There was once upon a time an emperor who had three sons, and in his
yard a golden apple-tree, which flowered and ripened every night;
but somebody robbed it, and the emperor was utterly unable to
discover who the robber was. Once he was conversing with his sons,
and said to them: 'I do not know whither goes the fruit from our
apple-tree.' Then the eldest son answered him: 'I will go to-night
to see who takes it.' When it became dark, the eldest son did as he
had said: went out, and lay down under it. Well, when the apples
began to ripen in the course of the night, slumber overtook him, and
he fell asleep; and when he awoke at dawn he looked--but where were
the apples? Taken away! When he saw this, he went and related all to
his father just as it really happened. The second son said to his
father: 'I will go to-night to watch, that I may see who takes it.'
But he, too, watched it even as the first one. About the time when
the apples began to ripen, he fell asleep. When he woke up in the
morning, where were the apples? Taken away! Now came the turn of the
third and youngest brother. He went out at eventide under the
apple-tree, placed a sofa there, lay down, and went to sleep. About
midnight, when the apples began to ripen, he woke up and looked at
the apple-tree. It had just begun to ripen, and illuminated all the
yard from the brightness of its fruit. Just then up flew nine
peahens, eight of which settled upon the apple-tree, and the ninth
on the ground beside his sofa, and, as soon as she had alighted,
became a damsel, who shone with beauty like a bright sun. They
conversed together while the other eight were rifling the tree, and
when dawn came, she thanked him for the apples, and he begged her to
leave just one behind her. She gave him two--one for himself, and
one to take to his father--transformed herself into a peahen, and
flew away, followed by the other eight. In the morning the prince
rose up, and took one apple to his father, who did not know what to
do for joy, and commended him without ceasing. The next evening the
youngest prince went out again to watch the apple-tree, and as soon
as he had gone out, lay down as before, and watched it that night
also. In the morning he again brought his father an apple. This went
on for a few days, when his brothers began to envy him, because they
could not watch it, whereas he watched it successfully. They could
not make out how to discover the manner in which he watched the
apple-tree. So they sought out an old witch, who promised them to
find out how their young brother watched the apple-tree. At the
approach of evening, when the youngest prince was about to go out to
watch the apple-tree, the accursed witch stole out and went off
before him, lay down under his sofa, and there concealed herself.
The prince came, lay down without knowing that the old woman was
under his sofa, and went to sleep as previously. About midnight,
when the prince had just woke up, the nine peahens arrived; eight of
them settled on the tree, and the other on the ground beside his
sofa, transformed herself into a damsel, and they began to converse
together. While these were talking to each other, the accursed old
witch softly raised herself up, and cut off a piece of the damsel's
long hair. As soon as she felt this, the damsel sprang on one side,
transformed herself into a peahen, and flew away, with the other
eight behind her. The prince, on seeing this, sprang off his sofa,
and shouted: 'What is this?' He erelong espied the old woman under
the sofa, seized and hauled her from under it, and, when morning
came, ordered her to be fastened to the tails of two horses and torn
asunder. The peahens came no more to the apple-tree, and the prince
was much grieved on this account, and wept and mourned day after
day. At last he determined to go to seek them all over the world,
and went and told his father what his intention was, and his father
endeavoured to comfort him, and said: 'Stay, my son! I will find you
another damsel in my empire, such an one as you wish for.' But in
vain; he would not follow his father's advice, and made
preparations to go; took with him one of his servants, and went into
the world to find the peahen. When he had travelled a long time, he
came to a lake, in the midst of which was a rich palace, and in the
palace an aged empress, who had one daughter. The prince, on coming
to the old empress, asked her to tell him about the nine peahens, if
she knew about them; and the old woman replied that she did, and
that the nine peahens came daily to bathe in the lake. On telling
him this, she began to try to over-persuade him with these words:
'Never mind those nine peahens, my son. I have a handsome damsel,
and abundance of wealth--it will all remain yours.' But as soon as
the prince heard where the peahens were, he would not listen to her
talk, but in the morning ordered his servant to get the horses ready
to go to the lake. Before they started for the lake, the old woman
