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St. Nicholas Magazine for Boys and Girls, September 1878
The Ax of Ranier
by Thomas Dunn English
Once upon a time, there lived on the borders of a forest an old woman named
Jehanne, who had an only son, a youth of twenty-one years, who was called Ranier.
Where the two had originally come from no one knew; but they had lived in their
little hut for many years. Ranier was a wood-cutter, and depended on his daily
labor for the support of himself and mother, while the latter eked out their
scanty means by spinning. The son, although poor, was not without learning, for
an old monk in a neighboring convent had taught him to read and write, and had
given him instructions in arithmetic. Ranier was handsome, active and strong,
and very much attached to his mother, to whom he paid all the honor and
obedience due from a son to a parent.
One morning in spring, Ranier went to his work in the forest with his ax on his
shoulder, whistling one of the simple airs of the country as he pursued his way.
Striding along beneath the branches of the great oaks and chestnuts, he began to
reflect upon the hard fate which seemed to doom him to toil and wretchedness,
and, thus thinking, whistled no longer. Presently he sat down upon a
moss-covered rock, and laying his ax by his side, let his thoughts shape
themselves into words.
"This is a sad life of mine," said Ranier. "I might better it, perhaps, were I
to enlist in the army of the king, where I should at least have food and
clothing; but I cannot leave my mother, of whom I am the sole stay and support.
Must I always live thus,—a poor wood-chopper, earning one day the bread I eat
the next, and no more?"
Ranier suddenly felt that some one was near him, and, on looking up, sprang to
his feet and removed his cap. Before him stood a beautiful lady, clad in a robe
of green satin, with a mantle of crimson velvet on her shoulders, and bearing in
her hand a white wand.
"Ranier!" said the unknown, "I am the fairy, Rougevert. I know your history, and
have heard your complaint. What gift shall I bestow on you?"
"Beautiful fairy," replied the young man, "I scarcely know what to ask. But I
bethink me that my ax is nearly worn out, and I have no money with which to buy
another."
The fairy smiled, for she knew that the answer of Ranier came from his
embarrassment; and, going to a tree hard by, she tapped on the bark with her
wand. Thereupon the tree opened, and she took from a recess in its center, a
keen-edged ax with an ashen handle.
"Here," said Rougevert, "is the most excellent ax in the world. With this you
can achieve what no wood-chopper has ever done yet. You have only to whisper to
yourself what you wish done, and then speak to it properly, and the ax will at
once perform all you require, without taxing your strength, and with marvelous
quickness."
The fairy then taught him the words he should use, and, promising to farther
befriend him as he had need, vanished.
Ranier took the ax, and went at once to the place where he intended to labor for
the day. He was not sure that the ax would do what the giver had promised, but
thought it proper to try its powers. "For," he said to himself, "the ranger has
given me a hundred trees to fell, for each of which I am to receive a silver
groat. To cut these in the usual way would take many days. I will wish the ax to
fell and trim them speedily, so,"—he continued aloud, as he had been taught by
the fairy,—"Ax! ax! chop! chop! and work for my profit!"
Thereupon the ax suddenly leapt from his hands, and began to chop with great
skill and swiftness. Having soon cut down, trimmed and rolled a hundred trees
together, it returned, and placed itself in the hands of Ranier.
The wood-chopper was very much delighted with all this, and sat there pleasantly
reflecting upon his good fortune in possessing so useful a servant, when the
ranger of the forest came along. The latter, who was a great lord, was much
surprised when he saw the trees lying there.
"How is this?" asked the ranger, whose name was Woodmount. "At this time
yesterday these trees were standing. How did you contrive to fell them so soon?"
"I had assistance, my lord," replied Ranier; but he said nothing about the magic
ax.
Lord Woodmount hereupon entered into conversation with Ranier, and finding him
to be intelligent and prompt in his replies, was much pleased with him. At last
he said:
"We have had much difficulty in getting ready the timber for the king's new
palace, in consequence of the scarcity of wood-cutters, and the slowness with
which they work. There are over twenty thousand trees yet to be cut and hewn,
and for every tree fully finished the king allows a noble of fifty groats,
although he allows but a groat for the felling alone. It is necessary that they
should be all ready within a month, though I fear that is impossible. As you
seem to be able to get a number of laborers together, I will allot you a
thousand trees, if you choose, should you undertake to have them all ready to be
hauled away for the builders' use, within a month's time."
"My lord," answered Ranier, "I will undertake to have the whole twenty thousand
ready before the time set."
"Do you know what you say?" inquired the ranger, astonished at the bold
proposal.
"Perfectly, my lord," was the reply. "Let me undertake the work on condition
that you will cause the forest to be guarded, and no one to enter save they have
my written permission. Before the end of the month the trees will be ready."
