So it went every night . When they came in the morning to let the sentinel out , there was no one there , and it was impossible to discover which way he had gone if he had run away . And what should they run away for , every one of them , so that nothing more was over heard or seen of them , from the hour that they were set on guard beside the princess 's chest ? It became now a general belief that the princess 's ghost walked , and ate up all those who were to guard her chest , and very soon there was no one left who would be placed on this duty , and the king 's soldiers deserted the service , before their turn came to be her bodyguard . The king then promised a large reward to the soldier who would volunteer for the post . This did for some time , as there were found a few reckless fellows , who wished to earn this good payment . But they never got it , for in the morning , they too had disappeared like the rest . So it had gone on for something like a whole year ; every night a sentinel had been placed beside the chest , either by compulsion or of his own free will , but not a single one of the sentinels was to be seen , either on the following day or any time thereafter . And so it had also gone with one , on the night before a certain day , when a merry young smith came wandering to the town where the king 's castle stood . It was the capital of the country , and people of every king came to it to get work . This smith , whose name was Christian , had come for that same purpose . There was no work for him in the place he belonged to , and he wanted now to seek a place in the capital . There he entered an inn where he sat down in the public room , and got something to eat . Some under-officers were sitting there , who were out to try to get some one enlisted to stand sentry . They had to go in this way , day after day , and hitherto they had always succeeded in finding one or other reckless fellow . But on this day they had , as yet , found no one . It was too well known how all the sentinels disappeared , who were set on that post , and all that they had got hold of had refused with thanks . These sat down beside Christian , and ordered drinks , and drank along with him . Now Christian was a merry fellow who liked good company ; he could both drink and sing , and talk and boast as well , when he got a little drop in his head . He told these under-officers that he was one of that kind of folk who never are afraid of anything .
Then he was just the kind of man they liked , said they , and he might easily earn a good penny , before he was a day older , for the king paid a hundred dollars XXXXX anyone who would stand as sentinel in the church all night , beside his daughter 's chest .
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