There lived an old man with his old wife. They had three daughters.
The youngest was such a beauty that she could neither be told of in a
tale nor described with a pen. Once the old man was going to town to
the fair, and he said: "My dear daughters, say what ye want; I will
buy all ye wish at the fair."
The eldest said, "Father, buy me a new dress." The second said,
"Father, buy me a shawl kerchief." But the youngest said, "Buy me a
red flower."
The old man laughed at his youngest daughter. "Oh, little dunce! what
dost thou want of a red flower? Great good in it for thee; better I'll
buy thee clothes."
No matter what he said, he could not persuade her. "Buy me a little
red flower, nothing but that." The old man went to the fair, bought
the eldest daughter a dress, the second a shawl kerchief; but in the
whole town he could not find a red flower. Only as he was coming home
did an unknown old man happen in his way. The old man had a red flower
in his hand. "Sell me thy flower, old man."
"It is not for sale, it is reserved. If thy youngest daughter will
marry my son, Bright Finist the Falcon, I will give the flower as a
gift."
The father grew thoughtful. Not to take the flower was to grieve his
daughter, and to take it was to give her in marriage, God knows to
whom! He thought and thought; still he took the flower. "What harm?"
said he to himself; "they will come with proposals by and by. If he is
not the right man, why, we can refuse." He came home, gave the eldest
daughter her dress, the second her shawl, and to the youngest he gave
the flower, saying, "I like not thy flower, my dear daughter; greatly
I like it not." And then he whispered in her ear: "The flower was
reserved, and not for sale. I took it from a strange man for the
promise to give thee in marriage to his son, Bright Finist the
Falcon."
"Be not troubled, father, he is so good and kind; he flies as a bright
falcon in the sky, and when he strikes the damp earth he is a hero of
heroes."
"But dost thou know him?"
"I know him, father. Last Sunday he was at Mass, and looked at me all
the time. I talked to him--he loves me, father."
The old man shook his head, looked at his daughter very sharply, made
the sign of the cross on her, and said: "Go to thy room, my dear
daughter, it is time to sleep. The morning is wiser than the evening;
we will talk this matter over hereafter."
The daughter shut herself up in her room, put the red flower in
water, opened the window, and looked into the blue distance. Wherever
he came from, Bright Finist the Falcon of Flowery Feathers wheeled
before her, sprang in through the window, struck the floor, and became
a young man. The maiden was frightened; but when he spoke it became
one knows not how joyous and pleasant at her heart. They talked till
dawn,--I know not indeed of what; I know only that when day began to
break, Bright Finist the Falcon of Flowery Feathers kissed her and
said: "Every night as soon as the bright little flower is placed on
the window I will fly to thee, my dear. But here is a feather from my
wing. Shouldst thou wish for robes, go out on the balcony and wave it
on the right side; in a moment all that thy soul desires will appear
before thee." He kissed her once more, turned into a bright falcon,
and flew away beyond the dark forest.
The maiden looked after her fated one, closed the window, and lay down
to sleep. From that time every night, as soon as she placed the little
red flower at the window, the good youth, Bright Finist the Falcon,
flew to her.
Well, Sunday came. The elder sisters began to dress for Mass. "But
what art thou going to wear? Thou hast nothing new," said they to the
youngest one.