Felling the Trees
"Well," said Lord Woodmount, "it is a risk for me to run; but from what you have
done already, it is possible you may obtain enough woodmen to complete your
task. Yet, beware! If you succeed, I will not only give you twenty thousand
nobles of gold, but also appoint you—if you can write, as you have told me—the
deputy-ranger here; and for every day less than a month in which you finish your
contract I will add a hundred nobles; but, if you fail, I will have you hanged
on a tree. When will you begin?"
"To-morrow morning," replied Ranier.
The next morning, before daylight, Ranier took his way to the forest, leaving
all his money save three groats with his mother, and, after telling her that he
might not return for a day or so, passed the guard that he found already set,
and plunged into the wood. When he came to a place where the trees were thickest
and loftiest, he whispered to himself what he had to do, and said to the ax:
"Ax! ax! chop! chop! and work for my profit." The ax at once went to work with
great earnestness, and by night-fall over ten thousand trees were felled, hewn,
and thrown into piles. Then Ranier, who had not ceased before to watch the work,
ate some of the provisions which he had brought with him, and throwing himself
under a great tree, whose spreading boughs shaded him from the moonlight, drew
his scanty mantle around him, and slept soundly till sunrise.
The next morning Ranier arose, and looked with delight at the work already done;
then, speaking again to the ax, it began chopping away as before.
Now, it chanced that morning that the chief ranger had started to see how the
work was being done, and, on reaching the forest, asked the guards if many
wood-cutters had entered. They all replied that only one had made his
appearance, but he must be working vigorously, since all that morning, and the
whole day before, the wood had resounded with the blows of axes. The Lord
Woodmount thereupon rode on in great anger, for he thought that Ranier had
mocked him. But presently he came to great piles of hewn timber which astonished
him much; and then he heard the axes' sound, which astonished him more, for it
seemed as though twenty wood-choppers were engaged at once, so great was the
din. When he came to where the ax was at work, he thought he saw—and this was
through the magic power of the fairy—thousands of wood-cutters, all arrayed in
green hose and red jerkins, some felling the trees, some hewing them into square
timber, and others arranging the hewn logs into piles of a hundred each, while
Ranier stood looking on. He was so angry at the guards for having misinformed
him, that he at once rode back and rated them soundly on their supposed untruth.
But as they persisted in the story that but one man had passed, he grew angrier
than ever. While he was still rating them, Ranier came up.
"Well, my lord," said the latter, "if you will go or send to examine, you will
find that twenty thousand trees are already cut, squared, and made ready to be
hauled to the king's palace-ground."
The ranger at once rode back into the forest, and, having counted the number of
piles, was much pleased, and ordered Ranier to come that day week when the
timber would be inspected, and if it were all properly done he would receive the
twenty thousand nobles agreed upon.
"Excuse me, my lord," suggested Ranier, "but the work has been done in two days
instead of thirty; and twenty-eight days off at a hundred nobles per day makes
twenty-two thousand eight hundred nobles as my due."
"True," replied the ranger; "and if you want money now—"
"Oh no!" interrupted Ranier, "I have three groats in my purse, and ten more at
home, which will be quite sufficient for my needs."
At this the ranger laughed outright, and then rode away.
At the end of a week, Ranier sought the ranger's castle, and there received not
only an order on the king's treasurer for the money, but also the patent of
deputy-ranger of the king's forest, and the allotment of a handsome house in
which to live. Thither Ranier brought his mother, and as he was now rich, he
bought him fine clothing, and hired him servants, and lived in grand style,
performing all the duties of his office as though he had been used to it all his
life. People noticed, however, that the new deputy-ranger never went out without
his ax, which occasioned some gossip at first; but some one having suggested
that he did so to show that he was not ashamed of his former condition, folk
were satisfied,—though the truth was that he carried the ax for service only.
Now it happened that Ranier was walking alone one evening in the forest to
observe whether any one was trying to kill the king's deer, and while there, he
heard the clash of swords. On going to the spot whence the noise came, he saw a
cavalier richly clad, with his back to a tree, defending himself as he best
might, from a half dozen men in armor, each with his visor down. Ranier had no
sword, for, not being a knight, it was forbidden him to bear such a weapon; but
he bethought him of his ax, and hoped it might serve the men as it had the
trees. So he wished these cowardly assailants killed, and when he uttered the
prescribed words, the ax fell upon the villains, and so hacked and hewed them
that they were at once destroyed. But it seemed to the knight thus rescued that
it was the arm of Ranier that guided the ax, for such was the magic of the
fairy.
So soon as the assailants had been slain, the ax came back into Ranier's hand,
and Ranier went to the knight, who was faint with his wounds, and offered to
lead him to his house. And when he examined him fully, he bent on his knee, for
he discovered that it was the king, Dagobert, whom he had seen once before when
the latter was hunting in the forest.
The king said: "This is the deputy-ranger, Master Ranier. Is it not?"