called his servant, bribed him, and gave him a little whistle,
saying to him: 'When the time approaches for the peahens to come to
the lake, do you secretly look out, and blow the whistle behind your
master's neck; he will immediately fall asleep, and will not see
them.' The accursed servant hearkened to her, took the whistle, and
did as the old woman told him. When they arrived at the shore of the
lake, he calculated the time when the peahens would arrive, blew the
whistle behind his master's neck, and he immediately fell as sound
asleep as if he were dead. Scarcely had he fallen asleep, when the
peahens arrived; eight of them settled on the lake, and the ninth
perched upon his horse, and began to try to awaken him: 'Arise, my
birdie! arise, my lamb! arise, my dove!' But he heard nothing, but
slept on as if dead. When the peahens had finished bathing, they all
flew away, and he awoke, and asked his servant: 'What is it? Did
they come?' The servant replied: 'They did come,' and told him how
eight of them settled on the lake, and the ninth on his horse, and
that she tried to wake him. When the unhappy prince heard this from
his servant, he was ready to kill himself from pain and anger. The
next morning they visited the shore of the lake again, but his
accursed servant calculated the time to blow the whistle behind his
neck, and he immediately fell asleep as if he were dead. Scarcely
had he fallen asleep, when the nine peahens arrived; eight settled
on the lake, and the ninth on his horse, and began to try to awake
him: 'Arise, my birdie! arise, my lamb! arise, my dove!' But he
slept on as if he were dead, hearing nothing. When the peahen failed
to wake him, and they were about to fly away again, the one which
had been trying to wake him turned and said to his servant: 'When
your master wakes, tell him that to-morrow it will once more be
possible for him to see us, but after that, never more.' On saying
this she took flight, and the others from the lake after her.
Scarcely had they flown away, when the prince awoke, and asked his
servant: 'Did they come?' He told him: 'They did come, and eight of
them settled on the lake, and the ninth on your horse, and tried to
wake you, but you slept soundly. As she departed, she told me to
tell you that you will see her here once again to-morrow, and never
more.' When the prince heard this, he was ready to kill himself in
his unhappiness, and did not know what to do for sorrow. On the
third day he got ready to go to the lake, mounted his horse, went to
the shore, and, in order not to fall asleep, kept his horse
continually in motion. But his wicked servant, as he followed him,
calculated the time, and blew the whistle behind his neck, and he
immediately leant forward on his horse and fell asleep. As soon as
he fell asleep, the nine peahens flew up; eight settled on the lake,
and the ninth on his horse, and endeavoured to wake him: 'Arise, my
birdie! arise, my lamb! arise, my dove!' But he slept as if he were
dead, and heard nothing. Then, when they were about to fly away
again, the one which had perched on his horse turned round, and said
to his servant: 'When your master wakes up, tell him to roll the
under peg on the upper, and then he will find me.'[14] Then she flew
off, and those from the lake after her. When they had flown away, he
awoke again, and asked his servant: 'Did they come?' He replied:
'They did; and the one that had perched on your horse told me to
tell you to roll the upper peg on the under one, and then you would
find her.' When the prince heard this, he drew his sword, and cut
off his servant's head. When he had done this, he started to travel
on alone. When he had travelled a long time, he came at dusk to the
cottage of a hermit, and lodged there for the night. In the evening
the prince asked the hermit: 'Grandfather, have you heard of nine
golden peahens?' The hermit answered: 'Yes, my son; you are
fortunate in having come to me to ask about them. They are not far
hence; it is not more than half a day's journey to them from here.'
In the morning, when the prince departed to seek them, the hermit
came out to accompany him, and said to him: 'Go to the right, and
you will find a large gate. When you enter that gate, turn to the
right, and then you will go right into their town, and in that town
is their palace.' He went on his way according to the hermit's
words, and went on till he came to that gate; then turned to the
right, and descried the town upon a hill. When he saw the town he
was much rejoiced. When he entered the town he inquired where the
palace of the nine peahens was. It was pointed out to him. At the
gate a watchman stopped him, and inquired whence and who he was. The
prince told him all, whence he was and who he was. After this the
watchman went off to announce him to the empress. When she heard it,
she ran breathless, and stood in the form of a damsel before him,
took him by the hand, and led him upstairs. Then the two rejoiced
together, and in a day or two were wedded.
