Household Tales · Chapter
The Skilful Huntsman explained
A young locksmith's apprentice becomes a huntsman, receives a magical airgun, and uses it to outwit three giants who are trying to capture a princess.
What happens
A young locksmith's apprentice becomes a huntsman, receives a magical airgun, and uses it to outwit three giants who are trying to capture a princess. After rescuing her, he proves his deeds with tokens, exposes a false captain, and marries the princess, eventually inheriting the kingdom.
Themes in this chapter
Virtue Rewarded and Vice Punished
The honest huntsman is rewarded with marriage and a kingdom, while the deceitful captain is torn apart.
Transformation and Redemption
The youth transforms from a locksmith's apprentice to a skilled huntsman and ultimately a king.
Social Class and Marriage
The princess is forced to live as a peasant and sell pottery, but ultimately marries the huntsman, bridging social classes.
Characters to notice
- the youth
The protagonist who leaves his locksmith trade to become a huntsman, receives a magical airgun, and rescues the princess.
- the princess
The imprisoned princess who is rescued by the huntsman and later marries him.
- the captain
The false hero who claims credit for killing the giants but is exposed and executed.
- the rich man
The old King who tests the princess and later arranges the marriage to the huntsman.
Key passages
“There was once a young fellow who had learnt the trade of locksmith, and told his father he would now go out into the world and seek his fortune.”
A young man who trained as a locksmith decided to leave home and make his own way in the world.
Opening of the story, setting the protagonist's journey.
“Then the youth went up to them and told them he was a skilled huntsman, and that whatever he aimed at with his gun, he was certain to hit.”
The young man approached the giants and declared that he was an expert hunter whose gun never missed.
The huntsman reveals his magical ability to the giants.
“Then the King said he had pronounced his own sentence, and the captain was put in prison and then torn in four pieces; but the King's daughter was married to the huntsman.”
The king declared that the captain had condemned himself, so he was imprisoned and executed, while the princess married the huntsman.
Climax where the false hero is punished and the true hero is rewarded.