"Yes, sire!" replied Ranier.
The king laid the blade of his sword on Ranier's shoulder, and said:
"I dub thee knight. Rise up, Sir Ranier! Be trusty, true and loyal."
Sir Ranier arose a knight, and with the king examined the faces of the would-be
assassins, who were found to be great lords of the country, and among them was
Lord Woodmount.
"Sir Ranier," said the king, "have these wretches removed and buried. The office
of chief ranger is thine."
Sir Ranier, while the king was partaking of refreshments at Ranier's house, sent
trusty servants to bury the slain. After this, King Dagobert returned to his
palace, whence he sent the new knight his own sword, a baldrick and spurs of
gold, a collar studded with jewels, the patent of chief ranger of the forest,
and a letter inviting him to visit the court.
Now, when Sir Ranier went to court, the ladies there, seeing that he was young
and handsome, treated him with great favor; and even the king's daughter, the
Princess Isauré, smiled sweetly on him, which, when divers great lords saw, they
were very angry, and plotted to injure the new-comer; for they thought him of
base blood, and were much chagrined that he should have been made a knight, and
be thus welcomed by the princess and the ladies of the court; and they hated him
more as the favorite of the king. So they conferred together how to punish him
for his good fortune, and at length formed a plan which they thought would serve
their ends.
It must be understood that King Dagobert was at that time engaged in a war with
King Crimball, who reigned over an adjoining kingdom, and that the armies of the
two kings now lay within thirty miles of the forest, and were about to give each
other battle. As Sir Ranier, it was supposed, had never been bred to feats of
arms, they thought if they could get him in the field, he would so disgrace
himself as to lose the favor of the king and the court dames, or be certainly
slain. For these lords knew nothing of the adventure of the king in the
forest,—all those in the conspiracy having been slain,—and thought that Ranier
had either rendered some trifling service to the king, or in some way had
pleased the sovereign's fancy. So when the king and some of the great lords of
the court were engaged in talking of the battle that was soon to be fought, one
of the conspirators, named Dyvorer, approached them, and said:
"Why not send Sir Ranier there, sire; for he is, no doubt, a brave and
accomplished knight, and would render great service?"
The king was angry at this, for he knew that Ranier had not been bred to arms,
and readily penetrated the purpose that prompted the suggestion. Before he could
answer, however, Sir Ranier, who had heard the words of Dyvorer, spoke up and
said:
"I pray you, sire, to let me go; for, though I may not depend much upon my lance
and sword, I have an ax that never fails me."
Then the king remembered of the marvelous feats which he had seen Ranier perform
in his behalf, and he replied:
"You shall go, Sir Ranier; and as the Lord Dyvorer has made a suggestion of such
profit, he shall have the high honor of attending as one of the knights in your
train, where he will, doubtless, support you well."
At this, the rest laughed, and Dyvorer was much troubled, for he was a great
coward. But he dared not refuse obedience.
The next morning, Sir Ranier departed along with the king for the field of
battle, bearing his ax with him; and, when they arrived, they found both sides
drawn up in battle order, and waiting the signal to begin. Before they fell to,
a champion of the enemy, a knight of fortune from Bohemia, named Sir Paul, who
was over seven feet in height, and a very formidable soldier, who fought as well
with his left hand as with his right, rode forward between the two armies, and
defied any knight in King Dagobert's train to single combat.
Then said Dyvorer: "No doubt, here is a good opportunity for Sir Ranier to show
his prowess."
"Be sure that it is!" exclaimed Sir Ranier; and he rode forward to engage Sir
Paul.
When the Bohemian knight saw only a stripling, armed with a woodman's ax, he
laughed. "Is this girl their champion, then?" he asked. "Say thy prayers, young
sir, for thou art not long for this world, I promise thee."
But Ranier whispered to himself, "I want me this braggart hewn to pieces, and
then the rest beaten;" and added, aloud: "Ax! ax! chop! chop! and work for my
profit!" Whereupon the ax leapt forward, and dealt such a blow upon Sir Paul
that it pierced through his helmet, and clave him to the saddle. Then it went
chopping among the enemy with such force that it cut them down by hundreds; and
King Dagobert with his army falling upon them, won a great victory.
Now the magic of the ax followed it here as before, and every looker-on believed
he saw Sir Ranier slaying his hundreds. So it chanced when the battle was over,
and those were recalled who pursued the enemy, that a group of knights, and the
great lords of the court who were gathered around the king, and were discussing
the events of the day, agreed as one man, that there never had been a warrior as
potent as Sir Ranier since the days of Roland, and that he deserved to be made a
great lord. And the king thought so, too. So he created him a baron on the
field, and ordered his patent of nobility to be made out on their return, and
gave him castles and land; and, furthermore, told him he would grant him any
favor more he chose to ask, though it were half the kingdom.
