There was once upon a time a king who had a great forest near hispalace, full of all kinds of wild animals. One day he sent out ahuntsman to shoot him a roe, but he did not come back. 'Perhaps someaccident has befallen him,' said the king, and the next day he sent outtwo more huntsmen who were to search for him, but they too stayed away.Then on the third day, he sent for all his huntsmen, and said: 'Scourthe whole forest through, and do not give up until you have found allthree.' But of these also, none came home again, none were seen again.From that time forth, no one would any longer venture into the forest,and it lay there in deep stillness and solitude, and nothing was seenof it, but sometimes an eagle or a hawk flying over it. This lasted formany years, when an unknown huntsman announced himself to the king asseeking a situation, and offered to go into the dangerous forest. Theking, however, would not give his consent, and said: 'It is not safe inthere; I fear it would fare with you no better than with the others,and you would never come out again.' The huntsman replied: 'Lord, I willventure it at my own risk, of fear I know nothing.'

The huntsman therefore betook himself with his dog to the forest. It wasnot long before the dog fell in with some game on the way, and wanted topursue it; but hardly had the dog run two steps when it stood before adeep pool, could go no farther, and a naked arm stretched itself out ofthe water, seized it, and drew it under. When the huntsman saw that, hewent back and fetched three men to come with buckets and bale out thewater. When they could see to the bottom there lay a wild man whose bodywas brown like rusty iron, and whose hair hung over his face down to hisknees. They bound him with cords, and led him away to the castle. Therewas great astonishment over the wild man; the king, however, had him putin an iron cage in his courtyard, and forbade the door to be openedon pain of death, and the queen herself was to take the key into herkeeping. And from this time forth everyone could again go into theforest with safety.

The king had a son of eight years, who was once playing in thecourtyard, and while he was playing, his golden ball fell into the cage.The boy ran thither and said: 'Give me my ball out.' 'Not till you haveopened the door for me,' answered the man. 'No,' said the boy, 'I willnot do that; the king has forbidden it,' and ran away. The next day heagain went and asked for his ball; the wild man said: 'Open my door,'but the boy would not. On the third day the king had ridden out hunting,and the boy went once more and said: 'I cannot open the door even if Iwished, for I have not the key.' Then the wild man said: 'It lies underyour mother's pillow, you can get it there.' The boy, who wanted to havehis ball back, cast all thought to the winds, and brought the key. Thedoor opened with difficulty, and the boy pinched his fingers. When itwas open the wild man stepped out, gave him the golden ball, and hurriedaway. The boy had become afraid; he called and cried after him: 'Oh,wild man, do not go away, or I shall be beaten!' The wild man turnedback, took him up, set him on his shoulder, and went with hasty stepsinto the forest. When the king came home, he observed the empty cage,and asked the queen how that had happened. She knew nothing about it,and sought the key, but it was gone. She called the boy, but no oneanswered. The king sent out people to seek for him in the fields, butthey did not find him. Then he could easily guess what had happened, andmuch grief reigned in the royal court.

When the wild man had once more reached the dark forest, he took the boydown from his shoulder, and said to him: 'You will never see your fatherand mother again, but I will keep you with me, for you have set me free,and I have compassion on you. If you do all I bid you, you shall farewell. Of treasure and gold have I enough, and more than anyone in theworld.' He made a bed of moss for the boy on which he slept, and thenext morning the man took him to a well, and said: 'Behold, the goldwell is as bright and clear as crystal, you shall sit beside it, andtake care that nothing falls into it, or it will be polluted. I willcome every evening to see if you have obeyed my order.' The boy placedhimself by the brink of the well, and often saw a golden fish or agolden snake show itself therein, and took care that nothing fell in.As he was thus sitting, his finger hurt him so violently that heinvoluntarily put it in the water. He drew it quickly out again, but sawthat it was quite gilded, and whatsoever pains he took to wash the goldoff again, all was to no purpose. In the evening Iron Hans came back,looked at the boy, and said: 'What has happened to the well?' 'Nothingnothing,' he answered, and held his finger behind his back, that theman might not see it. But he said: 'You have dipped your finger intothe water, this time it may pass, but take care you do not again letanything go in.' By daybreak the boy was already sitting by the well andwatching it. His finger hurt him again and he passed it over his head,and then unhappily a hair fell down into the well. He took it quicklyout, but it was already quite gilded. Iron Hans came, and already knewwhat had happened. 'You have let a hair fall into the well,' said he.'I will allow you to watch by it once more, but if this happens for thethird time then the well is polluted and you can no longer remain withme.'

