1812GRIMM'S FAIRY TALESTHE GOLDEN BIRDJacob Ludwig Grimm and Wilhelm Carl Grimm (all credit goes to them and may they rest in peace)

IN TIMES GONE BY there was a King who had at the back of hiscastle a beautiful pleasure-garden, in which stood a tree that boregolden apples. As the apples ripened they were counted, but onemorning one was missing. Then the King was angry, and heordered that watch should be kept about the tree every night. Nowthe King had three sons, and he sent the eldest to spend the wholenight in the garden: so he watched till midnight, and then he couldkeep off sleep no longer, and in the morning another apple wasmissing. The second son had to watch the following night; but itfared no better, for when twelve o'clock had struck he went tosleep, and in the morning another apple was missing. Now camethe turn of the third son to watch, and he was ready to do so; butthe King had less trust in him, and believed he would acquithimself still worse than his brothers, but in the end he consented tolet him try. So the young man lay down under the tree to watch,and resolved that sleep should not be master. When it strucktwelve something came rushing through the air, and he saw in themoonlight a bird flying towards him, whose feathers glittered likegold. The bird perched upon the tree, and had already pecked offan apple, when the young man let fly an arrow at it. The bird flewaway, but the arrow had struck its target, and one of its goldenfeathers fell to the ground. The young man picked it up, and taking it next morning to the King, told him what had happened in thenight.

The King called his council together, and all declared that such afeather was worth more than the whole kingdom. "Since thefeather is so valuable," said the King, "one is not enough for me; Imust and will have the whole bird." So the eldest son set off, andrelying on his own cleverness he thought he should soon find thegolden bird. When he had gone some distance he saw a fox sittingat the edge of a wood, and he pointed his gun at him.

The fox cried out, "Do not shoot me, and I will give you goodcounsel. You are on your way to find the golden bird, and thisevening you will come to a village, in which two taverns standfacing each other. One will be brightly lighted up, and there will beplenty of merriment going on inside; do not mind about that, butgo into the other one, although it will look to you very uninviting.""How can a silly beast give one any rational advice?" thought theKing's son, and let fly at the fox, but missed him, and he stretchedout his tail and ran quickly into the wood. Then the young manwent on his way, and towards evening he came to the village, andthere stood the two taverns; in one singing and dancing was goingon, the other looked quite dull and wretched. "I should be a fool,"said he, "to go into that dismal place, while there is anything sogood close by." So he went into the merry inn, and there lived inclover, quite forgetting the bird and his father, and all goodcounsel.

As time went on, and the eldest son never came home, the secondson set out to seek the golden bird. He met with the fox, just as theeldest did, and received good advice from him without attendingto it. And when he came to the two taverns, his brother wasstanding and calling to him at the window of one of them, out ofwhich came sounds of merriment; so he could not resist, but wentin and reveled to his heart's content.

And then, as time went on, the youngest son wished to go forth,and to try his luck, but his father would not consent. "It would beuseless," said he; "he is much less likely to find the bird than hisbrothers, and if any misfortune were to happen to him he wouldnot know how to help himself; his wits are none of the best." But atlast, as there was no peace to be had, he let him go. By the side ofthe wood sat the fox, begged him to spare his life, and gave himgood counsel. The young man was kind, and said, "Be easy, littlefox, I will do you no harm." "You shall not repent of it," answeredthe fox, "and that you may get there all the sooner, get up and sit on my tail." And no sooner had he done so than the fox began torun, and off they went over stock and stone, so that the windwhistled in their hair. When they reached the village the youngman got down, and, following the fox's advice, went into themean-looking tavern, without hesitating, and there he passed aquiet night.

The next morning, when he went out into the field, the fox, whowas sitting there already, said, "I will tell you further what youhave to do. Go straight on until you come to a castle, before whicha great band of soldiers lie, but do not trouble yourself about them,for they will be all asleep and snoring; pass through them andforward into the castle, and go through all the rooms, until youcome to one where there is a golden bird hanging in a woodencage. Near at hand will stand, empty, a golden cage of state, butyou must beware of taking the bird out of his ugly cage andputting him into the fine one; if you do so you will come to harm."After he had finished saying this the fox stretched out his tailagain, and the King's son sat him down upon it; then away theywent over stock and stone, so that the wind whistled through theirhair. And when the King's son reached the castle he foundeverything as the fox had said, and he at last entered the roomwhere the golden bird was hanging in a wooden cage, while agolden one was standing by; the three golden apples too were inthe room. Then, thinking it foolish to let the beautiful bird stay inthat mean and ugly cage, he opened the door of it, took hold of it,and put it in the golden one. In the same moment the bird uttered apiercing cry. The soldiers awaked, rushed in, seized the King's sonand put him in prison. The next morning he was brought before ajudge, and, as he confessed everything, condemned to death. Butthe King said he would spare his life on one condition, that heshould bring him the golden horse whose paces were swifter thanthe wind, and that then he should also receive the golden bird as areward.

