The Blue Light

Once upon a time, there was a soldier who had served the king faithfully for many years. But after the war ended, he could no longer work because of the many wounds he had. The king told him, "You’re free to go now. I don’t need you anymore, and I won’t pay you any money. Only those who work for me get paid." The soldier didn’t know how to make a living and walked away feeling sad. He wandered all day and, by evening, entered a forest.

As it grew dark, he saw a light and followed it to a house where a witch lived. He asked her for a bed and some food, or he would starve. The witch agreed, but only if he worked for her. "Tomorrow, dig around my garden," she said. The soldier worked hard, but he couldn’t finish in one day. The witch let him stay another night, and the next day, he had to chop wood for her. By evening, the witch offered him one more night if he did one last task: to pull a blue light out of an old well behind her house.

The soldier went to the well and retrieved the light, but when he tried to climb out, the witch reached down to grab it from him. "No!" said the soldier, "I’ll only give it to you when my feet are on the ground." The witch got angry and let him fall back into the well.

The soldier landed safely and sat down sadly. He pulled out his tobacco pipe and, using the blue light to light it, began to smoke. To his surprise, a little black dwarf appeared and said, "What do you command, my lord?" The soldier was shocked. "Can you help me out of this well?" he asked. The dwarf agreed, and soon, the soldier was out of the well. The dwarf also showed him the witch’s hidden treasures, and the soldier took as much gold as he could carry.

The soldier then ordered the dwarf, "Go and capture the witch and bring her before the judge." Soon, the witch came riding a wild cat, screaming in fury. The dwarf returned shortly, saying, "The witch is hanged. What else do you want, my lord?" The soldier replied, "Nothing for now, but if I ever need your help, I’ll light my pipe and summon you."

The soldier returned to town, got new clothes, and stayed at a nice inn. He called the dwarf and said, "I want to get back at the king. He sent me away with nothing. Here’s what you’ll do: Tonight, when the princess is asleep, bring her to me, and she will do servant’s work for me." The dwarf warned, "It’s dangerous. If anyone finds out, you’ll be in trouble." But the soldier insisted.

That night, the dwarf carried the princess to the soldier’s room while she was still asleep. The soldier ordered her to clean his room, fetch the broom, and clean his boots. The princess did everything without saying a word, as if she was sleepwalking. When the rooster crowed, the dwarf took her back to the palace.

The next morning, the princess told her father, the king, about a strange dream where she had to serve a soldier and do hard work. The king gave her advice: "Put peas in your pocket. If you’re carried away again, they will fall out and leave a trail." The dwarf overheard and made sure no peas were left on the streets by scattering them everywhere. So, when the princess was taken again, there was no trace to follow.

The king then came up with another plan: "Tonight, keep your shoes on and hide one of them before you leave. I’ll find it and know where you went." The dwarf heard this too and warned the soldier that this time, they might get caught. But the soldier didn’t listen. That night, the princess had to serve the soldier again, but before she left, she hid one of her shoes under the bed.

The next morning, the king’s men found the shoe at the soldier’s inn, and the soldier was arrested. He had forgotten his most valuable possessions: the blue light and the gold. He only had one coin left in his pocket. While in prison, the soldier saw an old friend outside and asked him to fetch a bundle from the inn. His friend brought it, and when the soldier was alone, he lit his pipe and called the dwarf.

"Don’t worry," said the dwarf. "Take the blue light with you, and no matter what happens, I will help you." The next day, the soldier was put on trial and sentenced to death. Just before his execution, he asked the king for a last request. "What is it?" asked the king. "Let me smoke one last pipe." The king agreed, but warned the soldier that it wouldn’t save his life.

As the soldier lit his pipe, the dwarf appeared with a small cudgel in his hand. "What do you command, my lord?" the dwarf asked. The soldier said, "Strike down the judge, the constable, and the king, who treated me so unfairly."

The dwarf acted quickly, knocking down everyone who had wronged the soldier. The king begged for mercy, and in fear for his life, promised the soldier a kingdom of his own and his daughter’s hand in marriage.

And so, the soldier became a king, ruling wisely, with the little dwarf always ready to help whenever needed.