On the third day, the boy sat by the well, and did not stir his finger,however much it hurt him. But the time was long to him, and he looked atthe reflection of his face on the surface of the water. And as hestill bent down more and more while he was doing so, and trying to lookstraight into the eyes, his long hair fell down from his shoulders intothe water. He raised himself up quickly, but the whole of the hair ofhis head was already golden and shone like the sun. You can imagine howterrified the poor boy was! He took his pocket-handkerchief and tied itround his head, in order that the man might not see it. When he came healready knew everything, and said: 'Take the handkerchief off.' Then thegolden hair streamed forth, and let the boy excuse himself as he might,it was of no use. 'You have not stood the trial and can stay here nolonger. Go forth into the world, there you will learn what poverty is.But as you have not a bad heart, and as I mean well by you, there isone thing I will grant you; if you fall into any difficulty, come to theforest and cry: "Iron Hans," and then I will come and help you. Mypower is great, greater than you think, and I have gold and silver inabundance.'

Then the king's son left the forest, and walked by beaten and unbeatenpaths ever onwards until at length he reached a great city. There helooked for work, but could find none, and he learnt nothing by which hecould help himself. At length he went to the palace, and asked if theywould take him in. The people about court did not at all know what usethey could make of him, but they liked him, and told him to stay. Atlength the cook took him into his service, and said he might carry woodand water, and rake the cinders together. Once when it so happened thatno one else was at hand, the cook ordered him to carry the food to theroyal table, but as he did not like to let his golden hair be seen, hekept his little cap on. Such a thing as that had never yet come underthe king's notice, and he said: 'When you come to the royal table youmust take your hat off.' He answered: 'Ah, Lord, I cannot; I have a badsore place on my head.' Then the king had the cook called before himand scolded him, and asked how he could take such a boy as that into hisservice; and that he was to send him away at once. The cook, however,had pity on him, and exchanged him for the gardener's boy.

And now the boy had to plant and water the garden, hoe and dig, and bearthe wind and bad weather. Once in summer when he was working alone inthe garden, the day was so warm he took his little cap off that the airmight cool him. As the sun shone on his hair it glittered and flashed sothat the rays fell into the bedroom of the king's daughter, and up shesprang to see what that could be. Then she saw the boy, and cried tohim: 'Boy, bring me a wreath of flowers.' He put his cap on with allhaste, and gathered wild field-flowers and bound them together. When hewas ascending the stairs with them, the gardener met him, and said: 'Howcan you take the king's daughter a garland of such common flowers? Goquickly, and get another, and seek out the prettiest and rarest.' 'Oh,no,' replied the boy, 'the wild ones have more scent, and will pleaseher better.' When he got into the room, the king's daughter said: 'Takeyour cap off, it is not seemly to keep it on in my presence.' He againsaid: 'I may not, I have a sore head.' She, however, caught at hiscap and pulled it off, and then his golden hair rolled down on hisshoulders, and it was splendid to behold. He wanted to run out, but sheheld him by the arm, and gave him a handful of ducats. With these hedeparted, but he cared nothing for the gold pieces. He took them to thegardener, and said: 'I present them to your children, they can play withthem.' The following day the king's daughter again called to him that hewas to bring her a wreath of field-flowers, and then he went in with it,she instantly snatched at his cap, and wanted to take it away from him,but he held it fast with both hands. She again gave him a handful ofducats, but he would not keep them, and gave them to the gardener forplaythings for his children. On the third day things went just thesame; she could not get his cap away from him, and he would not have hermoney.

