The Shoes That Were Danced to Pieces

Once upon a time there was a king who had twelve daughters, each one more beautiful than the next. They all slept together in one room, where their beds stood side by side. Every night, when they were in bed, the king locked the door and bolted it. But in the morning, when he unlocked the door, he saw that their shoes were worn out from dancing, and no one could figure out how that had happened.

So the king announced that whoever could discover where they danced at night could choose one of the princesses as his wife and become king after his death. But if someone tried and failed within three days and three nights, he would lose his life.

Before long, a prince came forward and offered to take on the challenge. He was welcomed and led that evening into a room next to the princesses' bedroom. His bed was placed there, and he was supposed to watch where they went and danced. To make sure they didn't do anything secretly or go somewhere else, the door to their room was left open.

But the prince's eyelids grew heavy as lead, and he fell asleep. When he woke up in the morning, all twelve had been to the dance, because their shoes were standing there with holes in the soles. The second and third nights went the same way, and then his head was cut off without mercy.

Many others came after him and tried, but they all lost their lives. Then it happened that a poor soldier, who had a wound and could no longer serve, found himself on the road to the town where the king lived. There he met an old woman who asked him where he was going.

"I hardly know myself," he answered, and added jokingly, "I was thinking of finding out where the princesses dance their shoes to pieces, and then becoming king."

"That's not so hard," said the old woman. "You must not drink the wine they bring you at night, and you must pretend to be fast asleep." Then she gave him a little cloak and said, "If you put this on, you will be invisible, and then you can follow the twelve."

When the soldier heard this good advice, he took it seriously, plucked up his courage, went to the king, and announced himself as a suitor. He was welcomed just like the others, and royal clothes were put on him. That evening at bedtime he was led into the antechamber.

As he was about to go to bed, the eldest princess came and brought him a cup of wine. But he had tied a sponge under his chin and let the wine run down into it without drinking a drop.

Then he lay down, and after a while he began to snore, as if in the deepest sleep.

The twelve princesses heard that and laughed. The eldest said, "He too could have saved his life." Then they got up, opened wardrobes, chests, and cupboards, and brought out beautiful dresses. They dressed themselves in front of the mirrors, jumped around, and rejoiced at the thought of the dance. Only the youngest said, "I don't know what's wrong; you are very happy, but I feel strange. Some misfortune is surely about to befall us."

"You silly goose, always scared," said the eldest. "Have you forgotten how many princes have already tried? I hardly needed to give the soldier a sleeping drink; that fool wouldn't have woken up anyway."

When they were all ready, they looked carefully at the soldier. He had closed his eyes and didn't move, so they felt quite safe. Then the eldest went to her bed and tapped it. It immediately sank into the ground, and one after another they climbed down through the opening, the eldest going first.

The soldier, who had watched everything, didn't wait any longer. He put on his little cloak and went down last, following the youngest. Halfway down the steps, he accidentally stepped on her dress. She was startled and cried out, "What's that? Who's pulling my dress?"

"Don't be silly!" said the eldest. "You caught it on a nail."

Then they went all the way down. At the bottom, they stood in a wonderful avenue of trees, all of whose leaves were silver, shining and glistening. The soldier thought, "I must take a token with me," and broke off a twig. The tree cracked with a loud noise. The youngest cried out again, "Something is wrong! Did you hear that crack?"

But the eldest said, "It's a gun fired for joy because we got rid of our prince so quickly."

After that, they came to an avenue where all the leaves were gold, and finally to a third where they were bright diamonds. He broke off a twig from each, and each time there was a loud crack that made the youngest start back in fear. But the eldest insisted they were salutes.

They went on and came to a great lake, on which twelve little boats were waiting. In each boat sat a handsome prince, all waiting for the twelve. Each prince took one princess with him. The soldier sat down by the youngest.

Then her prince said, "I don't know why the boat is so much heavier today. I'll have to row with all my strength to get it across."

"What else could cause it but the warm weather?" said the youngest. "I feel very warm too."

On the other side of the lake stood a splendid, brightly lit castle, from which came joyous music of trumpets and drums. They rowed over, entered, and each prince danced with the girl he loved. But the soldier danced with them unseen. When one of the princesses had a cup of wine in her hand, he drank it up, so the cup was empty when she brought it to her mouth. The youngest was alarmed, but the eldest made her be quiet.

They danced there until three in the morning, when all the shoes were danced into holes, and they had to stop. The princes rowed them back across the lake. This time the soldier sat by the eldest. On the shore they said goodbye to the princes and promised to return the next night.

When they reached the stairs, the soldier ran ahead and lay down in his bed. By the time the twelve came up slowly and wearily, he was snoring so loudly they could all hear him. They said, "As far as he's concerned, we are safe." They took off their beautiful dresses, put them away, placed the worn-out shoes under the bed, and lay down.

The next morning, the soldier decided not to speak yet but to watch the wonderful events again. He went with them once more. Everything happened just like the first time, and each time they danced until their shoes were worn out. But the third time, he took a cup with him as a token.

When the time came for him to give his answer, he took the three twigs and the cup and went to the king. The twelve princesses stood behind the door and listened to what he would say. When the king asked, "Where have my twelve daughters danced their shoes to pieces at night?" he answered, "In an underground castle with twelve princes." And he told how it had happened and showed the tokens.

The king then called his daughters and asked them if the soldier had told the truth. When they saw that they were betrayed and that lying wouldn't help, they had to confess everything. Then the king asked which one he wanted as his wife. He answered, "I am no longer young, so give me the eldest." The wedding was celebrated that very day, and the kingdom was promised to him after the king's death. As for the princes, they were bewitched for as many days as they had danced nights with the twelve.