Once upon a time there lived a king who had three sons. Now, before the
king’s palace grew a golden apple-tree, which in one and the same night
blossomed, bore fruit, and lost all its fruit, though no one could tell
who took the apples. One day the king, speaking to his eldest son,
said, “I should like to know who takes the fruit from our apple-tree.”
And the son said, “I will keep guard to-night, and will see who gathers
the apples.” So when the evening came he went and laid himself down
under the apple-tree upon the ground to watch. Just as the apples
ripened, however, he fell asleep, and when he awoke in the morning
there was not a single one left on the tree. Whereupon he went and told
his father what had happened. Then the second son offered to keep watch
by the tree, but he had no better success than his eldest brother.
So the turn came to the king’s youngest son to keep guard. He made his
preparations, brought his bed under the tree, and immediately went to
sleep. Before midnight he awoke and looked up at the tree, and saw how
the apples ripened, and how the whole palace was lit up by their
shining. At that minute nine peahens flew towards the tree, and eight
of them settled on its branches, but the ninth alighted near him and
turned instantly into a beautiful girl—so beautiful, indeed, that the
whole kingdom could not produce one who could in any way compare with
her. She stayed, conversing kindly with him, till after midnight, then,
thanking him for the golden apples, she prepared to depart; but, as he
begged she would leave him one, she gave him two, one for himself and
one for the king, his father. Then the girl turned again into a peahen,
and flew away with the other eight. Next morning, the king’s son took
the two apples to his father, and the king was much pleased, and
praised his son. When the evening came, the king’s youngest son took
his place again under the apple-tree to keep guard over it. He again
conversed as he had done the night before with the beautiful girl, and
brought to his father, the next morning, two apples as before. But,
after he had succeeded so well several nights, his two elder brothers
grew envious because he had been able to do what they could not. At
length they found an old woman, who promised to discover how the
youngest brother had succeeded in saving the two apples. So, as the
evening came, the old woman stole softly under the bed which stood
under the apple-tree and hid herself. And after a while came also the
king’s son, and laid himself down as usual to sleep. When it was near
midnight the nine peahens flew up as before, and eight of them settled
on the branches and the ninth stood by his bed, and turned into a most
beautiful girl.
Then the old woman slowly took hold of one of the girl’s curls and cut
it off, and the girl immediately rose up, changed again into a peahen
and flew away, and the other peahens followed her, and so they all
disappeared. Then the king’s son jumped up, and cried out, “What is
that?” and, looking under the bed, he saw the old woman, and drew her
out. Next morning he ordered her to be tied to a horse’s tail, and so
torn to pieces. But the peahens never came back, so the king’s son was
very sad for a long time, and wept at his loss. At length he resolved
to go and look after his peahen, and never to come back again unless he
should find her. When he told the king, his father, of his intention,
the king begged him not to go away, and said that he would find him
another beautiful girl, and that he might choose out of the whole
kingdom.
But all the king’s persuasions were useless. His son went into the
world to search everywhere for his peahen, taking only one servant to
serve him. After many travels he came one day to a lake. Now by the
lake stood a large and beautiful palace. In the palace lived an old
woman as queen, and with the queen lived a girl, her daughter. He said
to the old woman, “For heaven’s sake, grandmother, do you know anything
about nine golden peahens?” and the old woman answered, “Oh, my son, I
know all about them; they come every mid-day to bathe in the lake. But
what do you want with them? Let them be, think nothing about them. Here
is my daughter. Such a beautiful girl! and such an heiress! All my
wealth will remain to you if you marry her.” But he, burning with
desire to see the peahens, would not listen to what the old woman spoke
about her daughter.
Next morning, when day dawned, the prince prepared to go down to the
lake to wait for the peahens. Then the old queen bribed the servant and
gave him a little pair of bellows, and said, “Do you see these bellows?
When you come to the lake you must blow secretly with them behind his
neck, and then he will fall asleep, and not be able to speak to the
peahens.” The mischievous servant did as the old woman told him; when
he went with his master down to the lake, he took occasion to blow with
the bellows behind his neck, and the poor prince fell asleep just as
though he were dead. Shortly after the nine peahens came flying, and
eight of them alighted by the lake, but the ninth flew towards him, as
he sat on horseback, and caressed him, and tried to awaken him. “Awake,
my darling! Awake, my heart! Awake, my soul!” But for all that he knew
nothing, just as if he were dead. After they had bathed, all the
peahens flew away together, and after they were gone the prince woke up
and said to his servant, “What has happened? Did they not come?” The
servant told him they had been there, and that eight of them had
bathed, but the ninth had sat by him on his horse, and caressed and
tried to awaken him. Then the king’s son was so angry that he almost
killed himself in his rage. Next morning he went down again to the
shore to wait for the peahens, and rode about a long time till the
servant again found an opportunity of blowing with the bellows behind
his neck, so that he again fell asleep as though dead. Hardly had he
fallen asleep when the nine peahens came flying, and eight of them
alighted by the water, but the ninth settled down by the side of his
horse and caressed him, and cried out to awaken him, “Arise, my
darling! Arise, my heart! Arise, my soul.”
