THE GOLDEN BIRD
[37] THERE was once upon a time a king who had a garden; in
that garden there was an apple tree, and on that apple
tree there grew a golden apple every year; but when
the time came to pluck the apple it was gone, and no
one knew who took it or what became of it; but gone it
was.
The King had three sons, and one day he told them that
he who could bring him the apple or get hold of the
thief, should have the kingdom after him, no matter
whether he was the eldest, the second, or the youngest
son.
The eldest set out first and sat down under the tree
to keep watch for the thief. Soon after dark a golden
bird came flying, and light from it was so strong and
dazzling that it could be seen a long way off. When
the Prince saw the bird and the dazzling light he
became so frightened that he dared not stay any
longer, but rushed indoors as fast as he could.
Next morning the apple was gone; the Prince had then,
however, recovered his courage and began to get ready
for his journey and wanted to set off to find the
bird. The King fitted him out in grand style and
spared neither money nor fine raiment. When the Prince
had gone a bit on the way he became hungry, opened his
scrip and sat down to his breakfast by the roadside. A
fox then came out of the wood and sat down and looked
at him.
"Do give me a little to eat," said the fox.
"I'll give you some powder and shot," said the Prince;
"my food I shall want myself; nobody can tell how
far and how long I may have to travel," said he.
"Just so," said the fox, and so he went back into the
wood again.
When the Prince had finished his meal and rested
awhile he set out on his way again. After a long time
he came to a big city, and in that city there was an
inn, where there
[38] was always joy and never any
sorrow; he thought that would be a nice place to stop
at, and so he remained. And there was such dancing and
drinking and joy and merry-making that he forgot the
bird and his father and his journey and the whole
kingdom.
Away he was and away he stopped.
The next year the second prince was to watch for the
thief in the garden; he also sat down under the tree
when the apple began to ripen. But one night, all of a
sudden, the golden bird came flying, shining like the
sun, and the Prince became so afraid that he took to
his heels and ran indoors as fast as he could.
In the morning the apple was gone, but the Prince had
then recovered his courage and wanted to set out and find
the bird. He began to get ready and the King fitted
him out in grand style and spared neither money nor
fine raiment. But the same thing happened to him as to
his brother; when he had got a bit on the way he
became hungry, opened his scrip and sat down to his
breakfast by the roadside. A fox then came out from the
pine wood and sat down and looked at him.
"Do give me a little to eat," said the fox.
"I'll give you some powder and shot," said the Prince;
"my food I shall want myself; nobody can tell how far
and how long I may have to travel," said he.
"Just so," said the fox, and so he went back into the
wood again.
When the Prince had finished his meal and rested
awhile, he set out on his way again. After a long time
he came to the same city and the same inn, where there
was always joy and never any sorrow; and there he also
thought it would be nice to stop, and the first he met
was his brother, and so he remained. The brother had
been leading a gay and reckless life and had scarcely
any clothes left on his back; but now he began afresh,
and there was such dancing and drinking and joy and
merriment that the second prince also forgot the bird
and his father and his journey
[39] and the whole
kingdom. Away he was and away he stopped.
When the time came for the apple to ripen again the
youngest prince was to go into the garden and watch
for the thief. He took a companion with him who was to
help him up into the tree, and to pass away the time so
that he should not fall asleep. All of a sudden they
saw a bright light, as if from the sun; every feather
of the bird could be seen long before it came to the
tree. The Prince climbed up into the tree and at the
same time the golden bird swooped down and took the
apple; the Prince tried to seize the bird, but he only
caught a feather out of its tail.
So he went to the King's bedroom, and as he came in
with the feather, it became as light as day.
He also wanted to try if he could find his brothers
and catch the bird, for he had been so near to it that
he had got a feather from its tail and would know it
again anywhere, he said.
Well, the King went and pondered long whether he
should let him go, for he thought the youngest would
not fare any better than the two eldest, who ought to
have more knowledge of the world, and he was afraid he
should lose him also. But the Prince begged so
earnestly that at last he got permission to go.
He then began to get ready and the King fitted him out
in grand style, both with clothes and money, and so he
set off.
