站起来，就像一棵枞树那么高。“你这个小家伙，”巨人向鼓手喊道，“我睡得正香，你为什么在这里敲鼓，把我吵醒？”

“我后面还有几千人要来，”鼓手回答说，“我敲鼓是为了给他们引路。”

“他们来我的森林里干什么？”巨人问。

“他们来干掉你，清除森林里像你一样的怪物。”

“哎呀呀，”巨人说“，我踩死你们还不是像踩死蚂蚁一样容易？”

“你以为你对付得了他们？”鼓手说，“你弯腰去抓一个人，他就逃走，躲起来；你躺下想睡觉，他们就从所有的树丛里出来，爬到你身上。他们个个腰带上掖着一把钢锤，要用它来砸你的天灵盖。”巨人心里懊恼，他想：“和这些狡猾的人斗，最后我恐怕要吃亏。我能卡住狼和熊的咽喉，却对付不了蚯蚓。”他说：“听着，小家伙，你撤回去吧，我向你承诺：将来我不会找你和你的伙伴麻烦，如果你还有什么愿望，就告诉我，我想做一点让你高兴的事情。”

“你腿长，比我走得快，”鼓手说，“把我背到玻璃山吧，我就给我的人发个信号，让他们撤退，这次不让他们给你找麻烦了。”

“来吧，小虫子，”巨人说，“坐在我的肩膀上，你要去哪儿，我就背你去哪儿。”巨人把他提起来放在肩上，鼓手在上面尽兴地打鼓，巨人还以为他是在发信号让其他人撤退呢。过一会儿，又一个巨人站在路旁，把鼓手从第一个巨人肩上拿下来，放在自己衣服的纽扣眼里。纽扣像盆那么大，鼓手紧紧扒住纽扣，快乐地朝四下里张望。途中他们又见到第三个巨人，他把鼓手接过去，放在他的帽檐上。鼓手在上面走来走去，目光越过树梢远眺前方，看见蔚蓝色的远方有一座山，他笑了，心想，这一定就是玻璃山了。果然不错。那巨人又走几步，便到了山脚下。巨人把他放下来，鼓手要求把他背到玻璃山上去，巨人摇摇头，嘟囔了几句，就回森林里去了。

可怜的鼓手站在山下，山极高，仿佛三座山摞在一起似的，玻璃山光滑如镜，他要上山，却不知道如何才能上去。他开始爬山，但总是劳而无功，一而再、再而三地滑下来。“我要是一只鸟儿就好了。”他想。可是这么企盼有何用呢？他也没能长出翅膀来。他束手无策站在那儿，看见不远处有两个男人在激烈争吵。他朝他们走去，原来是为了一个马鞍发生争执，马鞍就在他们跟前的地上放着，两人都想据为己有。“你们真傻，”他说，“为一个马鞍争吵不休，又没有马骑。”

“这马鞍很值得一争，”两人中的一人说，“谁坐在这马鞍上，他即使到世界的尽头，只要他说出愿望，眨眼间就到了。它本是我们共有的，现在该轮到我骑在马鞍上了，可他却不让。”

“我能很快调停这起纠纷，”鼓手说着，走了一段路，把一根白色的棍子插在地上，走回来后说：“现在你们就朝那目标跑去，谁先到，谁就先骑。”那两人发足狂奔，没等他们跑多远，鼓手翻身骑上马鞍，说他要上玻璃山，还不到翻掌的工夫，人已经在那里了。玻璃山上有一块平地，平地上有一座年久的石屋，石屋前面有一个大鱼塘，鱼塘后面是一片黝黑的森林。他看不见人，看不见动物，四外静寂，只有风吹过树木的沙沙声，云几乎贴着他的头顶飘走。他走到门前敲门，敲了三次，才有一个褐色面皮、红眼睛的老婆子来开门；她长长的鼻子上架着一副眼镜，目光锐利地看着他，问他要干什么。“让我进去，供我食宿。”鼓手回答说。

“可以，”老婆子回答说，“不过你得做三件事。”

“没问题！”鼓手回答说，“我生来不怕干活，再重的活也不怕。”老婆子让他进去，给他饭吃，晚上让他睡一张很好的床铺。早晨，他睡醒了，老婆子从她干瘪的手指上脱下一枚顶针，递给鼓手，说：“现在去干活，用这枚顶针把外面池塘里的水舀干，入夜之前必须干完，而且池塘里所有的鱼都要按不同品种大小顺序排好。”

“这是个罕见的工作。”鼓手说着，去池塘动手舀水。整整舀了一上午也毫无起色。用一枚顶针舀一口大池塘的水，即使舀一千年，能有什么结果？中午时分，他想：“全都白费力气，干不干还不是一个样？”他不干了，坐下来。这时屋里走出来一位姑娘，把一个盛着午饭的篮子放在他跟前，说：“你坐在这里这么悲哀，是病了吗？”他望着她，看见她非常美。