[14] I do not understand this expression. It is afterwards
inverted by the servant. But it has no further bearing on the
story.
When a few days had elapsed after their marriage, the empress
departed to go on a journey, and the prince remained alone. When she
was about to start, she took out and gave him the keys of twelve
cellars, and said to him: 'Open all the cellars, but do not have any
nonsense with the twelfth.' She went away. When the prince remained
alone in the palace, he bethought himself: 'What does this mean,
that I am to open all the cellars, but not to open the twelfth?
Glory to the Lord God! what can there be in it?' He then began to
open them one after the other. He came to the twelfth, and at first
would not open it; but as he had no occupation, he began to brood
and to say to himself: 'How can it be in this cellar that she told
me not to open it?' At last he opened it too, and found standing in
the midst of it a cask bound with iron hoops, and a voice out of it
was heard, saying: 'I pray you, brother--I am athirst for
water--give me a cup of water.' On hearing this voice, the prince
took a cup of water, and sprinkled it on the bung; and as soon as he
had sprinkled it, one of the hoops of the cask burst. The voice then
cried: 'Give me one more cup of water; I am athirst.' He took a cup
of water and sprinkled it on the bung; and as soon as he had done
so, another hoop burst on the cask. The voice then cried: 'I am
athirst; give me, brother, one more cup of water.' The prince took
another cup of water and poured it on the bung; but as soon as he
had finished pouring it, the third hoop of the cask burst, the cask
split asunder, and out of it flew a dragon, found the empress on her
way, and carried her off. Thus it happened, and the attendants came
and told their master that a dragon had carried the empress away.
Finally he set off to seek her in the world. When he had travelled a
long time, he came to a marsh, and in that marsh espied a little
fish, which was endeavouring to jump into the water, but was unable
to do so. This little fish, on seeing the prince, addressed itself
to him: 'I pray you, brother, do a good action: throw me into the
water; I shall some time be of use to you; only take a scale from
me, and when you are in want of me, rub it between your fingers.' On
hearing this he took a scale off it, threw the fish into the water,
put the scale into a handkerchief, and went on his way. When he had
gone a little further, he espied a fox caught in a trap. When the
fox saw him, it called out: 'I pray you, brother, let me out of this
trap; I shall some day be of use to you; only take one or two hairs
from my fur, and when I am wanted for you, rub them between your
fingers.' He let it out of the trap, took one or two hairs from it,
and went on his way. Thus he proceeded onwards, till, as he went, he
came to a hill, and found a crow caught in a trap just like the fox
before. As soon as the crow saw him, it cried out: 'I pray you, be a
brother to me, traveller; let me out of this trap; I shall some day
be of use to you; only take a feather or two from me, and when you
are in want of me, rub them between your fingers.' The prince took
one or two feathers from the crow, let it out of the trap, and then
went on his way. As he went on to find the empress, he met a man,
and asked him: 'I pray you, brother, do you not know where is the
palace of the dragon emperor?' The man showed him the way, and also
told him at what time he was at home, that he might find him. The
prince thanked him, and said: 'Farewell.' He then went on, and
gradually came to the palace of the dragon emperor. On his arrival
there he found his beloved, and when she saw him and he saw her,
they were both full of joy. Now they began to plan together how to
escape. Finally they agreed to saddle their horses and take to
flight. They saddled them, mounted, and off. When they had ridden
off, the dragon arrived and looked about, but the empress was not to
be found. 'Now what shall we do?' said the dragon to his horse.
