Deep in the woods along a stream flowing to the river is a cottage that the King
has never visited because he does not know it is there. Few places in the kingdom
escape the King’s notice, but this is one such place. Inside the cottage there is a fire and
a stout man seated in front of it. The stout man plays a fiddle all day and all night to the
fire, and the music is carried away with the smoke through the chimney. The music is so
bizarre that the smoke turns all matter of blue, purple and green when it hears the
notes.
One day, a hunter tracking a stag through the woods heard the bizarre sounds
and saw the colorful smoke dancing through the trees. Frightened, he abandoned his
hunt and rode straight to the castle. He told the King of the strange sights and sounds
that had terrified him. At once, the King rallied his cavalry and set off to investigate. As
they rode along the stream away from the river deeper into the woods, the King was
appalled at his ignorance about this part of his realm. In his anger, he was determined
to discover the source of the disturbance—the King and his men pressed on.
Soon, the riders approached the spot where the strange smoke was swirling and
strange music was sounding. The cottage appeared through a thicket and the music
grew louder. As the King dismounted, his horse stood up on hind legs and began
dancing wildly. The cavalry’s horses followed and soon all were jumping and spinning.
The King ordered his soldiers to knock down the cottage door and put a stop to the
unnatural scene. As they approached, the purple and green smoke shrouded them so
they could not make sense of heads or tails. In their dizziness they toppled one on top of
the other into a pile of clanking armor. Maddened, the King lit a torch and set the
cottage ablaze, hoping to stop the bizarre music once and for all. As the cottage burned
the strange music ceased and the colorful smoke vanished. Satisfied, the King rode back
to the castle to share his victory with the Queen.
As the King approached the castle, he was stunned to once again hear the bizarre
music and see the oddly colored smoke coming from his court. He rushed inside to find
a stout man playing fiddle for the Queen. He drew his sword intent on cutting down the
bizarre fiddler, but upon seeing joy on the Queen’s face he stopped himself. Confused,
he demanded to know how the Queen came to know the strange fiddler. The Queen told
the King that the fiddler came to the castle seeking help because his cottage caught fire.
He rode by boat down the stream to the river all the way to the castle as soon as the
flames came to his door. In waiting for the King to return, the Queen asked the fiddler
to play for her. The music was so enchanting that even the hearth’s smoke set off
dancing. The Queen promised a new cottage and a large payment for the fiddler in
exchange for more of his music. The fiddler was overjoyed and the King, although
bewildered, honored the Queen’s promise.
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