This Story is Copyrighted, if in doubt, please read COPYRIGHTS section at TALESetc.com APPLE continued. II As there was no specification of the sort men who could take part in the competition and seek the Princess's hand, it was a mixed crowd that showed up at the starting point. Many princes came, most of whom had met Snowhite and coveted her beauty; many common men came, who had not known Snowhite but coveted the kingship. There were also many adventurers, who were attracted neither by Snowhite's beauty nor by kingship, but felt it was an undertaking worth its effort. The mountain was high, its slopes steep and rocky; climbing was hard and dangerous, demanding strength of body and tenacity of mind. Out of the hundreds of men starting on their climb, only twenty or thirty reached its top. Many stumbled and collapsed, unable to continue; some tumbled and rolled down to the abyss, others gave up half way, preferring to return to the comforts of their homes. It may have surprised some people that neither the princes-lovers nor the ambitious for kingship were the best in overcoming the hardship. Most of those who had finally reached the wood on top of the mountain were the adventurers, whose sole interest was the undertaking itself. They climbed the mountain bravely and insistently, paying their whole attention to the task at hand. On the other hand, the ambitious and covetous, less experienced men who had no strength or stamina to deal with the obstacles, fell behind, hurt and exhausted, some of them even killed out of sheer carelessness and inattention. Arriving at the peak, the climbers fell, panting and exhausted, among the trees, literally kissing the level ground under their feet before venturing further into the thicket. The forest was thick and dark, its gound wet and treaturous. As the seekers entered it, some of them soon lost their way, going round and round in circles never to find an opening out. Others stepped on the soft soil hidden under the carpet of grass or undergrowth, sinking into the marsh or falling into pits underneath it, with no one to save them. Some encountered and were devoured by fierce, strange beasts, against which even the best weapon was like straw. Very few of the men managed to overcome all the obstacles and reach the apple tree, which stood in the heart of the forest. They stood wondering in front of it, staring at its large size and leafy cover, and the single fruit shining bright red from among the dark-green foliage. It seemed to be winking at them, as if beckoning each man to try and reach out for it. Some of them tried, unthinking, getting their hands scratched by unseen thorns and spikes. But the apple eluded them, slipping away only to wink at them again from a safe distance. They felt that the closer they got, the farther they were from their final goal. Although they had all been strong and enduring enough to reach the apple-tree at the top of the mountain, none of them seemed pure enough of heart to be able to pick it. Among the men standing around the apple tree was one who was neither a prince nor ambitious to become one, nor was he an adventurer. That man was a hunter who had been living for some years in a small wooden hut inside the forest. Having grown up in the city on the plain, he had become disillusioned with human society; forsaking both its benefits and harms, he had left it behind him to climb the mountain as a dare to himself. He had overcome all obstacles on the way, reached the forest where he found peace of mind. The man had taught himself the skills of a hunter, had learned all about edible plants, and was happy to live off the forest and consort with trees, rocks and animals. He knew all the roads and paths crossing it, and could tell with his eyes shut where every pit and bog was, easily finding his way around them. The Hunter had long been familiar with the apple tree. He used to watch in wonder its bright red only fruit, amazed at its duration through all seasons of the year. The tree never changed its look, never shed its leaves in autumn and never blossomed in spring. Its only fruit always hung on its bough, swaying in the wind, winking with its bright red cheek. The thought of picking that miraculous fruit had never crossed the hunter's mind; he would certainly regard it as sacrilege. The Hunter's life changed when one day he noticed from the top of the mountain the hundreds of people trying to climb it. It was a strange sight and he wondered about it. Very few people had ever tried to climb that mountain, and they would usually did it in small groups of three or five; no one except himself had ever reached its top, they would usually turn back down half-way up. He was fairly upset when he noticed that some of the climbers had arrived at the forest; he was even more upset when he saw them venturing into it instead of turning to climb back down. From inside the thicket the hunter watched the adventurers, who wandered through the forest as if searching for something. He saw those who fell into a bog or a pit, were pricked by poisoned thorns or devoured by a beast of prey. Once or twice he even tried to rescue some of them, but they paid him back with resentment and rejection, as if afraid of his being a competition in their quest. He then decided that quest was none of his business, and the quicker they left the forest the happier he would be. He then left them to their fate, but followed those few who had managed to escape by themselves until they reached the apple tree. Only when he was standing among them as they were trying to pick the single fruit, the Hunter heard with surprise and astonishment the details of their pursuit. Looking on in amazement, he saw them trying unsuccessfully to pick the apple. Gradually, this task was revealed as the hardest of all. The red, shining fruit slid agilely away, like a live creature, from the hands of the men who tried to catch it. Then, from a safe distance, it seemed to be smiling contmptibly at those who were so useless at accomplishing such a simple task. When one by one the few men around the tree failed to grasp the apple, they noticed the one man who was standing on the side, watching them without trying his hand at the task. It seemed that, having failed in their undertaking, they had a growing need for at least one of them to be a winner; otherwise, they felt, all their combined effort was for nothing. They now combined together to urge the Hunter to try and pick the slippery fruit. At first, the Hunter shook his head vigorously at their request. He was disinclined not only to destroy that wonder of the forest, but also to achieve that very goal the others were after. But when they would not let him alone he grew tired of their hustling; at last, he thought, what had he got to lose? If he failed, he would stay on living happily in the forest. And if he won - he did not think there was any chance of that. He approached the tree. Having seen how the others had failed, he tried to calculate his movements through the branches. Carefully, he thrust his arm in among the foliage. The branches moved, swaying lightly. A hash fell, all eyes glued to the Hunter's hand. As it moved among the boughs, the moved away from it, letting it pass unharmed. The way was clear for the Hunter's hand to reach the apple. He touched it with his fingers. Instead of slipping away, the apple slipped right into the Hunter's palm. He grasped it, pulling his arm out. The men gasped. The shiny red fruit lay, smiling, inside the Hunter's dark-skinned palm, as if it was particularly fitted for it. Joining together, the men virtually carried the reluntant Hunter through the forest, down the mountain and back to the Palace. All obstacles seemed to have vanished in face of their sacred purpose, until they came before the Queen. Continue Story Index