The next day the young man said to the King: "Make all the inhabitants of
the city come out. You will stand with the clerks at the entrance to the
gate. Dress your daughters and let them choose their husbands themselves."
The people began to come out. The eldest daughter struck one of them on the
chest with an apple, and they said: "That daughter has chosen a husband.
Bravo!" Each one of the daughters thus selected a husband, and the youngest
kept hers. A little while afterward, the King received a visit from one of
his sons-in-law, who said to him, "What do you want us to give you?"
"I'll see what my daughters want," he answered. "Come back in six days."
When they went to see their wives the King said to them, "I will ask of you
a thing about which they have spoken to me."
"What is it? We are anxious to know."
"It is an apple, the odor of which gives to the one who breathes it youth,
no matter what his age may be."
"It is difficult," they answered. "We know not where it can be found."
"If you do not bring it to me, you cannot marry my daughter."
They kept silent, and then consulted with each other. The youngest said to
them, "Seek the means to satisfy the King."
"Give us your advice----"
"Father-in-law, to-morrow we shall bring you the apple." His
brothers-in-law added: "Go out. To-morrow we will meet you outside the
city."
The next day they all five met together. Four of them said to the other,
"Advise us or we will kill you."
"Cut off your fingers," he said.
The first one began, and the three others did the same. The youngest one
took them and put them into his game-bag, and then he added, "Wait near the
city till I come back."
He went out into the desert and came to the city of the ogress. He entered,
and found her ready to grind some wheat. He said to the ogress, "Show me
the apple whose color gives eternal youth to the old man who smells it."
"You are in the family of ogres," she said. "Cut a hair from the horse of
their King. When you go into the garden cast this hair into the fire. You
will find a tree, from which you must pick five fruits. When plucking them
do not speak a word, and keep silence on your return. It is the smallest
fruit that possesses the magic power."
He took the apple and went back to the city, where he found his companions.
He concealed in his breast the wonderful fruit, and gave the others to his
brothers-in-law, one to each. They entered the palace of the King, who was
overjoyed to see them, gave them seats, and asked them, "Have you brought
it or not?"
"We have brought it," they answered.