The Golden Clog

The shouts of the shoeseller, going up and down the street with his donkey, laden with shoes and clogs for sale, had begun to annoy the townspeople. Wishing to be left in peace, they decided to buy all his goods. But once they had agreed a price per pair, the people noticed that the more clogs they bought and piled up in the street, the more full seemed to be the baskets of clogs on the wagon. There was no doubt that there was witchcraft at work. A great argument broke up.

At that very moment, the king passed by in his carriage. The towns people asked for his judgement, but the shoemaker made a gift of a golden clog to the little prince, who was with his father, and the king decided that no crime had been committed. As he announced this, the mysterious shoeseller disappeared.

Very soon after it was discovered that the golden clog was bewitched. Not only could nobody get it off, but the clog also grew little by little along with he prince's foot. Therefore it never caused him any paint at all.

Years later, the king chose a girl to be a wife for his son. Hardly had the marriage been celebrated when the golden clog began to hurt the prince. It only ceased to hurt him when his marriage was annulled. The king went to the court magician for advice, and learnt that his son would only be able to make a happy marriage to the girl who was able to make the golden clog from his foot. The princess of nearby kingdoms were the first to try, followed by all the duchesses, countesses, and common people in the land until there only remained a dirty scullery-maid! At that moment the shoeseller's cry was heard from the street and the girl, was changed at once into the most gentle and lovable princess. So, the king was content and the young prince and princess lived happily ever after.

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