when Briar-Rose was to awake again. When the King’s Son came near to
the thorn-hedge, it was nothing but large and beautiful flowers, which
parted from each other of their own accord, and let him pass unhurt.
Then they closed again behind him like a hedge.
In the castle-yard he saw the horses and the spotted hounds lying
asleep. On the roof, sat the pigeons with their heads under their
wings. And when he entered the house, the flies were asleep upon the
wall, the cook in the kitchen was still holding out his hand to seize
the boy, and the maid was sitting by the black hen which she was going
to pluck.
He went on farther, and in the great hall he saw the whole of the
Court lying asleep, and by the throne lay the King and Queen.
Then he went on still farther, and all was so quiet that a breath could
be heard. At last he came to the tower, and opened the door into the
little room where Briar-Rose was sleeping. There she lay, so beautiful
that he could not turn his eyes away. He stooped down and gave her a
kiss. But as soon as he kissed her, Briar-Rose opened her eyes and
awoke, and looked at him quite sweetly.
Then they went down together, and the King awoke, and the Queen, and
the whole Court, and gazed at each other in great astonishment. And
the horses in the courtyard stood up and shook themselves. The hounds
jumped up and wagged their tails. The pigeons upon the roof pulled
out their heads from under their wings, looked round, and flew into
the open country. The flies on the wall crept again. The fire in the
kitchen burned up and flickered and cooked the meat. The joint began to
turn and frizzle, and the cook gave the boy such a box on the ear that
he screamed, and the maid plucked the fowl ready for the spit.
And then the marriage of the King’s Son and Briar-Rose was celebrated
with all splendor, and they lived contented to the end of their days.
[Illustration]
THE THREE LITTLE MEN IN THE WOOD
There was once a man whose wife died, and a woman whose husband died;
and the man had a daughter, and the woman also had a daughter.
The girls were acquainted with each other. They went walking together,
and came to the woman’s house. Then she said to the man’s daughter:
“Listen! Tell your father that I would like to marry him. Then you
shall wash yourself in milk every morning and drink wine; but my own
daughter shall wash herself in water and drink water.”
The girl went home, and told her father what the woman had said. The
man said, “What shall I do? Marriage is a joy, also a torment!”
At last, as he could not decide, he pulled off his boot, and said,
“Take this boot. It has a hole in the sole of it. Go with it upstairs
to the loft. Hang it on the big nail. Then pour water into it. If it
holds the water, then I will again take a wife. But if it runs through,
I will not!”
The girl did as she was ordered, but the water drew the hole together,
and the boot became full to the top. She informed her father how it had
turned out.
Then he himself went up, and when he saw that she was right, he went to
the widow and wooed her, and the wedding was celebrated.
The next morning, when the two girls got up, there stood before the
man’s daughter, milk for her to wash in and wine for her to drink. But
before the woman’s daughter, stood water to wash herself with and water
for drinking.
On the second morning, stood water for washing and water for drinking
before the man’s daughter as well as before the woman’s daughter.
And on the third morning, stood water for washing and water for
drinking before the man’s daughter, and milk for washing and wine for
drinking, before the woman’s daughter, and so it continued.
The woman became bitterly unkind to the man’s daughter, and day by day
did her best to treat her still worse. She was envious too because the
man’s daughter was beautiful and lovable, and her own daughter ugly and
repulsive.
One day, in winter, when everything was frozen as hard as a stone, and
hill and vale lay covered with snow, the woman made a frock of paper,
called the man’s daughter and said, “Here, put on this dress and go out
into the wood, and fetch me a little basketful of strawberries,--I have
a fancy for some.”
“Alas!” said the girl, “no strawberries grow in winter! The ground is
frozen, and besides the snow has covered everything. And why am I to
go in this paper frock? It is so cold outside that one’s very breath
freezes! The wind will blow through the frock, and the thorns will tear
it off my body.”
“Will you contradict me again?” said the woman. “See that you go,
and do not show your face again until you have the basketful of
strawberries!”
Then she gave her a little piece of hard bread, and said, “This will
last you the day,” and thought, “You will die of cold and hunger
outside, and will never be seen again by me.”
Then the girl obeyed, and put on the paper frock, and went out with the
basket. Far and wide there was nothing but snow, and not a green blade
to be seen.
