DUMMLING AND THE THREE FEATHERS

Then the youngest son descended the steps as before, and upon seeing the large toad he
ðɛn ðə ˈjʌŋgəst sʌn dɪˈsɛndəd ðə stɛps æz bɪˈfɔr, ænd əˈpɑn ˈsiɪŋ ðə lɑrʤ toʊd hi
talked with her, and told her what he desired. So the big box was brought, and out of it
tɔkt wɪð hɜr, ænd toʊld hɜr wʌt hi dɪˈzaɪərd. soʊ ðə bɪg bɑks wʌz brɔt, ænd aʊt ʌv ɪt
the toad handed him a ring which was of so exquisite a workmanship that no goldsmith's
ðə toʊd ˈhændəd hɪm ə rɪŋ wɪʧ wʌz ʌv soʊ ˈɛkskwəzət ə ˈwɜrkmənˌʃɪp ðæt noʊ ˈgoʊld
ˌsmɪθs
could equal it.
kʊd ˈikwəl ɪt.

Meanwhile the two elder brothers made fun of the idea of Dummling searching for a ring,
ˈminˌwaɪl ðə tu ˈɛldər ˈbrʌðərz meɪd fʌn ʌv ði aɪˈdiə ʌv Dummling ˈsɜrʧɪŋ fɔr ə rɪŋ,
and they decided to take no needless trouble themselves.
ænd ðeɪ ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd tu teɪk noʊ ˈnidləs ˈtrʌbəl ðɛmˈsɛlvz.

Therefore, finding an old iron ring belonging to some harness, they took that to the King.
ˈðɛrˌfɔr, ˈfaɪndɪŋ ən oʊld ˈaɪərn rɪŋ bɪˈlɔŋɪŋ tu sʌm ˈhɑrnəs, ðeɪ tʊk ðæt tu ðə kɪŋ.
Dummling was there before them with his valuable ring, and immediately upon his
Dummling wʌz ðɛr bɪˈfɔr ðɛm wɪð hɪz ˈvæljəbəl rɪŋ, ænd ɪˈmidiətli əˈpɑn hɪz
showing it, the father declared that in justice the kingdom should be his.
ˈʃoʊɪŋ ɪt, ðə ˈfɑðər dɪˈklɛrd ðæt ɪn ˈʤʌstəs ðə ˈkɪŋdəm ʃʊd bi hɪz.

In spite of this, however, the two elder sons worried the poor King into appointing one
ɪn spaɪt ʌv ðɪs, ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ðə tu ˈɛldər sʌnz ˈwɜrid ðə pur kɪŋ ˈɪntu əˈpɔɪntɪŋ wʌn
test further, before bestowing his kingdom, and the King, giving way, announced that the
tɛst ˈfɜrðər, bɪˈfɔr bɪˈstoʊɪŋ hɪz ˈkɪŋdəm, ænd ðə kɪŋ, ˈgɪvɪŋ weɪ, əˈnaʊnst ðæt ðə
one who brought home the most beautiful woman should inherit the crown.
wʌn hu brɔt hoʊm ðə moʊst ˈbjutəfəl ˈwʊmən ʃʊd ɪnˈhɛrət ðə kraʊn.

Then Dummling again descended to the large toad and made known to her that he wished
ðɛn Dummling əˈgɛn dɪˈsɛndəd tu ðə lɑrʤ toʊd ænd meɪd noʊn tu hɜr ðæt hi wɪʃt
to find the most beautiful woman alive.
tu faɪnd ðə moʊst ˈbjutəfəl ˈwʊmən əˈlaɪv.

"The most beautiful woman is not always at hand," said the toad, "however, you shall
"ðə moʊst ˈbjutəfəl ˈwʊmən ɪz nɑt ˈɔlˌweɪz æt hænd," sɛd ðə toʊd, "ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ju ʃæl
have her." Then she gave to him a scooped-out turnip to which half a dozen little mice
hæv hɜr." ðɛn ʃi geɪv tu hɪm ə skupt-aʊt ˈtɜrnəp tu wɪʧ hæf ə ˈdʌzən ˈlɪtəl maɪs
were attached. The young man regarded this a trifle despondently, for it had no great
wɜr əˈtæʧt. ðə jʌŋ mən rəˈgɑrdəd ðɪs ə ˈtraɪfəl dɪˈspɑndəntli, fɔr ɪt hæd noʊ greɪt
resemblance to what he was seeking.
rɪˈzɛmbləns tu wʌt hi wʌz ˈsikɪŋ.

"What can I make of this?" he asked.

"wʌt kæn aɪ meɪk ʌv ðɪs?" hi æskt.

