--- title: The Prince and the Ogre’s Castle. — Folk tales from Tibet · full text with trees · page 2 description: The Prince and the Ogre’s Castle., «Folk tales from Tibet» by William Frederick Travers, Sir O'Connor: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: Once upon a time there lived an old King and Queen, who, although they had been married for many years, had no --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg75000/17/page/2/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Folk tales from Tibet](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg75000/) / The Prince and the Ogre’s Castle. # The Prince and the Ogre’s Castle. · page 2 [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg75000/17/) **2** The Prince thanked the young lady for all her good advice, which he promised to follow faithfully in every respect, and she then said to him:[67](../../67/ "tree and pragmatics") “It is now near the time for the Ogre’s return.[68](../../68/ "tree and pragmatics") I will lie down on the couch, and you must place the flower behind my ear just as it was before; and when I fall into a trance you must at once go out into the courtyard and wait the return of the Ogre, and mind you are careful not to let him know that you have been inside the castle.”[69](../../69/ "tree and pragmatics") So saying, the Princess lay down upon her couch, and the young man having placed the flower behind her ear she instantly fell into a deep trance.[70](../../70/ "tree and pragmatics") The Prince then went out into the courtyard and shortly after the Ogre arrived.[71](../../71/ "tree and pragmatics") He had now discarded his lama costume and appeared in his proper form, and riding up to the Prince he asked him in an angry tone whether he had carried out the orders he had received, and on the Prince replying in the affirmative, the Ogre ordered him to come into the kitchen.[72](../../72/ "tree and pragmatics") On entering the kitchen the Ogre pointed to a great stove standing in the centre, and said to the Prince:[73](../../73/ "tree and pragmatics") “You must now walk three times round that stove.”[74](../../74/ "tree and pragmatics") “It is so dark in here,” replied the Prince, “that I cannot see my way at all clearly.[75](../../75/ "tree and pragmatics") Will you please precede me and show me the way?”[76](../../76/ "tree and pragmatics") The Ogre was very angry at hearing this, but he was unable to refuse, so he started off and ran round the stove three times, the Prince following closely at his heels.[77](../../77/ "tree and pragmatics") But he went so fast that the Prince, although he had his knife ready in his hand, was unable to catch him; and the Ogre, seeing that the Prince was not to be outwitted by this stratagem, went upstairs to his wife, leaving the young man locked up in the kitchen, where he spent the night alone.[78](../../78/ "tree and pragmatics") Next morning the Ogre started off soon after daylight on his own business, and as soon as he was gone the Prince ran upstairs to the glass room, where he found the lady lying in a trance as before.[79](../../79/ "tree and pragmatics") He took the flower from behind her ear, and she immediately woke up and looked about her.[80](../../80/ "tree and pragmatics") “Good-morning, Prince,” said she.[81](../../81/ "tree and pragmatics") “How did you succeed last night?[82](../../82/ "tree and pragmatics") I hope you followed the instructions which I gave you.”[83](../../83/ "tree and pragmatics") The Prince described to her what had occurred, and she said:[84](../../84/ "tree and pragmatics") “I have ascertained what the Ogre proposes to do when he returns this evening.[85](../../85/ "tree and pragmatics") He will seat himself in his chair of state in his great hall of audience and will order you to kow-tow to him three times, and if you do so he will seize an opportunity whilst you are lying on your face before him to do you some injury.[86](../../86/ "tree and pragmatics") It will not do, however, absolutely to disobey his orders; but you must explain to him that, being a Prince, you have never had to kow-tow to anybody and do not exactly know how to do it, and you must ask him to show you the proper way to proceed.[87](../../87/ "tree and pragmatics") He cannot refuse your request, and you must take the opportunity of stabbing him or cutting off his head whilst he is lying on his face before you.[88](../../88/ "tree and pragmatics") If you succeed in this come at once to me, and I will show you what else is necessary in order to bring about his complete destruction.”[89](../../89/ "tree and pragmatics") The Prince promised to obey the lady’s orders, and after again sending her into a trance by placing the magic flower behind her ear, he returned to the courtyard and awaited the Ogre’s return.[90](../../90/ "tree and pragmatics") Just before dusk the Ogre came back and as the Princess had predicted he proceeded at once to the great audience hall, and seated himself on his chair of state.[91](../../91/ "tree and pragmatics") “Now,” said he to the Prince, “you must kow-tow to me three times.”[92](../../92/ "tree and pragmatics") “I am very sorry,” answered the Prince, “that I do not know how to do so.[93](../../93/ "tree and pragmatics") Being a Prince myself, I have never had to kow-tow to anybody; but if you will show me the proper manner in which to proceed I will do my best.”[94](../../94/ "tree and pragmatics") This reply made the Ogre very angry, but he was unable to refuse to do as the Prince had asked him.[95](../../95/ "tree and pragmatics") So the Prince took his seat on the Ogre’s chair and the Ogre kneeling on the ground before him proceeded to kow-tow three times in the orthodox manner.