When he had traveled for some time he became hungry
and took his scrip and sat down to have his breakfast,
but just as he was in the midst of it a fox came out
of the wood and sat down close by his side and looked
at him.
"Do give me a little to eat," said the fox.
"I shall want the food myself," said the Prince,
"for I cannot tell how far I shall have to travel, but
I have enough to give you a little."
[40] When the fox had got the piece of meat he asked the
Prince where he was going.
Yes, that he would tell him.
"If you will listen to me, I will help you, and you
will have good luck," said the fox.
The Prince promised he would, and so they set off
together. They traveled a while till they came to the
same city and the same inn, where there was always joy,
but no sorrow.
"I must keep outside here; the dogs are rather a
nuisance," said the fox, and so he told the Prince
where his brothers were to be found and what they were
doing; "and if you go in there you will not get any
further either," said he.
The Prince promised he would not go in there, and gave
him his hand on it, and so each went his way. But when
the Prince came to the inn and heard the noise and
merriment going on he felt he must go in; there was no
help for it, and when he met his brothers there was
such rejoicing that he forgot both the fox and the
journey and the bird and his father. But when he had
been there awhile the fox came—he had ventured into
the city after all—and opened the door a little and
made a sign to the Prince, saying that now they must
be off. So the Prince bethought himself, and they went
their way.
When they had traveled awhile they saw a big mountain
far away. The fox said:
"Three hundred miles at the back of that mountain
there is a gilded linden tree with golden leaves, and
in that tree sits the golden bird from which you took
the feather."
Thither they traveled together. When the Prince was
going to catch the bird the fox gave him some bright
feathers which he was to wave in his hands, and so
attract the bird, which would then fly down and sit on
his hand.
But the fox said he must not touch the linden tree,
for inside it was a big troll who owned it, and if the
Prince
[41] touched only the smallest twig the troll
would come out and kill him on the spot.
No, he would not touch it, said the Prince; but when
he had got the bird on his hand he thought he must
have a twig of the tree; there was no help for it, it
was so bright and beautiful. So he took a tiny little
sprig, but the same moment the troll came out.
"Who is that stealing my tree and my bird?" roared the
troll, and he was so angry that he spurted sparks of
fire.
"Thieves believe that all men steal," said the Prince;
"but only those get hanged who do not steal properly,"
said he.
The troll said that made no difference, and was going
to kill him, but the Prince begged him to spare his
life.
"Well," said the troll, "if you can bring me back the
horse which my nearest neighbor has taken from me you
will get off with your life."
"Where shall I find it, then?" said the Prince.
"Oh, he lives three hundred miles at the back of that
big blue mountain against the horizon yonder," said
the troll.
The Prince promised he would do his best. But when he
came back to the fox he found him in rather a bad
temper.
"Now you have got yourself into trouble," said the
fox; "if you had listened to me we could have been on
our way home by this," said he.
So they had to make a fresh start, for the Prince had
pledged his word, and his life depended on his finding
the horse.
At last they got there, but as the Prince was going to
take the horse the fox said:
"When you come into the stable you will find all sorts
of bridles hanging on the wall, both of gold and
silver; you must not touch them, for then the troll
will come and kill you; you must take the ugliest and
shabbiest you see."
[42] Yes, the Prince promised he would; but when he came
into the stable he thought it was quite unreasonable
not to take a fine bridle, for there were plenty of
them, and so he took the brightest he could find. It
was as bright as gold, but just then the troll came
and was so angry that sparks flew from him.
"Who is that stealing my horse and my bridle?" he
shrieked.
"Thieves believe that all men steal," said the Prince;
"but only those get hanged who do not steal
properly," said he.
"Well, that makes no difference. I'll kill you on the
spot," shouted the troll.
But the Prince begged him to spare his life.
"Well," said the troll, "if you can bring me back the
fair damsel which my nearest neighbor has taken from
me I will spare you."
"Whereabouts does he live, then?" asked the Prince.
"Oh, he lives three hundred miles at the back of that
big blue mountain against the horizon yonder," said
the troll.