'Shall we eat and drink, or pursue them?' The horse replied to him:
'Don't trouble yourself; eat and drink.' When he had dined, the
dragon mounted his horse and galloped after them, and in course of
time overtook them, and took the empress away, but said to the
prince: 'Go in safety; this time you are forgiven, because you gave
me water in the cellar; but do not come a second time if your life
is dear to you.' The poor prince remained as if thunderstricken,
then started and proceeded a little way; but as he could not
overcome his heart, he returned to the dragon's palace. There he
found the empress weeping. When they saw each other and met, they
began to consult how to get away so as to escape. Then said the
prince to the empress: 'When the dragon comes, ask him from whom he
bought that horse, and tell me, that I may obtain such another, that
we may escape.' After saying this to her he went out, that the
dragon might not find him on his arrival. When the dragon came, the
empress began to coax him and make herself agreeable to him, and
said to him: 'What a swift horse yours is! From whom did you buy
him? Tell me, I pray you.' He answered: 'Where I bought him nobody
can make a purchase. On a certain hill lives an old woman who has
twelve horses in her stable, such that you don't know which is
better than another. One of them is in the corner, and this one
looks skinny; but he is the best of all, and is brother of mine:
this one could fly to the sky. Whoever seeks to obtain a horse from
the old woman must serve her three days. The old woman has a mare
with a foal; whoever watches the mare successfully for three days,
to him the old woman gives the choice of whichever horse he wishes.
Whoever engages himself to watch the mare, and fails to watch her
successfully for three days and three nights, loses his life.' On
the morrow the dragon went away, and the prince came in. The empress
told him what the dragon had said. Then the prince started off and
went to the hill where the old woman was to be found. When he
entered her house, he said to her: 'Good-day, old woman!' The old
woman replied: 'The Lord give you prosperity, my son!' She said to
him: 'What brings you here, my son?' He replied: 'I should like to
take service with you.' The old woman said to him: 'Very good, my
son. I have a mare with a foal. If you watch her successfully for
three days, I will give you one of these twelve horses of mine to
take away, whichever you choose; but if you fail to watch her
successfully, I shall take off your head.' Then she took him into
the yard. In the yard post after post was fixed in the ground, and
on each was stuck a human head; only one remained vacant, and this
cried out continually: 'Old woman, give me a head!' When the old
woman had shown him all, she said: 'Know that all these engaged to
watch the mare and the foal, but were unable to watch her
successfully.' But the prince was in no wise terrified thereby. In
the afternoon he mounted the mare and galloped uphill and downhill,
and the foal galloped after her. Thus till midnight, and then, would
he nould he, sleep crept over him, and he fell asleep. When he woke
up at dawn his arms were round a stump instead of the mare, but he
held the halter in his hand. When he perceived this, the poor fellow
became dizzy from terror, and started off to look for her; and while
he was looking for her, came to a sheet of water, and when he came
to the water, he remembered the little fish, unfolded the
handkerchief, and took out the scale and rubbed it between his
fingers. Up sprang the little fish out of the water, and lay before
him. 'What is the matter, adopted brother?' said the fish. He
replied: 'The old woman's mare has escaped from me, and I don't know
where she is.' The fish said to him: 'Here she is amongst us; she
has transformed herself into a fish, and her foal into a little
fish; but do you flap the halter on the water, and call out: "Coop!