When she got into the wood she saw a small house out of which peeped
three little Dwarfs. She wished them good day, and knocked modestly at
the door. They cried, “Come in,” and she entered the room and seated
herself on the bench by the stove, where she began to warm herself and
eat her breakfast.
The Dwarfs said, “Give us some of it.”
“Willingly,” said she, and divided her bit of bread in two, and gave
them the half.
They asked, “What do you here in the forest in the winter time, in your
thin dress?”
“Ah,” she answered, “I am to look for a basketful of strawberries, and
am not to go home until I can take them with me.”
When she had eaten her bread, they gave her a broom and said, “Sweep
away the snow at the back door with it.”
But when she was outside, the three Little Men said to one another,
“What shall we give her as she is so good, and has shared her bread
with us?”
Then said the first, “My gift is, that every day she shall grow more
beautiful.”
The second said, “My gift is, that gold pieces shall fall out of her
mouth every time she speaks.”
The third said, “My gift is, that a King shall come and take her to
wife.”
The girl, however, did as the Little Men had bidden her, swept away the
snow behind the little house with the broom. And what did she find but
real ripe strawberries, which came up quite dark-red out of the snow!
In her joy she hastily gathered her basket full, thanked the Little
Men, shook hands with each of them, and ran home to take the woman what
she had longed for so much.
When she went in and said good-evening, a piece of gold at once fell
out of her mouth. Thereupon she related what had happened to her in the
wood. But with every word she spoke, gold pieces fell from her mouth,
until very soon the whole room was covered with them.
“Now look at her pride,” cried the woman’s daughter, “to throw about
gold in that way!” but she was secretly envious of it, and wanted to go
into the forest to seek strawberries.
Her mother said, “No, my dear little Daughter, it is too cold, you
might die of cold.”
However, as her daughter let her have no peace, the mother at last
yielded, made her a magnificent dress of fur, which she was obliged to
put on, and gave her bread-and-butter and cake to take with her.
The girl went into the forest and straight up to the little house. The
three Little Men peeped out again, but she did not greet them. Without
looking round at them and without speaking to them, she went awkwardly
into the room, seated herself by the stove, and began to eat her
bread-and-butter and cake.
“Give us some of it,” cried the Little Men.
But she replied, “There is not enough for myself, so how can I give it
away to other people?”
When she had done eating, they said, “There is a broom for you, sweep
all clean for us outside by the back-door.”
“Humph! Sweep for yourselves,” she answered, “I am not your servant.”
When she saw that they were not going to give her anything, she went
out the door. Then the Little Men said to each other, “What shall we
give her as she is so naughty, and has a wicked envious heart, that
will never let her do a good turn to any one?”
The first said, “I grant that she may grow uglier every day.”
The second said, “I grant that at every word she says, a toad shall
spring out of her mouth.”
The third said, “I grant that she may die a miserable death.”
The maiden looked for strawberries outside, but as she found none, she
went angrily home. And when she opened her mouth, and was about to tell
her mother what had happened to her in the wood, with each word she
said, a toad sprang out of her mouth, so that everybody was seized with
horror of her.
Then her mother was still more enraged, and thought of nothing but
how to do every possible injury to the man’s daughter, whose beauty,
however, grew daily greater. At length she took a cauldron, set it on
the fire, and boiled yarn in it. When it was boiled, she flung it on
the poor girl’s shoulder, and gave her an axe in order that she might
go on the frozen river, cut a hole in the ice, and rinse the yarn.
She was obedient, went thither and cut a hole in the ice. And while she
was in the midst of her cutting, a splendid carriage came driving up,
in which sat the King. The carriage stopped, and the King asked, “My
Child, who are you, and what are you doing here?”
“I am a poor girl, and I am rinsing yarn.”
Then the King felt compassion, and when he saw that she was so very
beautiful, he said to her, “Will you go away with me?”
“Ah, yes, with all my heart,” she answered, for she was glad to get
away from the mother and sister.
So she got into the carriage and drove away with the King, and when
they arrived at his palace, the wedding was celebrated with great pomp,
as the Little Men had granted to the maiden.
