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Updated: July 23, 2025
They quite forgot to thank Esben for what he had done for them. When they had ridden onwards for some time they reached a king's palace, and inquired there whether they could be taken into service. Quite easily, they were told, if they would be stablemen, otherwise the king had no use for them. They were quite ready for this, and got the task of looking after all the king's horses.
As for Esben, no one had ever thought about him; his brothers had not even said farewell to him. After the eleven were gone Esben went to his father and said, 'Father, give me also a horse and money; I should also like to see round about me in the world. 'You are a little fool, said his father.
Esben at once put it into his sack and hurried off before the witch should catch sight of him; but the next moment she came running, and shouted after him, 'Hey! is that you, Esben? 'Ye e s! 'Is it you that has taken my pretty boar? 'Ye e s! 'It was also you that took my dove? 'Ye e s! 'And it was you that made me kill my eleven daughters? 'Ye e s! 'Are you coming back again?
'You must get me that boar within three days, said the king, 'or it will cost you your heads. With that they had to go. This was still worse than before, they thought. Where could they get such a marvellous boar? They all went about hanging their heads; but when only one day remained of the three Esben came along.
The brothers were at once set at liberty, while Sir Red, for his wickedness, was hanged on the highest tree that could be found, and so he got the reward he deserved. Much was made of Esben and his brothers, and these now thanked him for all that he had done for them. The twelve of them received as much gold and silver as they could carry, and betook themselves home to their old father.
'Take your own mind of it, said the king; 'but if you don't get that dove within three days you shall lose your heads, the whole lot of you. With that the king let them go, and there was great grief among them; some wept and others lamented. At that moment Esben came along, and, seeing their sorrowful looks, said to them, 'Hello, what's the matter with you?
But just as things looked their worst along came Esben. 'Something wrong again? said he. 'What's the matter with you now? 'Oh, it's no use telling you, said they. 'You can't help us, at any rate. 'Oh, you might at least tell me, said Esben; 'I have helped you before.
'That may be, said Esben. 'Then you'll catch it, said the witch. Esben was soon back at the palace with the boar, and his brothers scarcely knew which leg to stand on, so rejoiced were they that they were safe again. Not one of them, however, ever thought of thanking Esben for what he had done for them.
'And drowned my twelfth daughter in the well, and took my lamp? 'Ye e s! 'And now you have roasted my thirteenth and last daughter in the oven, and taken my coverlet? 'YeÄeÄs! 'Are you coming back again? 'No, never again, said Esben. At this the witch became so furious that she sprang into numberless pieces of flint, and from this come all the flint stones that one finds about the country.
It was so dark that she could not see a hand's breadth before her, but she felt her way, and hacked the heads off all the sleepers who had the men's night-caps on and these were her own daughters. As soon as she had gone her way Esben wakened his brothers, and they hastily took their horses and rode off from the witch's house, glad that they had escaped so well.
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