So the King's son set off to find the golden horse, but he sighed,and was very sad, for how should it be accomplished? And then hesaw his old friend the fox sitting by the roadside.

"Now, you see," said the fox, "all this has happened because youwould not listen to me. But be of good courage, I will bring youthrough, and will tell you how you are to get the golden horse. Youmust go straight on until you come to a castle, where the horsestands in his stable; before the stable-door the grooms will be lying,but they will all be asleep and snoring; and you can go and quietlylead out the horse. But one thing you must mind- take care to put upon him the plain saddle of wood and leather, and not the goldenone, which will hang close by; otherwise it will go badly withyou." Then the fox stretched out his tail, and the King's son seatedhimself upon it, and away they went over stock and stone until thewind whistled through their hair. And everything happened just asthe fox had said, and he came to the stall where the golden horsewas, and as he was about to put on him the plain saddle, hethought to himself, "Such a beautiful animal would be disgracedwere I not to put on him the good saddle, which becomes him sowell." However, no sooner did the horse feel the golden saddletouch him than he began to neigh. And the grooms all awoke,seized the King's son and threw him into prison. The next morninghe was delivered up to justice and condemned to death, but theKing promised him his life, and also to bestow upon him thegolden horse, if he could convey thither the beautiful Princess ofthe golden castle.

With a heavy heart the King's son set out, but by great good luckhe soon met with the faithful fox

"I ought now to leave you to your own ill-luck," said the fox, "but Iam sorry for you, and will once more help you in your need. Yourway lies straight up to the golden castle. You will arrive there inthe evening, and at night when all is quiet, the beautiful Princessgoes to the bath. And as she is entering the bathinghouse, go up toher and give her a kiss, then she will follow you, and you can leadher away; but do not suffer her first to go and take leave of herparents, or it will go ill with you." Then the fox stretched out histail, the King's son seated himself upon it, and away they wentover stock and stone, so that the wind whistled through their hair.

And when he came to the golden castle all was as the fox had said.He waited until midnight, when all lay in deep sleep, and then asthe beautiful Princess went to the bathing-house he went up to herand gave her a kiss, and she willingly promised to go with him,but she begged him earnestly, and with tears, that he would let herfirst go and take leave of her parents. At first he denied her prayer,but as she wept so much the more, and fell at his feet, he gave in atlast. And no sooner had the Princess reached her father's bedsidethan he, and all who were in the castle, waked up, and the youngman was seized and thrown into prison.

The next morning the King said to him, "Thy life is forfeit, but thoushalt find grace if thou canst level that mountain that lies before mywindows, and over which I am not able to see; and if this is donewithin eight days thou shalt have my daughter for a reward."

So the King's son set to work, and dug and shoveled away withoutceasing, but when, on the seventh day, he saw how little he hadaccomplished, and that all his work was as nothing, he fell intogreat sadness, and gave up all hope. But on the evening of theseventh day the fox appeared, and said, "You do not deserve that Ishould help you, but go now and lie down to sleep, and I will dothe work for you." The next morning when he awoke, and lookedout of the window, the mountain had disappeared. The young manhastened full of joy to the King, and told him that his behest wasfulfilled, and, whether the King liked it or not, he had to keep tohis word, and let his daughter go.

So they both went away together, and it was not long before thefaithful fox came up to them.

"Well, you have got the best first," said he; "but you must knowthe golden horse belongs to the Princess of the golden castle." "Buthow shall I get it?" asked the young man.