"Only place in it one of my young toads," replied the large toad, "and then you can decide
"ˈoʊnli pleɪs ɪn ɪt wʌn ʌv maɪ jʌŋ toʊdz," rɪˈplaɪd ðə lɑrʤ toʊd, "ænd ðɛn ju kæn ˌdɪˈsaɪd
how to use it."
haʊ tu juz ɪt."

From the young toads around the old toad, the young man seized one at hazard, and
frʌm ðə jʌŋ toʊdz əˈraʊnd ði oʊld toʊd, ðə jʌŋ mən sizd wʌn æt ˈhæzərd, ænd
placed it in the scooped-out turnip, but hardly was it there when the most astounding
pleɪst ɪt ɪn ðə skupt-aʊt ˈtɜrnəp, bʌt ˈhɑrdli wʌz ɪt ðɛr wɛn ðə moʊst əˈstaʊndɪŋ
change occurred, for the toad was transformed into a wondrously lovely maiden, the
ʧeɪnʤ əˈkɜrd, fɔr ðə toʊd wʌz trænˈsfɔrmd ˈɪntu ə ˈwʌndrəsli ˈlʌvli ˈmeɪdən, ði
turnip became an elegant carriage, and the six mice were turned into handsome horses.
ˈtɜrnəp bɪˈkeɪm ən ˈɛləgənt ˈkærɪʤ, ænd ðə sɪks maɪs wɜr tɜrnd ˈɪntu ˈhænsəm ˈhɔrsəz.
The young man kissed the maiden and drove off to bring her to the King.
ðə jʌŋ mən kɪst ðə ˈmeɪdən ænd droʊv ɔf tu brɪŋ hɜr tu ðə kɪŋ.

Not long afterwards the two brothers arrived.

nɑt lɔŋ ˈæftərwərdz ðə tu ˈbrʌðərz əˈraɪvd.

In the same way, as the twice before, they had taken no trouble about the matter, but had
ɪn ðə seɪm weɪ, æz ðə twaɪs bɪˈfɔr, ðeɪ hæd ˈteɪkən noʊ ˈtrʌbəl əˈbaʊt ðə ˈmætər, bʌt hæd
picked up the first passable looking peasant woman whom they had happened to meet.
pɪkt ʌp ðə fɜrst ˈpæsəbəl ˈlʊkɪŋ ˈpɛzənt ˈwʊmən hum ðeɪ hæd ˈhæpənd tu mit.

After glancing at the three, the King said: “Without doubt, at my death the kingdom will
ˈæftər ˈglænsɪŋ æt ðə θri, ðə kɪŋ sɛd: “wɪˈθaʊt daʊt, æt maɪ dɛθ ðə ˈkɪŋdəm wɪl
be Dummling's”.
bi Dummling's”.
Once more the brothers loudly expressed their discontent, and gave the King no peace,
wʌns mɔr ðə ˈbrʌðərz ˈlaʊdli ɪkˈsprɛst ðɛr dɪskənˈtɛnt, ænd geɪv ðə kɪŋ noʊ pis,
declaring-
dɪˈklɛrɪŋ-

“lt is impossible for us to agree to Dummling becoming ruler of the kingdom”, It and they
“lt ɪz ɪmˈpɑsəbəl fɔr ʌs tu əˈgri tu Dummling bɪˈkʌmɪŋ ˈrulər ʌv ðə ˈkɪŋdəm”, ɪt ænd ðeɪ
insisted that the women should be required to spring through a hoop which was
ɪnˈsɪstəd ðæt ðə ˈwɪmən ʃʊd bi riˈkwaɪərd tu sprɪŋ θru ə hup wɪʧ wʌz
suspended from the ceiling in the centre of the hall, thinking to themselves “Now,
səˈspɛndəd frʌm ðə ˈsilɪŋ ɪn ðə ˈsɛntər ʌv ðə hɔl, ˈθɪŋkɪŋ tu ðɛmˈsɛlvz “naʊ,
certainly our peasants will get the best of it, they are active and sturdy, but that fragile
ˈsɜrtənli ˈaʊər ˈpɛzənts wɪl gɛt ðə bɛst ʌv ɪt, ðeɪ ɑr ˈæktɪv ænd ˈstɜrdi, bʌt ðæt ˈfræʤəl
lady will kill herself if she jumps”.
ˈleɪdi wɪl kɪl hərˈsɛlf ɪf ʃi ʤʌmps”.

To this, again, the King consented, and the peasants were first given trial.
tu ðɪs, əˈgɛn, ðə kɪŋ kənˈsɛntɪd, ænd ðə ˈpɛzənts wɜr fɜrst ˈgɪvən ˈtraɪəl.

They sprang through the hoop, indeed, but so clumsily that they fell, breaking their arms
ðeɪ spræŋ θru ðə hup, ɪnˈdid, bʌt soʊ ˈklʌmsəli ðæt ðeɪ fɛl, ˈbreɪkɪŋ ðɛr ɑrmz
and legs.
ænd lɛgz.