“啊，”他说，“第一个工作我就完不成，其他的工作怎么办呢？我是出来找一位公主的，她说她住在这里，可我没见到她。我想继续往前走。”

“留在这里吧，”姑娘说，“我要帮助你摆脱困境。你累了，把你的头枕在我怀里睡吧。你睡醒了，事情也就做完了。”鼓手没等她再说第二遍。他一闭上眼睛，姑娘就转动如意戒指，说：“水升上来，鱼儿出来。”立时，池水犹如一片白雾升上高空，和其他云朵一起飘走，鱼儿喘着粗气蹦到岸上，自行按照不同种类和大小排列整齐。鼓手醒来，看见大功告成，惊奇不已。姑娘却说：“有一条鱼不跟同类排在一起，自己单独待着。老太婆今天晚上来，看见一切都照她的要求做了，如果她问：‘这条鱼怎么单独在这儿？’你就把鱼朝她脸上扔去，说：‘这条鱼是给你的，老巫婆。'”

晚上，老婆子来了，她问了那句话，鼓手就把鱼往她脸上扔过去。她装作没看见的样子，却目露凶光盯着他看。

翌日早晨，老婆子说：“昨天的活你干得太容易了，我得给你重一点的活。今天你要把整座森林的树都砍倒，把木头劈了，码成六尺高的柴垛，晚上必须全部做完。”她给他一把斧、一把锤和两个楔子。但斧是铅斧，锤和楔子都是白铁做的。他一砍树，斧刃就卷了，锤子、楔子都砸瘪了。他束手无策。中午，姑娘又带了食物来安慰他。“你的头枕在我怀里，”她说，“睡吧，睡醒了，事情也就做完了。”她转动她的如意戒指。顷刻间，整座森林里的树全都哗啦啦倒了，木头自己劈成小块木柴，自行堆成六尺高的柴垛，仿佛有眼不可见的巨人在完成这工作似的。鼓手醒了，姑娘说：“你看，木柴堆成方木柴垛，只剩下一根树枝。老太婆今天晚上来，如果她问这树枝是怎么回事，你就用这树枝打她，说：‘这树枝是给你的，老巫婆。'”

老婆子来了，她说“：你看，这活多容易干呀，这树枝是给谁的？”

“给你的，老巫婆。”他回答说，拿起树枝打了她一下。但她装作什么也没感觉到的样子，冷笑着说：“明天早晨你把所有木柴堆成一个柴堆，点火把它烧了。”

拂晓时分他就起床，开始搬运木柴。可是，就他一个人怎么能把整个森林的木柴都弄到一块儿呢？工作没有进展。在危难之际，姑娘没有离开他：中午她给他带来菜肴，吃完饭后，他把头枕在她的怀里睡着了。一觉醒来，整个柴堆烈火熊熊地燃烧，火舌上冲云霄。“注意听我说，”姑娘说，“巫婆来时，会叫你做各种各样事情，不要害怕，她要你做什么，你都毫不畏惧地去做，她就丝毫伤害不了你；如果你害怕了，大火就会烧着你、吞噬你。到最后，你一切都做完了，就双手抓住她，把她抛入火海。”

姑娘走了，老婆子悄悄过来。“唉，真冷！”她说，“这儿有堆火烧着，暖和我这把老骨头，我觉得挺好。不过那儿有块木头没有燃烧，你去给我拿出来。做了这事，你就自由了，想去哪里，就可以去哪里。快去吧！”鼓手不假思索，跃进火海，火焰没伤害他，甚至没烧掉他一根毫毛。他把那块木头拿出来，放在地上。那木头一接触地面，马上变了：鼓手面前站着的，正是危难中给予他援手的美丽的姑娘，鼓手从她的一身流金焕彩的丝绸衣裳认出这就是他要找的公主。但是老婆子狞笑着说：“你以为你得到她了，其实你还没有得到她。”她正要朝公主扑过去，把她拖走，鼓手双手抓住老婆子，把她高高举起来，抛进熊熊燃烧的火焰，火焰吞没了她，火焰似乎为吞噬了一个巫婆而感到欢欣。

公主望着鼓手，见他是个英俊少年，想到他冒着生命危险来救她，便向他伸出手，说：“你为了我甘冒一切危险，我也愿意为你做一切事情。如果你答应对我忠实，我愿做你的妻子。我们有的是财富，我们拥有巫婆在这里所聚敛的，已足够了。”她把他领进屋里，那里有许多箱子柜子，装满珍宝。他们放着金银不拿，只带上宝石。她不愿在玻璃山上再逗留更长时间，鼓手对她说：“你和我一起坐在我的马鞍上，我们就会像鸟儿一样飞下山去。”

“我不喜欢旧马鞍，”她说，“我只要转动一下如意戒指，我们就到家了。”

“好，”鼓手回答说，“我们就发愿去城门口。”转眼间他们已在那里了。鼓手说：“我要先去我父母家里，告诉他们情况，你就在这原野上等我，我很快就回来。”