[96](../../96/ "tree and pragmatics") As the Ogre’s face touched the ground the first time the Prince drew his sword; as it touched the ground the second time he raised the sword above his head; and as it touched the ground the third and last time the Prince delivered a violent blow, completely severing the Ogre’s head from his body.[97](../../97/ "tree and pragmatics") Leaving the body where it lay, the Prince ran up to the glass room as fast as he could, and having awakened the lady from her sleep, he told her what had happened.[98](../../98/ "tree and pragmatics") “Well done!” said she.[99](../../99/ "tree and pragmatics") “The first part of your task is now accomplished; but as I told you before, it is still necessary to destroy the Ogre’s mascot, or he will come to life again in a short time.[100](../../100/ "tree and pragmatics") What you must do now, therefore, is as follows: you must descend into the vaults below the castle, and having traversed nine dark subterranean chambers, you will come to a blank stone wall.[101](../../101/ "tree and pragmatics") You must rap three times on this wall with the hilt of your sword, exclaiming with each rap, ‘Open, blank wall’; and as you pronounce these words for the third time the wall will fly asunder, and you will find yourself entering another subterranean chamber.[102](../../102/ "tree and pragmatics") In the centre of this chamber you will see a beautiful boy seated with a goblet of crystal liquid in his hand.[103](../../103/ "tree and pragmatics") This boy is the Ogre’s mascot, and upon his existence depends the Ogre’s life in this world.[104](../../104/ "tree and pragmatics") You must at once slay the boy, and taking the goblet very carefully in your hand, carry it upstairs to me.[105](../../105/ "tree and pragmatics") But be careful not to spill any of the liquid, as each drop means a man’s life.”[106](../../106/ "tree and pragmatics") On receiving these instructions the Prince went down into the vaults at the basement of the castle, and having traversed nine great subterranean chambers, he found his progress stopped by a blank wall.[107](../../107/ "tree and pragmatics") Raising his sword he rapped three times with the hilt on the wall, exclaiming each time as he did so, “Open, blank wall.”[108](../../108/ "tree and pragmatics") As he pronounced these words for the third time a grating sound was heard, and with a hollow clang the wall gave way for him.[109](../../109/ "tree and pragmatics") Advancing a few paces the Prince found himself in a small dungeon, lighted only by the glimmer which issued from a goblet of crystal liquid held in the hand of a beautiful young boy, who was seated in the centre of the chamber.[110](../../110/ "tree and pragmatics") Without a moment’s hesitation the Prince thrust his sword through the heart of the boy, and taking the goblet in his hand, he carried it upstairs to the Princess, being very careful on the way not to allow a single drop to be spilt.[111](../../111/ "tree and pragmatics") When the Princess saw him entering her room with the goblet in his hand she was very much delighted.[112](../../112/ "tree and pragmatics") “Now,” said she, “the Ogre is effectually destroyed, and can never more come to life in this world.[113](../../113/ "tree and pragmatics") All that now remains to be done is to restore to life his previous victims.”[114](../../114/ "tree and pragmatics") So saying she ordered the Prince, still carrying the goblet, to follow her, and she proceeded by many winding passages and staircases to a remote part of the great castle.[115](../../115/ "tree and pragmatics") Presently, opening a huge door, she entered a long, low, gloomy chamber, lighted only by a narrow window which looked out over the back part of the castle.[116](../../116/ "tree and pragmatics") When the Prince entered this chamber he was horrified to see that down both sides of it were stretched the bodies of many scores of men, women and children, who lay there fully dressed, but to all appearance quite lifeless.[117](../../117/ "tree and pragmatics") “These,” said the lady, “are the bodies of the Ogre’s victims; he has eaten their hearts, but the bodies, as you see, remain unharmed, while the spirit of each one is compressed into a drop of crystal liquor with which that goblet is filled.[118](../../118/ "tree and pragmatics") You must now sprinkle the bodies with the liquid, giving one drop to each.”[119](../../119/ "tree and pragmatics") Accordingly the Prince passed down the rows of lifeless bodies, dropping as he went one drop of the magic liquid on each body; and as the liquor touched the body the life returned, and each person, as if awakened from a long sleep, moved and yawned, and finally sat up and began to talk and walk.[120](../../120/ "tree and pragmatics") In a few moments the transformation was complete, and the Ogre’s victims, after thanking the Prince and Princess heartily for their good offices, returned to their own homes.[121](../../121/ "tree and pragmatics") The Prince himself bade farewell to the lady, and leaving her in possession of the Ogre’s castle and all its belongings, he himself mounted upon his horse, and with his dog following at his heels, set out in search of further adventures.[122](../../122/ "tree and pragmatics") \[This is only the first instalment of the Prince’s adventures, which continue to an interminable length.[123](../../123/ "tree and pragmatics") I have given this section as a sample of the whole.\][124](../../124/ "tree and pragmatics") [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg75000/17/) **2** - ← previous: [page 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg75000/17/) - next →: [The Story of the Stone Lion.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg75000/18/) - ↑ back to [Folk tales from Tibet](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg75000/)