âOnce upon a time a young prince went riding out in the moonlight. The air was so light he felt that he was flying. The sky was deep blue, with a big white moon floating among small, curly clouds. Far away over the mountains, lightning flashed silently. The prince rode quickly, and in the moonlight his shadow was so large it looked like a giant unearthly rider.When the prince reached his castle, he dismounted and gave his horse to his groom, but he was reluctant to go in. With his riding crop in hand, he walked to the sea and began to stroll slowly along the sandy shore. He was not thinking of anything in particular, it was a pleasant and easy walk, and he drew deep breaths of the cool night air. Suddenly, while he was walking, he struck his riding-crop into the sand and felt the tip catch on something. What was it? A ring?A ring, thought the prince, and held it up to the moonlight. Who could have lost a ring here by the shore? It must have been one of the ladies-in-waiting. And so the prince tucked the ring in his breast pocket. It was a small ring, slender as a thread, with several little blue stones set to look like a forget-me-not.The court assembled in the great hall after supper, and the prince put his hand in his breast pocket and said: âCould any of you ladies by chance have lost a ring?âImmediately all the ladies looked at their hands. They had numerous precious diamond, emerald, and sapphire rings, and now they peered anxiously from finger to finger to see if any of their magnificente rings were missing. But they were all still there.âWhat does your ring look like?â a beautiful lady dared to ask.The prince held up the ring.When the ladies saw it, they put on superior and disdainful expressions. Certainly none of them would claim such a ring as that. It was nothing, a mere trinket, and so little it seemed made for a childâs hand.But now the ladies had something to talk about, and for the rest of the evening they busily compared their beautiful rings, passing them from hand to hand and exclaiming over their cost. The prince rose and strolled to the balcony, where he stood gazing at the moonlight.Later, he went to his chamber, undressed, and go tinto bed. He set the little ring on a table near him. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he heard a strange noise, a clicking and whirring as if a small insect were darting among the glasses on the table. When the prince opened his eyes, he was surprised to see that it was the little ring rattling around, as if an unseen hand had set it in motion.Quickly he lit a candle. Then the ring became still. But as soon as he blew out the candle, the ring began to dance again. It was strange and eerie. The prince put the ring in a drawer, yet he could hear it skittering all night long, and hardly slept at all. Of course he could have thrown the ring away, but for some reason, that seemed to him quite out of the question. He did not wish to part with the ring at all, and the next night too, he brought it to his chamber.Hardly had he snuffed out the candle then the ring began to dance again, and this time it did not just bounce about the table, but jumped to his breast and bounced just as quickly there.âWhat can it mean?â said the prince, and sat up in bed. He brooded and wondered. What kind of magic ring had he come upon with his riding crop? That evening he placed the ring on the table beside his bed as before. He was so tired that he fell asleep at once, but he had not slept long before he was awekened by something brushing his face, and instantly he realised it was the ring running back and forth over his forehead, dancing down his cheeks, and spinning along his lips.âNow, I understand,â he exclaimed, and jumped up. âI must find the owner of the ring.âDawn had just begun to break over the sea when he went to the stable, saddled his horse, and thundered across the drawbridge. He rode all day without seeing anyone, but towards the evening he arrived at a large castle, beautifully situated in a green meadow surrounded by trees. Ivy and roses climbed the walls, and high in an arched window the lady of the castle was standing and looking over the countryside. She was a widow, but still a young and handsome woman, who ruled her large estates with a firm hand. When she saw the prince approaching, she dispatched a servant to greet him and welcome him to the castle.The prince accepted her invitation and gladly went in. The noble lady received him in the friendliest fashion. He was given a splendid chamber, and when he came to dinner he found that the large banquet hall had been lit with candles and torches. The table was laid with silver and gold. Servants in festive dress passed around delicious dishes, and the lady herself looked as distinguished as a queen in red velvet and ermine. She talked gaily, and seemed highly amused by all the prince had to say. He did not explain