The Louse-Skin Coat

The Louse-Skin Coat

Once there was a king who had a daughter. One day when the queen was combing her daughter's hair, the mother found a louse.

"Look, Father," said the princess, "at the louse Mother found in my hair."

"Don't kill it!" exclaimed the king. "Let us put it in a jar. I am curious to find how large a louse can grow when it feeds on royal blood."

The king placed the louse in a jar and every day he would let the louse feed on the royal blood of the princess. He would let the louse suck on the skin of the girl for several hours.

The louse grew so large that the king had to place it in a bigger jar. It kept on growing until finally the king placed it in a barrel. The princess kept on feeding it until it became so large that the king placed it in a tun. When the louse could not be kept in the tun, the king killed it. Then he had the louse skin tanned and ordered the royal tailor to make a coat from it.

When the coat was made, the king put it on and asked everybody the same question:

"Can you guess the name of the animal from which the skin of my coat was taken?"

Some said it was from a steet, others from a deer, but none could guess rightly.

Finally, the king proclaimed throughout his kingdom that any one solving the riddle of the coat would be wed to the princess.

From everywhere people came to try to solve the riddle, but none could guess correctly.

One day a pastor came with his flock to the city. He was going to market to ell his sheep, but decided that he might do well to go and see the sights. After walking a long while, he arrived at the outskirts of the king's palace. Being tired, the pastor rolled a cigarette and had just leaned against the wall of the king's garden to smoke when he heard voices. It was the king talking to his wife:

"I don't think anybody is going to guess that my coat is made from a louse-skin."

As soon as he heard this, the shepherd left, thinking, "Now I will be able to marry the princess."

Next day, the pastor went to the palace and asked for an audience with the king. When he was before the king, the shepherd said, "Se?or, I have come to see if I can solve the riddle of your coat."

"Guess," said the king.

"Se?or," said the pastor, "the coat is made from a louse-skin."

"You have guessed!" cried the king.

So the king ordered that the marriage of the shepherd and the princess take place without delay.