Upon which the lovely lady whom Dummling had brought home, leapt through as lightly
əˈpɑn wɪʧ ðə ˈlʌvli ˈleɪdi hum Dummling hæd brɔt hoʊm, lɛpt θru æz ˈlaɪtli
as a fawn, and this put an end to all contention.
æz ə fɔn, ænd ðɪs pʊt ən ɛnd tu ɔl kənˈtɛnʃən.

La corona entonces fue para Dummling, quien desde ahora sería el rey.

Sin embargo, no todo fue color de rosas; Dummling, quien nunca en su vida se preocupó
realmente por los asuntos de la política y quien sin ayuda de los sapos era un total inútil al
igual que sus hermanos, terminó por ejercer una pésima gestión de su reinado, guiando a
su reino al declive económico y ganandose la enemistad de otros reinos.
Desesperado, el inexperto rey se vio obligado a descender una vez más a la trampilla, en
busca de la asesoría de los sapos, a quienes por cierto, había dejado en el olvido desde su
reinado.

"¡Oh queridos sapos, vuelvo a uds en busca de ayuda! Mi reino perece de hambre y
nuestros enemigos amenazan con invadir nuestras tierras! ¿Pueden ustedes salvar a mi
reino de su inminente caída?"

Mostrando su incondicional apoyo al que ellos creían era el más apto de los hermanos, los
sapos nuevamente guiaron a Dummling por la senda del éxito, salvando el pescuezo no
sólo del errante rey sino también del reino en declive.

Pasaron varios meses y la gestión del reino era excelsa, el reino prosperó al mejorar sus
exportaciones de grano y las amenazas de guerra habían sido olvidadas.

Cegado por la bonanza y el júbilo, Dummling se la pasaba parrandeando mientras eran los
sapos quienes velaban por el bienestar del reino. En una de estas fiestas Dummling se
emborrachó al punto de casi olvidar su nombre, mientras caminaba tambaleante por un
pasillo un sapo se cruzó en su camino y le hizo tropezar.

Claramente enfadado, Dummling pateó al sapo, mandandolo volando por una ventana.
Este acto de traición fue la gota que derramó el vaso, los sapos enfurecieron y
abandonaron todo apoyo a un ignorante Dummling, cuyo reino, de la nada se había
enemistado nuevamente con un viejo rival.

Al despertar de su resaca, al parrandero rey se le informó que uno de sus reinos enemigos
había cancelado el tratado de paz y se disponía a invadir una aldea cercana.

Dummling, confiado del apoyo divino de los sapos, salió al frente de batalla con
conocimientos nulos sobre tácticas militares, pero con la creencia presumida de que era
una batalla ganada antes de empezar.

No fue como él pensaba, sus enemigos barrieron a su ejército y anexaron el reino de

Dummling a su imperio.

De esta manera fue como el imperio Romano logró su primera de sus muchas victorias.

FIN.
The crown then went to Dummling, who from now on would be king.

However, not everything was color roses; Dummling, who never really cared about politics
in his life and who, without the help of the toads was utterly useless just like his brothers,
ended up exercising a terrible management of his reign, guiding his kingdom to economic
decline and earning the enmity of other kingdoms.

Desperate, the inexperienced king was forced to descend once more to the hatch, seeking
the advice of the toads, whom he had, by the way, forgotten since the beginning of his
reign.

"Oh dear toads, I return to you for help! My kingdom is starving and our enemies threaten
to invade our lands! Can you save my kingdom from its impending downfall?"

Showing their unconditional support for whom they believed was the fittest of the
brothers, the toads again guided Dummling down the path of success, saving the neck not
only of the errant king but also of the declining kingdom.

Several months passed and the kingdom's management was exalted, the kingdom
prospered by improving its grain exports, and threats of war had been forgotten.

Blinded by bonanza and glee, Dummling was partying while the toads were looking after
the kingdom's well-being. At one of these parties Dummling got drunk to the point of
almost forgetting his name, while he staggered down a hallway a toad crossed his path
and tripped him.

Clearly annoyed, Dummling kicked the toad, sending it flying out of a window. This act of
betrayal brought the situation to a head, the toads angered and abandoned all support for
an ignorant Dummling, whose kingdom, out of nowhere had once again earn the hate of
an old rival.

Upon awakening from his hangover, the party-king was informed that one of his enemy
kingdoms had canceled the peace treaty and was preparing to invade a nearby village.

Dummling, confident of toads' divine support, came to the forefront with no knowledge of
military tactics, but with the presumed belief that it was a battle won before its begin.
It was not as he thought, his enemies swept his army and annexed Dummling's kingdom to
his empire.

In this way, the Roman Empire achieved its first of its many victories...

END.