But it was of no use; the prince slept on as if he were dead. Then she
said to the servant, “Tell your master to-morrow he can see us here
again, but never more.” With these words the peahens flew away.
Immediately after the king’s son woke up, and asked his servant, “Have
they not been here?” And the man answered, “Yes, they have been, and
say that you can see them again to-morrow, at this place, but after
that they will not return again.” When the unhappy prince heard that he
knew not what to do with himself, and in his great trouble and misery
tore the hair from his head.
The third day he went down again to the shore, but, fearing to fall
asleep, instead of riding slowly, galloped along the shore. His
servant, however, found an opportunity of blowing with the bellows
behind his neck, and again the prince fell asleep. A moment after came
the nine peahens, and the eight alighted on the lake and the ninth by
him, on his horse, and sought to awaken him, caressing him. “Arise, my
darling! Arise, my heart! Arise, my soul!” But it was of no use, he
slept on as if dead. Then the peahen said to the servant, “When your
master awakens, tell him he ought to strike off the head of the nail
from the lower part, and then he will find me.” Thereupon all the
peahens fled away. Immediately the king’s son awoke, and said to his
servant, “Have they been here?” And the servant answered, “They have
been, and the one which alighted on your horse ordered me to tell you
to strike off the head of the nail from the lower part, and then you
will find her.” When the prince heard that he drew his sword and cut
off his servant’s head.
After that he travelled alone about the world, and, after long
travelling, came to a mountain and remained all night there with a
hermit, whom he asked if he knew anything about nine golden peahens.
The hermit said, “Eh, my son, you are lucky; God has led you in the
right path. From this place it is only half a day’s walk. But you must
go straight on, then you will come to a large gate, which you must pass
through; and, after that, you must keep always to the right hand, and
so you will come to the peahens’ city, and there find their palace.” So
next morning the king’s son arose, and prepared to go. He thanked the
hermit, and went as he had told him. After a while he came to the great
gate, and, having passed it, turned to the right, so that at mid-day he
saw the city, and beholding how white it shone, rejoiced very much.
When he came into the city he found the palace where lived the nine
golden peahens. But at the gate he was stopped by the guard, who
demanded who he was, and whence he came. After he had answered these
questions, the guards went to announce him to the queen. When the queen
heard who he was, she came running out to the gate and took him by the
hand to lead him into the palace. She was a young and beautiful maiden,
and so there was a great rejoicing when, after a few days, he married
her and remained there with her.
One day, some time after their marriage, the queen went out to walk,
and the king’s son remained in the palace. Before going out, however,
the queen gave him the keys of twelve cellars, telling him, “You may go
down into all the cellars except the twelfth—that you must on no
account open, or it will cost you your head.” She then went away. The
king’s son, whilst remaining in the palace, began to wonder what there
could be in the twelfth cellar, and soon commenced opening one cellar
after the other. When he came to the twelfth he would not at first open
it, but again began to wonder very much why he was forbidden to go into
it. “What can be in this cellar?” he exclaimed to himself. At last he
opened it. In the middle of the cellar lay a big barrel with an open
bunghole, but bound fast round with three iron hoops. Out of the barrel
came a voice, saying, “For God’s sake, my brother—I am dying with
thirst—please give me a cup of water.” Then the king’s son took a cup
and filled it with water, and emptied it into the barrel. Immediately
he had done so one of the hoops burst asunder. Again came the voice
from the barrel, “For God’s sake, my brother—I am dying of
thirst—please give me a cup of water.” The king’s son again took the
cup and filled it, and poured the water into the barrel, and the third
hoop burst. Then the barrel fell to pieces, and a dragon flew out of
the cellar, and caught the queen on the road and carried her away.
Then the servant, who went out with the queen, came back quickly, and
told the king’s son what had happened, and the poor prince knew not
what to do with himself, so desperate was he, and full of
self-reproaches. At length, however, he resolved to set out and travel
through the world in search of her. After long journeying, one day he
came to a lake, and near it, in a little hole, he saw a little fish
jumping about. When the fish saw the king’s son, she began to beg
pitifully, “For God’s sake be my brother, and throw me into the water.
Some day I may be of use to you, so take now a little scale from me,
and when you need me, rub it gently.” Then the king’s son lifted the
little fish from the hole and threw her into the water, after he had
taken one small scale, which he wrapped up carefully in a handkerchief.