When Dyvorer and others heard this, they were more envious than ever, and
concerted together a plan for the ruin of Lord Treefell, for such was Sir
Ranier's new title. After many things had been proposed and rejected, Dyvorer
said: "The Princess Isauré loves this stripling, as I have been told by my
sister, the Lady Zanthe, who attends on her highness. I think he has dared to
raise his hopes to her. I will persuade him to demand her hand as the favor the
king has promised. Ranier does not know our ancient law, and, while he will fail
in his suit, the king will be so offended at his presumption that he will
speedily dismiss him from the court."
This plan was greatly approved. Dyvorer sought out Ranier, to whom he professed
great friendship, with many regrets for all he might have said or done in the
past calculated to give annoyance. As Dyvorer was a great dissembler, and Ranier
was frank and unsuspicious, they became very intimate. At length, one day when
they were together, Dyvorer said:
"Have you ever solicited the king for the favor he promised?"
And Ranier answered, "No!"
"Then," said Dyvorer, "it is a pity that you do not love the Princess Isauré."
"Why?" inquired Ranier.
"Because," replied Dyvorer, "the princess not only favors you, but, I think,
from what my sister Zanthe has said, that the king has taken this mode of giving
her to you at her instance."
Ranier knew that the Lady Zanthe was the favorite maiden of the princess, and,
as we are easily persuaded in the way our inclinations run, he took heart and
determined to act upon Dyvorer's counsel.
About a week afterward, as the king was walking in the court-yard of his palace,
as he did at times, he met with Ranier.
"You have never asked of me the favor I promised, good baron," said King
Dagobert.
"It is true, your majesty," said Ranier; "but it was because I feared to ask
what I most desired."
The Combat with Sir Paul
"Speak," said the king, "and fear not."
Therefore Ranier preferred his request for the hand of the princess.
"Baron," replied the king, frowning, "some crafty enemy has prompted you to
this. The daughter of a king should only wed with the son of a king.
Nevertheless, there is an ancient law, never fulfilled, since the conditions are
impossible, which says that any one of noble birth, who has saved the king's
life, vanquished the king's enemies in battle, and built a castle forty cubits
high in a single night, may wed the king's daughter. Though you have saved my
life and vanquished my enemies, yet you are not of noble birth, nor, were you
so, could you build such a castle in such a space of time."
"I am of noble blood, nevertheless," said Ranier, proudly, "although I have been
a wood-chopper. My father, who died in banishment, was the Duke of Manylands,
falsely accused of having conspired against the late king, your august father;
and I can produce the record of my birth. Our line is as noble as any in your
realm, sire, and nobler than most."
"If that be true, and I doubt it not," answered King Dagobert, "the law holds
good for you. But you must first build a palace where we stand, and that in a
single night. So your suit is hopeless."
The king turned and entered the palace, leaving Ranier in deep sorrow, for he
thought the condition impossible. As he stood thus, the fairy, Rougevert,
appeared.
"Be not downcast," she said; "but build that castle to-night."
"Alas!" cried Ranier, "it cannot be done."
"Look at your ax," returned the fairy. "Do you not see that the back of the
blade is shaped like a
hammer?"
So she taught Ranier what words to use, and vanished.
When the sun was down, Ranier came to the court-yard, and raising his ax with
the blade upward, he said aloud: "Ax! ax! hammer! hammer! and build for my
profit!" The ax at once leapt forward with the hammer part downward, and began
cracking the solid rock on which the court-yard lay, and shaping it into oblong
blocks, and heaping them one on the other. So much noise was made thereby that
the warders first, and then the whole court, came out to ascertain the cause.
Even the king himself was drawn to the spot. And it seemed to them, all through
the magic of the fairy, that there were hundreds on hundreds of workmen in green
cloth hose and red leather jerkins, some engaged in quarrying and shaping, and
others in laying the blocks, and others in keying arches, and adjusting doors
and windows, and making oriels and towers and turrets. And still as they looked,
the building arose foot by foot, and before dawn a great stone castle, with its
towers and battlements, its portcullis, and its great gate, forty cubits high,
stood in the court-yard.
When King Dagobert saw this, he embraced Ranier, continued to him the title of
his father, whose ducal estates he restored to the son, and sending for the
Princess Isauré, who appeared radiant with joy and beauty, he betrothed the
young couple in the presence of the court.
So Ranier and Isauré were married, and lived long and happily; and, on the death
of Dagobert, Ranier reigned. As for the ax, that is lost, somehow, and although
I have made diligent inquiry, I have never been able to find where it is. Some
people think the fairy took it after King Ranier died, and hid it again in a
tree; and I recommend all wood-choppers to look at the heart of every tree they
fell, for this wonderful ax. They cannot mistake it, since the word "Boldness"
is cut on the blade, and the word "Energy" is printed, in letters of gold, on
the handle.
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