"I am going to tell you," answered the fox. "First, go to the Kingwho sent you to the golden castle, and take to him the beautifulPrincess. There will then be very great rejoicing; he will willinglygive you the golden horse, and they will lead him out to you; thenmount him without delay, and stretch out your hand to each ofthem to take leave, and last of all to the Princess, and when youhave her by the hand swing her up on the horse behind you, andoff you go! nobody will be able to overtake you, for that horse goesswifter than the wind." And so it was all happily done, and theKing's son carried off the beautiful Princess on the golden horse.The fox did not stay behind, and he said to the young man, "Now,I will help you to get the golden bird. When you draw near thecastle where the bird is, let the lady alight, and I will take herunder my care; then you must ride the golden horse into the castleyard, and there will be great rejoicing to see it, and they will bringout to you the golden bird. As soon as you have the cage in yourhand, you must start off back to us, and then you shall carry thelady away." The plan was successfully carried out; and when theyoung man returned with the treasure, the fox said," Now, whatwill you give me for my reward?" "What would you like?" askedthe young man.

"When we are passing through the wood, I desire that you shouldslay me, and cut my head and feet off." "That were a strange signof gratitude," said the King's son, "and I could not possibly dosuch a thing." Then said the fox, "If you will not do it, I must leaveyou; but before I go let me give you some good advice. Beware of two things: buy no gallows-meat, and sit at no brook-side." Withthat the fox ran off into the wood

 The young man thought to himself, "That is a wonderful animal,with most singular ideas. How should any one buy gallows-meat?and I am sure I have no particular fancy for sitting by a brookside." So he rode on with the beautiful Princess, and their way ledthem through the village where his two brothers had stayed. Therethey heard great outcry and noise, and when he asked what it wasall about, they told him that two people were going to be hanged.And when he drew near he saw that it was his two brothers, whohad done all sorts of evil tricks, and had wasted all their goods. Heasked if there were no means of setting them free.

"Oh yes! if you will buy them off," answered the people; "but whyshould you spend your money in redeeming such worthless men?"But he persisted in doing so; and when they were let go they allwent on their journey together.

After a while they came to the wood where the fox had met themfirst, and there it seemed so cool and sheltered from the sun'sburning rays that the two brothers said, "Let us rest here for a littleby the brook, and eat and drink to refresh ourselves." The youngman consented, quite forgetting the fox's warning, and he seatedhimself by the brook-side, suspecting no evil. But the two brothersthrust him backwards into the brook, seized the Princess, the horse,and the bird, and went home to their father.

"Is not this the golden bird that we bring?" said they; "and wehave also the golden horse, and the Princess of the golden castle."Then there was great rejoicing in the royal castle, but the horse didnot feed, the bird did not chirp, and the Princess sat still and wept.

The youngest brother, however, had not perished. The brook was,by good fortune, dry, and he fell on soft moss without receivingany hurt, but he could not get up again. But in his need the faithfulfox was not lacking; he came up running, and reproached him forhaving forgotten his advice.

"But I cannot forsake you all the same," said he; "I will help youback again into daylight." So he told the young man to grasp histail, and hold on to it fast, and so he drew him up again.

"Still you are not quite out of all danger," said the fox; "yourbrothers, not being certain of your death, have surrounded thewood with sentinels, who are to put you to death if you let yourselfbe seen." A poor beggar-man was sitting by the path, and theyoung man changed clothes with him, and went in that disguise into the King's courtyard. Nobody knew him, but the bird began tochirp, and the horse began to feed, and the beautiful Princessceased weeping.

"What does this mean?" said the King, astonished.

The Princess answered, "I cannot tell, except that I was sad, andnow I am joyful; it is to me as if my rightful bridegroom hadreturned."

Then she told him all that happened, although the two brothershad threatened to put her to death if she let out anything. The Kingthen ordered every person who was in the castle to be broughtbefore him, and with the rest came the young man like a beggar inhis wretched garments; but the Princess knew him, and greetedhim well, falling on his neck and kissing him. The wicked brotherswere seized and put to death, and the youngest brother wasmarried to the Princess, and succeeded to the inheritance of hisfather.

But what became of the poor fox? Long afterwards the King's sonwas going through the wood, and the fox met him and said, "Now,you have everything that you can wish for, but my misfortunesnever come to an end, and it lies in your power to free me fromthem." And once more he prayed the King's son earnestly to slayhim, and cut off his head and feet. So, at last, he consented, and nosooner was it done than the fox was changed into a man, and wasno other than the brother of the beautiful Princess; and thus he wasset free from a spell that had bound him for a long, long time.

And now, indeed, there lacked nothing to their happiness as longas they lived.

THE END