“啊，”公主说，“我请求你多加小心，到家后不要吻你父母的右面颊，否则你会忘记一切，我就得孤零零独自一人留在原野上了。”

“我怎么会忘记你呢？”鼓手说，许诺他很快就回来。

当他踏进父母的家，没有人知道他是谁，他的变化很大，因为他在玻璃山上度过的三天已是世上漫长的三年。他说了自己的身份，他的父母高兴得扑过去搂着他的脖子，他心里非常激动，忘了姑娘的嘱咐，亲吻了父母的双颊。他在父母的右脸颊印上了一个吻，有关公主的一切记忆就全都消失了。他把口袋里的东西都掏出来，将一大把非常大的宝石放在桌上。父母简直不知道该如何处置这些财富。于是父亲建造一座豪华宫殿，若干花园、草地，几座树林环绕宫殿周围，仿佛住在里面的是一位王侯。宫殿竣工了，母亲说：“我给你挑选了一个姑娘，三天后就举行婚礼。”父母想要的一切，儿子全都赞同。

可怜的公主在城门口站了很久，等待年轻人回去。到了晚上，她说：“他一定吻了他父母的右脸颊，把我忘了。”她心中充满悲伤，希望住在冷清的林中小屋，不愿再回到她父王的宫廷。她每天进城去，从他的家门口走过，他见到她几次，但已不认得她了。终于她听到人们说：“明天他要举行婚礼了。”她说：“我要试一试，看我能不能再次赢得他的心。”到了新婚首日晚会时，她转动她的如意戒指，说：“我要一件拥有太阳一样光辉的衣裳。”这衣裳立刻放在了她的面前，光芒耀眼，仿佛纯系太阳的光线织成的。宾客全都到齐了，她走进大厅。人人都对这件美丽的衣裳惊奇不已，而最感惊奇的则是新娘子。因为美丽的衣裳是她最大的快乐，她便走近那陌生女子身旁，问她是否愿意把这件衣裳卖给她。“用钱买不行，”她回答道，“不过，如果第一夜能让我待在新郎睡觉的房门口的话，我愿意卖。”新娘子无法抑制自己的欲望，便答应了，但她在酒里掺进安睡药水，新郎晚间喝了，睡得非常深沉。夜阑人静时，公主蹲在卧室门前，推开一点门缝，朝屋里说道：

鼓手，鼓手，你听我说，

难道你完全忘了我？

忘了玻璃山上你我坐在一起？

忘了我从巫婆手里救过你？

忘了你和我握手矢志忠贞不渝？

鼓手啊，鼓手，你听我说。

然而一切都无济于事，鼓手沉睡不醒，到了早晨，公主没能如愿以偿，只得离去。

第二天晚上，她转动如意戒指，说：“我要一件银白如月的衣裳。”她穿着柔美如月光的衣裳参加晚会，又激起新娘子的贪欲，允许公主在卧房门前度过第二个夜晚。夜深人静时她大声说道：

鼓手，鼓手，你听我说，

难道你完全忘了我？

忘了玻璃山上你我坐在一起？

忘了我从巫婆手里救过你？

忘了你和我握手矢志忠贞不渝？

鼓手啊，鼓手，你听我说。

可是鼓手喝了安睡药酒，睡得昏昏沉沉，无法唤醒。早晨，她又伤心地回到她的林中小屋。但鼓手府第中的人们听到了陌生姑娘的哀诉，对新郎谈起此事，他们还告诉他，他不可能听见什么，因为他们在他的酒里倒进安睡的药了。第三天晚上，公主转动如意戒指，说：“我要一件如同星光闪烁的衣裳。”当她穿着它在晚会上露面时，新娘子见它远比前两件衣裳更为绚丽华贵，激动极了，她说：“我无论如何要得到它。”和以前一样，姑娘要求获准在新郎卧室门前过夜。临睡前给新郎端来了酒，新郎不喝，把它泼在床后。屋子里全都安静下来了，他听见一个温柔的声音呼唤他：

鼓手，鼓手，你听我说，

难道你完全忘了我？

忘了玻璃山上你我坐在一起？

忘了我从巫婆手里救过你？

忘了你和我握手矢志忠贞不渝？

鼓手啊，鼓手，你听我说。

鼓手忽然恢复了记忆。“啊，”他喊道，“我怎能如此无情无义？原因是，我心里一高兴吻了我父母的右面颊，这一吻使我完全迷糊了。”他跳起来，拉着公主的手，把她领到他父母床前。“这才是我真正的新娘，”他说，“如果我娶另一个，就要铸成大错了。”父母听说了事情的全部经过，便同意了。于是大厅中又再点燃灯烛，召来鼓乐，邀集亲朋，极尽欢乐地举行真正的婚礼。那几件漂亮的衣裳归第一个新娘所有，作为对她的补偿，她也感到满意。