[Illustration]
THE GOLDEN BIRD
In the olden time, there was a King, who had behind his palace a
beautiful pleasure-garden, in which there was a tree that bore Golden
Apples. When the apples were getting ripe they were counted, but on the
very next morning one was missing. This was told to the King, and he
ordered that a watch should be kept every night beneath the tree.
The King had three sons, the eldest of whom he sent, as soon as night
came, into the garden. But when it was midnight, he could not keep
himself from sleeping, and next morning again an apple was gone.
The following night, the second son had to keep watch, it fared no
better with him. As soon as twelve o’clock had struck he fell asleep,
and in the morning an apple was gone.
Now, it came to the turn of the third son to watch. He was quite ready,
but the King had not much trust in him, and thought that he would be of
less use than his brothers. But at last he let him go.
The youth lay down beneath the tree, but kept awake, and did not let
sleep master him. When it struck twelve, something rustled through
the air, and in the moonlight he saw a bird coming whose feathers were
shining with gold. The bird alighted on the tree, and had just plucked
off an apple, when the youth shot an arrow at him. The bird flew off,
but the arrow had struck his plumage, and one of his golden feathers
fell down.
The youth picked it up, and the next morning took it to the King and
told him what he had seen in the night. The King called his council
together, and every one declared that a feather like this was worth
more than the whole kingdom.
“If the feather is so precious,” declared the King, “one alone will not
do for me. I must and will have the whole bird!”
The eldest son set out. He trusted to his cleverness, and thought that
he would easily find the Golden Bird. When he had gone some distance he
saw a Fox sitting at the edge of a wood, so he cocked his gun and took
aim at him.
The Fox cried, “Do not shoot me! And in return I will give you some
good counsel. You are on the way to the Golden Bird. This evening you
will come to a village in which stand two inns opposite to one another.
One of them is lighted up brightly, and all goes on merrily within, but
do not enter it. Go rather into the other, even though it seems a bad
one.”
“How can such a silly beast give wise advice?” thought the King’s Son,
and he pulled the trigger. But he missed the Fox, who stretched out his
tail and ran quickly into the wood.
So he pursued his way, and by evening came to the village where the two
inns were. In one they were singing and dancing. The other had a poor,
miserable look.
[Illustration: IN THE MOONLIGHT HE SAW A BIRD]
“I should be a fool, indeed,” he thought, “if I were to go into the
shabby tavern, and pass by the good one.” So he went into the cheerful
one, lived there in riot and revel, and forgot the bird and his father,
and all good counsels.
Some time had passed, and when the eldest son, month after month,
did not come home, the second set out, wishing to find the Golden
Bird. The Fox met him as he had met the eldest, and gave him the good
advice, of which he took no heed. He came to the two inns. His brother
was standing at the window of the one from which came the music, and
called to him. He could not resist, but went inside, and lived only for
pleasure.
Again some time passed, and then the youngest King’s Son wanted to set
off and try his luck. But his father would not allow it. “It is of no
use,” said he, “he will be less likely to find the Golden Bird than his
brothers. And if a mishap were to befall him, he knows not how to help
himself. He is a little wanting at the best.” But at last, as he had no
peace, he let him go.
Again the Fox was sitting outside the wood, and begged for his life,
and offered his good advice. The youth was good-natured, and said, “Be
easy, little Fox, I will do you no harm.”
“You shall not repent it,” answered the Fox; “and that you may proceed
more quickly, get up behind on my tail.”
And scarcely had he seated himself, when the Fox began to run, and
away he went over stock and stone till his hair whistled in the wind.
When they came to the village, the youth got off. He followed the good
advice, and without looking round turned into the little inn, where he
spent the night quietly.
The next morning, as soon as he got into the open country, there sat
the Fox already, and said, “I will tell you further what you have to
do. Go straight forward. At last you will come to a castle, in front
of which a whole regiment of soldiers is lying, but do not trouble
yourself about them, for they will all be asleep and snoring.
“Go through the midst of them straight into the castle. Go through all
the rooms, till at last you will come to a chamber where a Golden Bird
is hanging in a wooden cage. Close by, there stands an empty gold cage
for show. Beware of taking the bird out of the common cage and putting
it into the fine one, or it may go badly with you.”
With these words the Fox again stretched out his tail, and the King’s
Son seated himself upon it. Away he went over stock and stone, till his
hair whistled in the wind.