Some time afterwards, as he travelled about the world, he came upon a
fox caught in an iron trap. When the fox saw the prince he spoke: “In
God’s name be a brother to me and help me to get out of this trap. One
day you will need me, so take just one hair from my tail, and when you
want me, rub it gently.” Then the king’s son took a hair from the tail
of the fox and set him free.
Again, as he crossed a mountain, he found a wolf fast in a trap; and
when the wolf saw him it spoke: “Be a brother to me; in God’s name set
me free, and one day I will help you. Only take a hair from me, and
when you need me, rub it gently.” So he took a hair and set the wolf
free. After that the king’s son travelled about a very long time, till
one day he met a man, to whom he said, “For God’s sake, brother, have
you ever heard anyone say where is the palace of the dragon king?” The
man gave him very particular directions which way to take, and in what
length of time he could get there. Then the king’s son thanked him and
continued his journey until he came to the city where the dragon lived.
When there, he went into the palace and found therein his wife, and
both of them were exceedingly pleased to meet each other, and began to
take counsel how they could escape. They resolved to run away, and
prepared hastily for the journey. When all was ready they mounted on
horseback and galloped away. As soon as they were gone the dragon came
home, also on horseback, and, entering his palace, found that the queen
had gone away. Then he said to his horse, “What shall we do now? Shall
we eat and drink, or go at once after them?” The horse answered, “Let
us eat and drink first, we shall anyway catch them; do not be anxious.”
After the dragon had dined he mounted his horse, and in a few moments
came up with the runaways. Then he took the queen from the king’s son
and said to him, “Go now, in God’s name! This time I forgive you,
because you gave me water in the cellar; but if your life is dear to
you do not come back here any more.” The unhappy young prince went on
his way a little, but could not long resist, so he came back next day
to the dragon’s palace and found the queen sitting alone and weeping.
Then they began again to consult how they could get away. And the
prince said, “When the dragon comes, ask him where he got that horse,
and then you will tell me so that I can look for such another one;
perhaps in this way we can escape.” He then went away, lest the dragon
should come and find him with the queen.
By-and-by the dragon came home, and the queen began to pet him, and
speak lovingly to him about many things, till at last she said, “Ah,
what a fine horse you have! where did you get such a splendid horse?”
And he answered, “Eh, where I got it everyone cannot get one! In such
and such a mountain lives an old woman who has twelve horses in her
stable, and no one can say which is the finest, they are all so
beautiful. But in one corner of the stable stands a horse which looks
as if he were leprous, but, in truth, he is the very best horse in the
whole world. He is the brother of my horse, and whoever gets him may
ride to the sky. But whoever wishes to get a horse from that old woman
must serve her three days and three nights. She has a mare with a foal,
and whoever during three nights guards and keeps for her this mare and
this foal, has a right to claim the best horse from the old woman’s
stable. But whoever engages to keep watch over the mare and does not,
must lose his head.”
Next day, when the dragon went out, the king’s son came, and the queen
told him all she had learned from the dragon. Then the king’s son went
away to the mountain and found the old woman, and entered her house
greeting: “God help you, grandmother!” And she answered, “God help you,
too, my son! what do you wish?” “I should like to serve you,” said the
king’s son. Then the old woman said, “Well, my son, if you keep my mare
safe for three days and three nights I will give you the best horse,
and you can choose him yourself; but if you do not keep the mare safe
you shall lose your head.”
Then she led him into the courtyard, where all around stakes were
ranged. Each of them had on it a man’s head, except one stake, which
had no head on it, and shouted incessantly, “Oh, grandmother, give me a
head.” The old woman showed all this to the prince, and said, “Look
here, all these were heads of those who tried to keep my mare, and they
have lost their heads for their pains.”
But the prince was not a bit afraid, so he stayed to serve the old
woman. When the evening came he mounted the mare and rode her into the
field, and the foal followed. He sat still on her back, having made up
his mind not to dismount, that he might be sure of her. But before
midnight he slumbered a little, and when he awoke he found himself
sitting on a rail and holding the bridle in his hand. Then he was
greatly alarmed, and went instantly to look about to find the mare, and
whilst looking for her he came to a piece of water. When he saw the
water he remembered the little fish, and took the scale from the
handkerchief and rubbed it a little. Then immediately the little fish
appeared and said, “What is the matter, my half-brother?” And he
replied, “The mare of the old woman ran away whilst under my charge,
and now I do not know where she is.” And the fish answered, “Here she
is, turned to a fish, and the foal to a smaller one. But strike once
upon the water with the bridle and cry out ‘Heigh! mare of the old
woman!’” The prince did as he was told, and immediately the mare came,
with the foal, out of the water to the shore. Then he put on her the
bridle and mounted and rode away to the old woman’s house and the foal
followed. When he got there the old woman gave him his breakfast; she,
however, took the mare into the stable and beat her with a poker,
saying, “Why did you not go down among the fishes, you cursed mare?”