The Prince promised he would fetch the damsel, and was
allowed to go, and so escaped with his life.
But when he came out you may imagine how angry the fox
was.
"Now you've got yourself into trouble again," said he;
"if you had listened to me we could have been on our
way home long ago. I almost think I will not go with
you any further."
But the Prince begged and prayed and promised he would
never do anything else but what the fox told him, if
he would only remain with him. At last the fox gave
in, and they became firm friends again; so they set
off once more and came at last to where the fair
damsel was.
"Well," said the fox, "I have your promise, but I dare
not let you in to the troll, after all; this time I
must go myself." So he went in, and after a while he
came out with
[43] the damsel, and so they went back
the same way they had come.
When they got to the troll who had the horse they took
both the horse and the brightest bridle; and when they
got to the troll who had the linden tree and the bird,
they took both the tree and the bird and started off
with them.
When they had got a bit on the way they came to a
field of rye, and the fox then said:
"I hear a thundering noise; you had better go on
ahead; I will remain here awhile," he said. He then
plaited himself a gown of rye straw, in which he
looked like a preacher. All at once the three trolls
came rushing along, hoping to overtake the Prince.
"Have you seen anyone passing here with a fair damsel,
a horse with a golden bridle, a golden bird, and a
gilded linden tree?" they shouted to the fox as he
stood there preaching.
"Well, I've heard from my grandmother's grandmother
that something of the kind passed this way, but that
was in the good old times, when my grandmother's
grandmother baked halfpenny cakes and gave back the
halfpenny."
Then all the trolls burst out laughing: "Ha, ha, ha!"
they laughed and held on to one another.
"If we have slept so long we may as well turn our
noses homeward, and go to sleep again," they said, and
so they went back the way they came.
The fox then set off after the Prince, but when they
came to the city where the inn and his brothers were,
he said:
"I dare not go through the town on account of the
dogs; I must go my own way just above here, but you
must take good care your brothers do not get hold of
you."
But when the Prince came into the city he thought it
would be too bad if he did not look in upon his
brothers and have a word with them, and so he tarried
there for a while.
When the brothers saw him they came out and took the
damsel, and the horse, and the bird, and the linden
tree,
[44] and everything from him, and they put him
in a barrel, and threw him into the sea; and so they
set off home to the King's palace, with the damsel,
and the horse, and the bird, and the linden tree, and
everything. But the damsel would not speak, and she
became pale and wretched to look upon; the horse got
so thin and miserable that it could hardly hang
together; the bird became silent and shone no more,
and the linden tree withered.
In the meantime the fox was sneaking about outside the
city where the inn and the merriment were, and was
waiting for the Prince and the damsel, and wondering
why they did not return.
He went hither and thither, waiting and watching for
them, and at last he came down to the shore, and when
he saw the barrel, which was lying out at sea
drifting, he shouted: "Why are you drifting about
there, you empty barrel?"
"Oh, it is I," said the Prince in the barrel.
The fox then swam out to sea as fast as he could, got
hold of the barrel, and towed it to land; then he
began to gnaw the hoops, and when he had got some off
the barrel, he said to the Prince: "Stamp and kick."
The Prince stamped and kicked till all the staves flew
about, and out he jumped from the barrel.
So they went together to the King's palace, and when
they got there the damsel regained her beauty and
began to talk, the horse became so fat and sleek that
every hair glistened; the light shone from the bird
and it began to sing; the linden tree began to blossom
and its leaves to sparkle, and the damsel said, "He is
the one who has saved us."
They planted the linden tree in the garden, and the
youngest prince was to marry the princess, for such
the damsel really was; but the two eldest brothers
were put each in a barrel and rolled down a high
mountain.
Then they began to prepare for the wedding, but the
fox first asked the Prince to put him on the block and
cut his head off, and although the Prince both prayed
and cried,
[45] there was no help for it; he would
have to do it. But as he cut the head off, the fox
turned into a handsome prince, and he was the brother
of the princess, whom they had rescued from the troll.
So the wedding came off and everything was so grand
and splendid, that the news of the festivities reached
all the way here.
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