When he came to the castle he found everything as the Fox had said. The
King’s Son went into the chamber where the Golden Bird was shut up in
a wooden cage, whilst a golden one stood hard by; and the three Golden
Apples lay about the room.
“But,” thought he, “it would be absurd if I were to leave the beautiful
bird in the common and ugly cage,” so he opened the door, laid hold of
it, and put it into the golden cage. But at the same moment the bird
uttered a shrill cry.
The soldiers awoke, rushed in, and took him off to prison. The next
morning he was taken before a court of justice, and as he confessed
everything, was sentenced to death.
The King, however, said that he would grant him his life on one
condition--namely, if he brought him the Golden Horse which ran faster
than the wind. And in that case he should receive, over and above, as a
reward, the Golden Bird.
The King’s Son set off, but he sighed and was sorrowful, for how was he
to find the Golden Horse? But all at once he saw his old friend the Fox
sitting on the road.
“Look you,” said the Fox, “this has happened because you did not give
heed to me. However, be of good courage. I will help you, and tell you
how to get to the Golden Horse. You must go straight on, and you will
come to a castle, where in the stable stands the horse. The grooms will
be lying in front of the stable.
“They will be asleep and snoring, and you can quietly lead out the
Golden Horse. But of one thing you must take heed. Put on him the
common saddle of wood and leather, and not the golden one, which hangs
close by, else it will go ill with you.”
Then the Fox stretched out his tail, the King’s Son seated himself upon
it. Away he went over stock and stone, until his hair whistled in the
wind.
Everything happened just as the Fox had said. The King’s Son came to
the stable in which the Golden Horse was standing, but just as he was
going to put the common saddle upon him, he thought, “It will be a
shame to such a beautiful beast, if I do not give him the good saddle
which belongs to him by right.”
But scarcely had the golden saddle touched the horse than he began to
neigh loudly. The grooms awoke, seized the youth, and threw him into
prison. The next morning he was sentenced by the court to death; but
the King promised to grant him his life, and the Golden Horse as well,
if he would rescue the beautiful Princess from the Golden Castle.
With a heavy heart the youth set out. Yet luckily for him he soon found
the trusty Fox.
“I ought to leave you to your ill-luck,” said the Fox, “but I pity you,
and will help you once more out of your trouble. This road takes you
straight to the Golden Castle. You will reach it by eventide. And at
night, when everything is quiet, the beautiful Princess goes to the
bathing-house to bathe. When she enters it, run up to her and give her
a kiss. Then she will follow you, and you can take her away with you.
Only do not allow her to say farewell to her parents first, or it will
go ill with you.”
Then the Fox stretched out his tail, the King’s Son seated himself upon
it. Away the Fox went, over stock and stone, till his hair whistled in
the wind.
When he reached the Golden Castle it was just as the Fox had said.
He waited until midnight, when everything lay in deep sleep, and the
beautiful Princess was going to the bathing-house. Then he sprang out
and gave her a kiss. She said that she would like to go with him, but
she asked him pitifully, and with tears, to be allowed to take leave of
her parents.
At first he withstood her prayer, but when she wept more and more, and
fell at his feet, he at last gave in. But no sooner had the maiden
reached the bedside of her father, than he and all the rest in the
castle awoke, and the youth was laid hold of and put into prison.
The next morning, the King said to him, “Your life is forfeited, and
you can only find mercy if you take away the hill which stands in
front of my windows, and prevents my seeing beyond it. And you must
finish it all within eight days. If you do that you shall have my
daughter as your reward.”
The King’s Son began, and dug and shovelled without leaving off. But
after seven days when he saw how little he had done, and how all his
work was as good as nothing, he fell into great sorrow and gave up all
hope.
On the evening of the seventh day the Fox appeared and said, “You do
not deserve that I should take any trouble about you. Nevertheless, go
away and lie down to sleep. I will do the work for you.”
The next morning, when he awoke and looked out of the window, the hill
had gone. Full of joy, the youth ran to the King, and told him that the
task was fulfilled. And whether he liked it or not, the King had to
hold to his word and give him his daughter.
So the two set forth together, and it was not long before the trusty
Fox came up with them. “You have certainly got what is best,” said he,
“but the Golden Horse also belongs to the maiden of the Golden Castle.”
“How shall I get it?” asked the youth.
