Now, a short way from the man's cottage was the King's palace, and you
must know, just against the King's windows a great oak had sprung up,
which was so stout and big that it took away all the light from the
king's palace. The King had said he would give much gold to any man who
could fell the oak, but no one was man enough to do it, for as soon as
one chip of the oak's trunk flew off, two grew in its stead. The King
wished also to have a well dug which was to hold water for the whole
year. All his neighbors had wells, but he had none, and he thought that
a shame.
So the King said he would give to any one who could dig him such a well
as would hold water for the whole year round, both money and goods, but
no one could do it, for the King's palace lay high, high up on a hill,
and they could dig but a few inches before they would come upon rock.
But as the King had set his heart on having these two things done, he
had it given out in all the churches of his kingdom far and wide, that
he who could fell the big oak in the King's courtyard, and dig him a
well that would hold water the whole year round, should have the
Princess and half the kingdom. Well! you may easily know there was many
a man who came to try his luck; but all their hacking and hewing, and
all their digging and delving were useless.
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