Iron Hans

By Itellyouastory

There was once upon a time a king who had a great forest near hispalace, full of all kinds of wild animals. One day he sent out ahuntsman to shoot him a roe, but he did not  come back. «Perhaps someaccident has  befallen him,» said the king, and  the next day he sentout two more huntsmen  who were to search for him, but they  too stayedaway. Then on the third  day, he sent for all his huntsmen,  and said:«Scour the whole forest  through, and do not give  up until you  havefound all three.»  But of these  also, none came home again, none wereseen  again. From that time forth, no  one would any  longer  ventureinto  the  forest, and  it  lay there  in  deep stillness and solitude,and nothing was seen of it, but sometimes an eagle or a hawk  flyingover it.  This lasted  for many years,  when an  unknown huntsmanannounced himself to the king as seeking a situation, and offered to gointo  the dangerous forest.  The king, however,  would not give  hisconsent, and said: «It is not safe in there; I fear it would fare withyou no better than with the others, and  you would never come outagain.»  The huntsman replied: «Lord, I will venture it at my own risk,of fear I  know nothing.»

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