coop! old woman's mare!"' He flapped the water with the halter, and
called out: 'Coop! coop! old woman's mare!' and immediately she
transformed herself again into a mare, and, pop! there she was on
the brink of the water before him! He put the halter on her and
mounted her, and trot! trot! and at the old woman's. When he brought
her in, the old woman gave him his dinner, but led the mare into the
stable, scolded her, and said: 'Among the fish, good-for-nothing
rogue?' The mare replied: 'I was among the fish, but they told of
me, because they are his friends.' The old woman said to her: 'Go
among the foxes.' The second day he mounted the mare, and galloped
uphill and downhill, and the foal galloped after. Thus till
midnight. When it was about midnight sleep overcame him, and he fell
asleep upon the mare's back. At dawn, when he awoke, his arms were
round a stump, but he held the halter in his hand. When he perceived
this, he sprang off again to seek her. As he was seeking her, it
came at once into his head what the old woman had said to the mare
when she was leading it into the stable. Then he unwrapped the fox's
hairs out of the handkerchief, rubbed them between his fingers, and
the fox immediately jumped out before him. 'What is it, adopted
brother?' He replied: 'The old woman's mare has run away.' The fox
said to him: 'Here she is amongst us; she has become a fox, and the
foal a fox-cub. But do you flap the ground with the halter, and call
out: "Coop! coop! old woman's mare!"' He flapped and called, and the
mare leaped out before him. Then he caught her and put the halter on
her, mounted her, and rode to the old woman's. When he brought her
home, the old woman gave him his dinner, led the mare off to the
stable, and said: 'Among the foxes, good-for-nothing rogue?' The
mare replied: 'I was among them, but they are his friends, and told
of me.' The old woman said to her: 'Be among the crows.' The third
day the prince again mounted the mare, and galloped her uphill and
downhill, and the foal galloped after. Thus till midnight. About
midnight he became sleepy, and fell asleep, and woke up at dawn; but
his arms were round a stump, and he held the halter in his hand. As
soon as he perceived this, he darted off again to seek the mare, and
as he was seeking her, it came into his head what the old woman had
said the day before when scolding the mare. He took out the
handkerchief and unwrapped the crow's feathers, rubbed them between
his fingers, and, pop! the crow was before him. 'What is it, adopted
brother?' The prince replied: 'The old woman's mare has run away,
and I don't know where she is.' The crow answered: 'Here she is
amongst us; she has become a crow, and the foal a young crow. But
flap the halter in the air, and cry: "Coop! coop! old woman's
mare!"' He flapped the halter in the air, and cried: 'Coop! coop!
old woman's mare!' and the mare transformed herself from a crow into
a mare, just as she had been, and came before him. Then he put the
halter on her, and mounted her, and galloped off, the foal following
behind, to the old woman's. The old woman gave him his dinner,
caught the mare, led her into the stable, and said to her: 'Among
the crows, good-for-nothing rogue?' The mare replied: 'I was among
them, but they are his friends, and told of me.' Then when the old
woman came out, the prince said to her: 'Well, old woman, I have
served you honestly; now I ask you to give me that which we agreed
upon.' The old woman replied: 'My son, what is agreed upon must be
given. Here are twelve horses--choose whichever you please.' He
replied: 'Why shall I pick and choose? Give me that one where he is
in the corner; there is none better in my eyes.' Then the old woman
began to dissuade him: 'Why chose that skinny one when there are so
many good ones?' He then insisted once for all: 'Give me the one
which I ask, for such was our agreement.' The old woman twisted,
turned, and without more ado gave him the one which he asked for.
Then he mounted it, and 'Farewell, old woman!' 'Good-bye, my son!'
When he took it to a wood and groomed it, it glittered like gold.
Afterwards, when he mounted it and gave it its head, it flew, flew
like a bird, and in a jiffy arrived at the dragon's palace. As soon
as he entered the courtyard, he bade the empress to get ready for
flight. She was not long in getting ready; they both mounted the
horse and set off. They had not long started in flight when the
dragon arrived--looked about. No empress. Then he said to his horse:
'Shall we eat and drink, or shall we pursue?' 'Eat or not, drink or
not, pursue or not, you won't catch him.' When the dragon heard
this, he immediately mounted his horse, and started to pursue them.
When the prince and empress perceived that he was pursuing them,
they were terrified, and urged their horse to go quickly, but the
horse answered them: 'Never fear; there's no need to hurry.' The
dragon came trot, trot, and the horse he rode called to that which
bore the prince and the empress: 'Bless you, brother, wait! for I
shall break my wind from pursuing you.' The other replied: 'Whose
fault is it, if you're such a fool as to carry that spectre on your
back? Buck, and throw him on the ground, and then follow me.' When
the dragon's horse heard this, up with his head, a jump with his
hind-quarters, and bang went the dragon against a stone. The dragon
was smashed to pieces, and his horse followed the prince and
empress. Then the empress caught and mounted it, and they arrived
safe and sound in the empress's dominions, and reigned honourably as
long as they lived.