why he had ridden alone into the world, but now and then he cast a quick glance at the ladyâs hands. Could she have lost the ring?But as it happened this noble lady had very large, very red, and very worn hands. Her carriage and walk were distinguished and imposing, so you could not doubt she was of noble birth, but when you caught sight of her big hands and lumpy fingers, you thought instinctively, these are the hands of a cook.She wore many costly rings on her fingers, yet they seemed badly out of place and only showed up her rough hands all the more. At the end of dinner, she peeled an apple for the prince, and looking sharply at her ring-bedecked fingers he asked, âYou have so many exquisite rings, my lady. I suppose you could easily lose one by bathing or picking flowers?ââI always take my rings off before I swim in the lake,â she laughed. âAnd I never pick flowers myself, the maids do it for me.âThe prince was silent for a moment, then he brought forth the little ring and showed it to her. âWhat do you think of this ring?â he asked.âThat little ring,â she said, trying to put it on her little finger. âIt doesnât go over the first joint of this finger. It seems to belong to a child. Where did you get it, your highness?ââThat I canât tell you,â the prince answered, and hid the ring in his breast pocket.The ladyâs keen black eyes looked searchingly at him for a moment, then she began to talk of other things. And the next morning before dawn the prince rode from the castle.His eyes were on the horizon. A child, he thought â  a poor child. But where are you?He rode through forests and valleys, across meadows and fields, and when the sun was high he came to a large manor house set among waving wheatfields and beautiful flower gardens. Even at a distance he could see a number of people in a large courtyard. The sound of violins and trumpets reached his ears, and as he came nearer he realised it was a wedding.The bride and groom were standing on the front steps. The bride had a crown of bright ribbons and flowers on her head, and the groom had a silver buttoned-coat, a glossy black hat, and a happy smile. In the courtyard, a hundred young boys and girls were dancing merrily together. The prince reined his horse on a small hill not far from the manor house and began to watch the dancing. When the dancers stopped and sat down to rest, on benches under the large linden trees that spread their branches over the yard, he rode nearer.All eyes turned towards the strange rider who had appeared so unexpectedly. The prince held up his little ring.  He called âIs there any girl here who has lost a ring?âThe girls flew to him like doves to look at the ring. âI have lost a ring!â âAnd I!â several cried, crowding close to the prince.But before long â âNo, the ring I lost didnât look like that one,â said one girl after another, until they all began to babble and chatter, laugh and giggle, and the music started up again. They hurried back to dance, while the prince rode sorrowfully away.He rode on until evening when, feeling tired, he slowed his horse to ride along the bank of a river that cut through the meadows. Then he caught sight of a woman dressed in black, walking with downcast eyes as though looking for something among the stones by the road. As the prince drew nearer, he saw that the woman was very beautiful, but that the big black eyes in her pale face were full of pain and suffering. He was very sorry for her.âWhat are you looking for, dear one?â he asked. âHave you lost something precious to you?âThe womanâs face became even more melancholy than before. She raised her eyes and her lips trembled. In a quavering voice, wringing her hands, she said, âI have lost all I ever had in life: my husband, my estate, my fortune. I had only one thing left, a ring that was a gift from my late husband. I had hoped to sell it well, but now I have lost it and I donât know how or where. And so my last hope is gone, all that is left for me is to beg for my daily bread.âThe princeâs heart was beating eagerly. Could she be speaking of the ring he was carrying at his breast? Yet all who had seen it had said it was worthless.   Slowly he held up the ring and asked, âCould it possibly be this ring?â   She gave him a sad smile. âMy ring was set with a large, costly diamond. That little one there is nothing but a cheap toy.â   Then the prince opened his purse, full of gold coins, and let them rain into the bereaved womanâs arms. âHere, here is enough to provide for the present at least,â he said gently. âThis gold may help you.â Before the woman had time to thank him, he rode off.   