Not long afterwards, the country was overrun by war. The king gatheredtogether his people, and did not know whether or not he could offer anyopposition to the enemy, who was superior in strength and had a mightyarmy. Then said the gardener's boy: 'I am grown up, and will go to thewars also, only give me a horse.' The others laughed, and said: 'Seekone for yourself when we are gone, we will leave one behind us in thestable for you.' When they had gone forth, he went into the stable, andled the horse out; it was lame of one foot, and limped hobblety jib,hobblety jib; nevertheless he mounted it, and rode away to the darkforest. When he came to the outskirts, he called 'Iron Hans' threetimes so loudly that it echoed through the trees. Thereupon the wild manappeared immediately, and said: 'What do you desire?' 'I want a strongsteed, for I am going to the wars.' 'That you shall have, and still morethan you ask for.' Then the wild man went back into the forest, and itwas not long before a stable-boy came out of it, who led a horse thatsnorted with its nostrils, and could hardly be restrained, and behindthem followed a great troop of warriors entirely equipped in iron, andtheir swords flashed in the sun. The youth made over his three-leggedhorse to the stable-boy, mounted the other, and rode at the head of thesoldiers. When he got near the battlefield a great part of the king'smen had already fallen, and little was wanting to make the rest giveway. Then the youth galloped thither with his iron soldiers, broke likea hurricane over the enemy, and beat down all who opposed him. Theybegan to flee, but the youth pursued, and never stopped, until therewas not a single man left. Instead of returning to the king, however, heconducted his troop by byways back to the forest, and called forth IronHans. 'What do you desire?' asked the wild man. 'Take back your horseand your troops, and give me my three-legged horse again.' All that heasked was done, and soon he was riding on his three-legged horse. Whenthe king returned to his palace, his daughter went to meet him, andwished him joy of his victory. 'I am not the one who carried away thevictory,' said he, 'but a strange knight who came to my assistance withhis soldiers.' The daughter wanted to hear who the strange knight was,but the king did not know, and said: 'He followed the enemy, and I didnot see him again.' She inquired of the gardener where his boy was, buthe smiled, and said: 'He has just come home on his three-legged horse,and the others have been mocking him, and crying: "Here comes ourhobblety jib back again!" They asked, too: "Under what hedge have youbeen lying sleeping all the time?" So he said: "I did the best of all,and it would have gone badly without me." And then he was still moreridiculed.'

The king said to his daughter: 'I will proclaim a great feast that shalllast for three days, and you shall throw a golden apple. Perhaps theunknown man will show himself.' When the feast was announced, the youthwent out to the forest, and called Iron Hans. 'What do you desire?'asked he. 'That I may catch the king's daughter's golden apple.' 'It isas safe as if you had it already,' said Iron Hans. 'You shall likewisehave a suit of red armour for the occasion, and ride on a spiritedchestnut-horse.' When the day came, the youth galloped to the spot, tookhis place amongst the knights, and was recognized by no one. The king'sdaughter came forward, and threw a golden apple to the knights, but noneof them caught it but he, only as soon as he had it he galloped away.

On the second day Iron Hans equipped him as a white knight, and gave hima white horse. Again he was the only one who caught the apple, andhe did not linger an instant, but galloped off with it. The king grewangry, and said: 'That is not allowed; he must appear before me and tellhis name.' He gave the order that if the knight who caught the apple,should go away again they should pursue him, and if he would not comeback willingly, they were to cut him down and stab him.

On the third day, he received from Iron Hans a suit of black armour anda black horse, and again he caught the apple. But when he was riding offwith it, the king's attendants pursued him, and one of them got so nearhim that he wounded the youth's leg with the point of his sword. Theyouth nevertheless escaped from them, but his horse leapt so violentlythat the helmet fell from the youth's head, and they could see that hehad golden hair. They rode back and announced this to the king.

The following day the king's daughter asked the gardener about hisboy. 'He is at work in the garden; the queer creature has been at thefestival too, and only came home yesterday evening; he has likewiseshown my children three golden apples which he has won.'

The king had him summoned into his presence, and he came and again hadhis little cap on his head. But the king's daughter went up to him andtook it off, and then his golden hair fell down over his shoulders, andhe was so handsome that all were amazed. 'Are you the knight who cameevery day to the festival, always in different colours, and who caughtthe three golden apples?' asked the king. 'Yes,' answered he, 'and herethe apples are,' and he took them out of his pocket, and returned themto the king. 'If you desire further proof, you may see the wound whichyour people gave me when they followed me. But I am likewise the knightwho helped you to your victory over your enemies.' 'If you can performsuch deeds as that, you are no gardener's boy; tell me, who is yourfather?' 'My father is a mighty king, and gold have I in plenty as greatas I require.' 'I well see,' said the king, 'that I owe my thanks toyou; can I do anything to please you?' 'Yes,' answered he, 'that indeedyou can. Give me your daughter to wife.' The maiden laughed, and said:'He does not stand much on ceremony, but I have already seen by hisgolden hair that he was no gardener's boy,' and then she went andkissed him. His father and mother came to the wedding, and were in greatdelight, for they had given up all hope of ever seeing their dearson again. And as they were sitting at the marriage-feast, the musicsuddenly stopped, the doors opened, and a stately king came in with agreat retinue. He went up to the youth, embraced him and said: 'I amIron Hans, and was by enchantment a wild man, but you have set me free;all the treasures which I possess, shall be your property.'