The Golden Clog

The Shouts of the shoe-seller, 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 0f clogs on the wagon. There was no doubt that there was witchcraft at work.  A great argument broke out.

At that very moment, the king passed by in his carriage. The townspeople 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 shoe-seller 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 the prince's foot. Therefore it never caused him any pain 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 take the golden clog from his foot. The princesses 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, dressed in rags. She kissed the clog and removed it with ease. The king was furious: he could not allow his son to marry a scullery-maid! At that moment the shoe-seller's cry was heard from the street and the girl, who was actually his daughter, 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.