Who rode for days and nights without encountering anyone who recognised the ring. Always he carried it in his breast pocket, and though it no longer danced as it had during the first nights, he could still feel it tugging at him, as if sobbing quietly. The prince heard the small, sorrowful throbbing at his breast over the beating of his own heart, and every day he loved the ring more and more.One morning he came to a swiftly running river. On the opposite bank was a tall mountain, wrapped in the blue veil of early morning mist. All over its slopes sparkled what looked like little gold fires, but they were really broom bushes in flower, so attractive that the prince could not help feeling happy. He wanted to go to them and look more closely, but that would not be easy, for there was no bridge over the river.   I suppose I must swim across the, thought the prince, and he and his horse plunged into the rapids. The prince hardly noticed as water sprayed high above him and his horse was almost pulled downstream by the current. His long futile search had made him so dejected that he enjoyed having to struggle with all his might to get to the far bank. At last he stood there, tired and out of breath, with his horse panting and snorting beside him. The mountain rose before him.   The prince could not climb the slope on horseback, so he let the horse graze on a green meadow, and struggled on foot up a narrow mountain that wound through a forest towards the summit.   It was a hot day, and the shade of the trees in the cool forest felt good to him. Everything was still, the sun cast golden flecks over the forest floor, which was smoothed by last yearâs leaves covering the knotted tree roots along the path. The climbing was not easy, though. What for? His heart was beating so violently that he could hear it, and he could also hear the heartthrob of the little ring, pulsing more than it had for a long time.   He paused for a moment, then climbed on.He thought he heard the sound of rippling water, and all of a sudden he realised how thirsty he was. Now at least he knew what he wanted: he wanted to get to the spring and drink and drink. The sound of the bubbling water came ever stronger, and then he saw something flash white under the leaves of the chestnuts. Two steps more, and he was standing by a fresh mountain spring that was gushing out a rock wall into the pool. Then he stood stock still; he was not alone.At the spring was a girl, one hand on her hip, watching as the water filled a pail she had set beneath it; another empty pail was in the grass nearby. The girlâs legs were bare, she was dressed in a short grey skirt and white blouse, and her hair hung down her back in two blond braids. The prince could not see her face, but when the pail was full, she turned in his direction. Her blue eyes looked surprised for a moment, but then she bowed her head in greeting, and put the second pail under the waterfall. When it, too, was full, she turned and hooked both pails to a yoke that lay in the grass. The prince smiled at her but she did not smile in return. Her face looked so quiet and serious that suddenly the prince, too, became serious.âForgive me,â he said, âbut may I have a drink of water? I am so thirsty.ââWhat will you drink from?â asked the girl. Her voice was soft and beautiful; it sounded like music. âI know,â she said with a quick smile. âCome here, I will help you.âThe prince went to the spring, and the girl put her hands together to make a small drinking cup. The water gushed into them and in a second they were full.âHurry and drink,â she called, laughing merrily.The prince ended the little cup in a moment. With water still dripping from his mouth, he said, âMore. Give me one more cup of water.âThe girl closed her hands again, and they were filled by the spring. By this time when the prince bent down to drink, he noticed a curious change in the girlâs face. She blushed, and her eyes that before had looked as blue as summer sky, now seemed almost black. She snatched the chain from the princeâs neck and seized the ring, which had fallen from his breast pocket when he bent to drink.âMy ring,â she said tremulously. âWhere did you find my ring?â She put it on the little finger of her left hand, and it went on as smoothly as it had come home. âMy ring!â she repeated, and looked at the prince with tears in her eyes.She sat on the grass under the low branches of the chestnuts, and turned the ring slowly around her finger with as much tenderness as if it had been a living thing.âWhy do you love your ring so much?â asked the prince, sitting beside her.She looked up at him. âMy mother gave it to me on the day she died,â she said. âI was only a little girl, but she told me, âIt will always help you in misfortune, and if you are ever in need, throw it into the sea. It will know how to find your saviour.ââAnd it has found him,â said the prince, smiling and taking the girlâs hands in his. âIt called and beckoned me, and has not given me a momentâs peace until I found you here in the forest. But tell me, why are you here? How did you get here? What is your misfortune?