“That I will tell you,” answered the Fox; “first take the beautiful
maiden to the King who sent you to the Golden Castle. There will be
unheard-of rejoicing. They will gladly give you the Golden Horse, and
will bring it out to you.”
All was brought to pass successfully, and the King’s Son carried off
the beautiful Princess on the Golden Horse.
The Fox did not remain behind, and he said to the youth, “Now I will
help you to get the Golden Bird. When you come near to the castle
where the Golden Bird is to be found, let the maiden get down, and I
will take her into my care. Then ride with the Golden Horse into the
castle-yard. There will be great rejoicing at the sight, and they will
bring out the Golden Bird for you.”
When all was accomplished and the King’s Son was about to ride home
with his treasures, the Fox said, “Now you shall reward me for my help.”
“What do you require for it?” asked the youth.
“When you get into the wood yonder, shoot me dead, and chop off my head
and feet.”
“That would be fine gratitude,” said the King’s Son, “I cannot possibly
do that for you.”
The Fox said, “If you will not do it I must leave you. But before I
go away I will give you a piece of good advice. Be careful about two
things. Buy no gallows’-flesh, and do not sit at the edge of any well.”
And then he ran into the wood.
The youth thought, “That is a wonderful beast, he has strange whims.
Who is going to buy gallows’-flesh? and the desire to sit at the edge
of a well has never yet seized me.”
He rode on with the beautiful maiden, and his road took him again
through the village in which his two brothers had remained. There was a
great stir and noise, and, when he asked what was going on, he was told
that two men were going to be hanged. As he came nearer to the place
he saw that they were his brothers, who had been playing all kinds of
wicked pranks, and had squandered their entire wealth. He inquired
whether they could not be set free.
“If you will pay for them,” answered the people; “but why should you
waste your money on wicked men, and buy them free?”
He did not think twice about it, but paid for them. And when they were
set free they all went on their way together.
They came to the wood where the Fox had first met them, and, as it
was cool and pleasant within it, whilst the sun shone hotly, the two
brothers said, “Let us rest a little by the well, and eat and drink.”
He agreed, and whilst they were talking he forgot himself, and sat down
upon the edge of the well without foreboding any evil. But the two
brothers threw him backwards into the well, took the maiden, the Horse,
and the Bird, and went home to their father. “Here we bring you not
only the Golden Bird,” said they; “we have won the Golden Horse also,
and the maiden from the Golden Castle.”
Then was there great joy. But the Horse would not eat, the Bird would
not sing, and the maiden sat and wept.
But the youngest brother was not dead. By good fortune the well was
dry, and he fell upon soft moss without being hurt. But he could not
get out again. Even in this strait, the faithful Fox did not leave him.
He came and leapt down to him, and upbraided him for having forgotten
his advice. “But yet I cannot give it up so,” he said; “I will help you
up again into daylight.” He bade him grasp his tail and keep tight hold
of it; and then he pulled him up.
“You are not out of all danger yet,” said the Fox. “Your brothers were
not sure of your death, and have surrounded the wood with watchers, who
are to kill you if you let yourself be seen.”
But a poor man was sitting upon the road, with whom the youth changed
clothes, and in this way he got to the King’s palace.
No one knew him, but the Bird began to sing, the Horse began to eat,
and the beautiful maiden left off weeping. The King, astonished, asked,
“What does this mean?”
Then the maiden said, “I do not know, but I have been so sorrowful and
now I am so happy! I feel as if my true Bridegroom had come.” She told
him all that had happened, although the other brothers had threatened
her with death if she were to betray anything.
The King commanded that all people, who were in his castle, should
be brought before him; and amongst them came the youth in his ragged
clothes. But the maiden knew him at once and fell upon his neck. The
wicked brothers were seized and put to death, but he was married to the
beautiful maiden and declared heir to the King.
But how did it fare with the poor Fox? Long afterward, the King’s Son
was once again walking in the wood, when the Fox met him and said, “You
have everything now that you can wish for. But there is never an end to
my misery, and yet it is in your power to free me,” and again he asked
him with tears to shoot him dead and to chop off his head and feet.
So he did it, and scarcely was it done when the Fox was changed into a
man, and was no other than the brother of the beautiful Princess, who
at last was freed from the magic charm which had been laid upon him.