y
force. I'll stamp anybody to broth who tries to rob me of my
strawberries." As he spoke, he spat on his hands, and whirled his cudgel
round his head till it whistled. When the footman saw it, he had not
the least desire to attempt it, but the lady drove away with violent
threats, declaring that she would not permit this insult to remain
unpunished. Other herd-boys who had seen and heard the affair from a
distance related it to their companions in the evening. The people were
all frightened, for they thought it would fare ill with them also if the
great lady complained to the authorities about the boy's stupid
obstinacy and an inquiry was ordered. The prince's master scolded him,
and said, "I can't say anything in your favour, and what you've cooked
you must eat yourself." The boy replied, "I shall come off scatheless;
that's my affair. God has put a mouth in my head and a tongue in my
mouth, and I can speak for myself if necessary, and I won't ask you to
be my advocate. If the lady had asked for the strawberries in a proper
way, I would have given them to her; but how dared she call me a lout?
My nose[152] is just as clean as hers."

Meantime the lady drove to the royal city, where she had nothing more
pressing to do than to complain to the authorities of the insolent
behaviour of the herd-boy. An investigation was ordered at once, and
the youth and his master were ordered to appear before the authorities.
When the messenger entered the village to enforce the order, the prince
said, "My master has nothing to do with this affair, and I myself must
answer for what I did yesterday." They wanted to bind his hands behind
his back, and to lead him before the court as a prisoner, but he drew a
sharp knife from his pocket, stepped some paces back, turned the point
against his breast, and cried out, "No one shall bind me while I live!
Rather than let you bind me, I will thrust the knife into my heart. You
may then bind my corpse, or do whatever you please with it, but no man
shall lay a cord or fetter on me while I live. I am quite ready to
appear before the court and give evidence, but I will never go there as
a prisoner." His boldness frightened the messengers, and they were
afraid to approach him, for they feared that the blame would fall on
them if the boy carried out his threat; and as he was ready to go with
them of his own accord, they were obliged to be content. On the way, the
messengers wondered more and more at the