âThe girl looked around anxiously, and whispered, âI live here with an old mountain troll, who makes me work like a slave.â And she told him the sad tale of her life.She had been born in a castle high among the mountains, and would have become a fine and noble princess, but her mother had died when she was a child; and when she was fifteen, a duke from another country captured the castle, murdered her father, and carried her away. Then she had lived in a tower of the foreign dukeâs palace and was given the best of everything: costly gowns and delicacies, and numerous servants to wait on her. But she was never allowed to leave the palace. Only from a window in her chambers could she see the outside world of flowery meadows, green woods, and the river that wound like a ribbon of silver through the valley. One day the duke came to her room and told her that in three months she would marry his son.The girl looked at the prince with sad eyes, âIt was the greatest misfortune and shame that could ever have befallen me. The dukeâs son was big and coarse as a giant, his face was red, and he was almost always drunk. I would rather have died than become his wife.â   However, the girl had pretended that she would very much like to be married to the dukeâs son. But first, she said, she wanted to make a gift of braided rope for the anchor of his sailing ship, and when that was finished she would happily become his wife. And so she began to braid a rope of the strongest hem she could find, and soon it was so long it reached from her window all the way down to the valley.   On the evening before the wedding, she locked herself in her little tower chamber, tied the rope to the window, and climbed down. When she reached the ground, she ran as fast as she could to hide in the forest. There she crept into a dense thicket and fell into a deep sleep.   Next morning she was awakened by a tickling on her forehead. When she opened her eyes she saw a terrifying face looking down at her. It was a troll of the mountain, who had been taking his morning walk through the forest, and he was poking her with a blade of glass. A long red tongue lolled from his mouth, and he had great fury black hands like a bear.   âI was so frightened,â said the girl, âthat I hardly dared to breathe.â   The troll had laughed horribly and said, âWhat luck to find you, little sweet one. I want someone to care for me, cook my food, carry my water and my wood and be my own companion.â So the troll grabbed her by the hair and carried her to his cave on the mountain top. It was a deep black cave, and even on the hottest summer day it was cold as a cellar, and heavy drops of water trickled from the stones.   âI have served the mountain troll for three years,â sighed the girl. âAnd every summer he tells me, âNext Christmas, when you are a little fatter, I will eat you.â   âSo I hardly dare eat, and I have not thought of anything but how to escape. On a spring day I ran all the way down the mountainside to the river, hoping to cross to the other side. But there was no bridge, only the rapids and the spray. So I took off my ring and threw it into the water and called out as my mother taught me,   Ring, ring, pulse and spring   And my knight to me bring,   A knight so good, a knight so brave,   To rescue me, a helpless slave.â   âThe ring disappeared into the water. But now,â finished the girl, smiling, âthe ring has found the knight who will help and save me.â She kissed the ring.   âYou kiss the ring,â said the prince. âDo you think you would rather kiss me?â   âDo you think so?â and then with a smile flung her arms around his neck and kissed him.   That moment they heard a strange, thundering sound.   âIt is the troll of the mountain,â the girl cried, and jumped up. âQuick! Quick! We must run as fast as we can.â   And quickly they sped down the mountain side to where the princeâs horse was grazing quietly by the river. Quickly the prince swung into the saddle, lifted the princess in front of him, and plunged into the water. Waves splashed over their heads, the horse panted and snorted and kicked the river, and the mountain troll in the forest howled and bellowed like a pack of hungry wolves.   The prince and the girl rode for days and nights through forest and plain, across rivers and brooks, past groves and hedges. The horse never tired until they reached the princeâs castle. They arrived there on a moonlit night, and rode slowly along the seashore, the princess wrapped up in the princeâs big cape. She lifted a corner of the cape and looked down at the sand. âHow strange,â she said, with a smile on her face. âLooking at the shadow, one would think there was only one rider on the horse.ââ From "Ringen" by Helena Nyblom (1843 â1926) in "Bland tomtar och troll" (Among Gnomes and Trolls: a Collection of Swedish Folk Tales) edition 1914, Illustration "Det var en gĂ„ng en prins, som var ute och red i mĂ„nskenet" by John Bauer (1882 â 1918).