And the mare answered, “I have been down to the fishes, but the fish
are his friends, and they told him about me.” Then the old woman said,
“Then go among the foxes.”
When evening came the king’s son mounted the mare and rode to the
field, and the foal followed the mare. Again he sat on the mare’s back
until near midnight, when he fell asleep as before. When he awoke, he
found himself riding on the rail and holding the bridle in his hand. So
he was much frightened, and went to look after the mare. As he went he
remembered the words the old woman had said to the mare, and he took
from the handkerchief the fox’s hair and rubbed it a little between his
fingers. All at once the fox stood before him and asked, “What is the
matter, half-brother?” And he said, “The old woman’s mare has run away,
and I do not know where she can be.” Then the fox answered, “Here she
is with us; she has turned into a fox, and the foal into a cub; but
strike once with the bridle on the earth and cry out, ‘Heigh! you old
woman’s mare!’” So the king’s son struck with the bridle on the earth
and cried “Heigh! you old woman’s mare!” and the mare came and stood,
with her foal, near him. He put on the bridle, and mounted and rode off
home, and the foal followed the mare. When he arrived the old woman
gave him his breakfast, but took the mare into the stable and beat her
with the poker, crying, “To the foxes, cursed one! to the foxes!” And
the mare answered, “I have been with the foxes, but they are his
friends, and told him I was there!” Then the old woman cried, “If that
is so, you must go among the wolves.”
When it grew dark again the king’s son mounted the mare and rode out to
the field, and the foal galloped by the side of the mare. Again he sat
still on the mare’s back till about midnight, when he grew very sleepy
and fell into a slumber, as on the former evenings, and when he awoke
he found himself riding on the rail, holding the bridle in his hand,
just as before. Then, as before, he went in a hurry to look after the
mare. As he went he remembered the words the old woman had said to the
mare, and took the wolf’s hair from the handkerchief and rubbed it a
little. Then the wolf came up to him and asked, “What is the matter,
half-brother?” And he answered, “The old woman’s mare has run away, and
I cannot tell where she is.” The wolf said, “Here she is with us; she
has turned herself into a wolf, and the foal into a wolf’s cub. Strike
once with the bridle on the earth and cry out, ‘Heigh! old woman’s
mare!’” And the king’s son did so, and instantly the mare came again
and stood with the foal beside him. So he bridled her, and galloped
home, and the foal followed. When he arrived the old woman gave him his
breakfast, but she led the mare into the stable and beat her with the
poker, crying, “To the wolves, I said, miserable one.” Then the mare
answered, “I have been to the wolves; but they are his friends, and
told him all about me.” Then the old woman came out of the stable, and
the king’s son said to her, “Eh, grandmother, I have served you
honestly; now give me what you promised me.” And the old woman
answered, “My son, what is promised must be fulfilled. So look here:
here are the twelve horses; choose which you like.” And the prince
said, “Why should I be too particular? Give me only that leprous horse
in the corner; fine horses are not fitting for me.” But the old woman
tried to persuade him to choose another horse, saying, “How can you be
so foolish as to choose that leprous thing whilst there are such very
fine horses here?” But he remained firm by his first choice, and said
to the old woman, “You ought to give me which I choose, for so you
promised.” So, when the old woman found she could not make him change
his mind, she gave him the scabby horse, and he took leave of her, and
went away, leading the horse by the halter.
When he came to a forest he curried and rubbed down the horse, when it
shone as bright as gold. He then mounted, and the horse flew as quickly
as a bird, and in a few seconds brought him to the dragon’s palace. The
king’s son went in and said to the queen, “Get ready as soon as
possible.” She was soon ready, when they both mounted the horse, and
began their journey home. Soon after the dragon came home, and when he
saw the queen had disappeared, said to his horse, “What shall we do?
Shall we eat and drink first, or shall we pursue them at once?” The
horse answered, “Whether we eat and drink or not it is all one, we
shall never reach them.”
When the dragon heard that he got quickly on his horse and galloped
after them. When they saw the dragon following them they pushed on
quicker, but their horse said, “Do not be afraid; there is no need to
run away.” In a very few moments the dragon came very near to them, and
his horse said to their horse, “For God’s sake, my brother, wait a
moment! I shall kill myself running after you.” Their horse answered,
“Why are you so stupid as to carry that monster. Fling your heels up
and throw him off, and come along with me.” When the dragon’s horse
heard that he shook his head angrily and flung his feet high in the
air, so that the dragon fell off and brake in pieces and his horse came
up to them. Then the queen mounted him and returned with the king’s son
happily to her kingdom, where they reigned together in great prosperity
until the day of their death.