The King of the Herrings
A Scottish Fairy Tale

A quarryman and his wife loved each other dearly. All their lives, they prayed for a child, but it was only when they were very old that their prayers were answered. The wife, frail and white-haired, was astonished when her belly began to swell. The neighbors marveled that so old a woman could bear a child.

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A life for a life, they say, and so it was with mother and son. At the moment of the baby's birth, the mother died, and the quarryman was left to raise the child alone. He did the best he could, but he was very old, and his son was very young. The quarryman feared he would die before his boy became a man and could fend for himself. His worst fear came true. With the toil of earning a crust and caring for his child, the quarryman grew so weary that he fell ill and died.

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The quarryman’s son was called Jack. After the funeral, as Jack walked away, he found himself lost in a thick mist. He heard a voice at his ear.

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“Do you need help?”

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Jack looked around but saw no one. Yet the voice was familiar, and it comforted him. “Yes, I do,” he said.

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“What kind of help do you need?”

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“I need a companion. Just a bowlegged, scabby, shaggy nag to cheer me when I’m low, to help me when I despair, to carry me to the end of the earth.”

“Your wish is granted.”

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Out of the mist appeared a bowlegged, scabby, shaggy nag.

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It spoke: “Climb onto my back, and we’ll be off!”

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Jack climbed onto its back, and they sped away, so swiftly the breath was nearly gone from his body.

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“Where are we going?” asked Jack.

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“Where you said—to the end of the earth.”

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“What must I do?” Jack asked.

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“If you meet anyone in trouble, help them all you can. And leave whatever you find, no matter how fine. It’ll bring you nothing but trouble.”

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The world sped by in a blur. Jack couldn’t tell if the nag’s hooves touched the earth at all.

They crossed a beach. Jack shouted, “Stop! I see something.”

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The nag stopped. Jack jumped down and found a flipping, flopping fish—a herring stranded by the tide. He picked it up and returned it to the sea. The herring lifted its head from the water and said, “Oh, Jack, thank you! You’ve saved my life. When you need my help, call for the King of the Herrings, and I will come.”

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“I will!” said Jack.

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He shook the reins, and they were off. Fields, farms, and forests blurred past. They passed a vast castle on a hill. Jack said, “I hear something.”

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The nag stopped. Jack slid off its back and climbed the hill. He heard an awful moaning. Running through the castle gates, he climbed a towering flight of stairs. At the top, he found a giant lying on a bed.

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“Oh, Jack,” the giant groaned, “I’m sick and alone. Fetch me food, I beg you!”

Jack hurried to the kitchen and returned with food and drink. The giant ate his fill.

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“I thank you,” said the giant. “You’ve saved my life. When you need my help, call for the King of the Giants, and I will come.”

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“I will!” said Jack.

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As Jack passed through the gates, something blew into his mouth. He picked it out—a feather from a golden bird. Jack’s clothes were rags, his shoes patched, his horse a nag; he had never owned anything fine. The feather, shining like the sun, was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He couldn’t part with it and slipped it into his pocket.

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They traveled through the night until they reached a city. As Jack dismounted, the feather fell from his pocket.

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“What’s that?” asked the nag.

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“Just a feather I found,” Jack replied.

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The nag hissed, “Oh, Jack, didn’t I warn you? That feather will bring trouble.”

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It was too late. A servant of the King had seen it and reported it. Soon, Jack was brought before the King.

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“Give me that feather!” the King demanded. Reluctantly, Jack handed it over.

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“You brought me the feather—now bring me the bird it came from,” said the King.

Jack protested, “Your Highness, I don’t know where the bird is! The feather came on the wind.”

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“Bring me the bird, or I’ll cut off your head!” A guard pressed a sharp sword to Jack’s throat.

Jack bowed and left. At the stables, the nag sensed something was wrong.

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“What now?” it asked.

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“The King demands the golden bird.”

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“I warned you. Ask him for three days and three purses of gold.”

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The King granted Jack’s request. The nag carried Jack far beyond the ocean, to the Palace of the Princess of the Sun, where the golden bird lived.

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The nag advised, “Take only the bird. Touch nothing else.”

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Jack found the bird in the Princess’s bedchamber but was captivated by her beauty. He took a single golden hair as a keepsake, but the Princess awoke and screamed. Jack fled with the bird, pursued by soldiers. They escaped across the sea.

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When Jack returned, the King demanded not only the bird but also the Princess. Despite his protests, Jack was forced to bring her to the King. Yet the Princess, cunning and brave, had a plan. She tested both the King and Jack to prove their love.

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When asked to sacrifice his nag to win her, Jack hesitated. But the nag urged him, “Trust me.”

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With a heavy heart, Jack obeyed. To his astonishment, the nag transformed, revealing it was the spirit of his father. “I was your companion as long as you needed. Now, live your life fully, my son.”

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The Princess chose Jack, for his love was true, and together they ruled, forever grateful for the faithful nag who carried them to the end of the earth.