The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm (Rackham)/The Golden Bird
LONG time ago there was a King who had a lovely pleasure-garden round his palace, and in it stood a tree which bore golden apples. When the apples were nearly ripe they were counted, but the very next morning one was missing.
This was reported to the King, and he ordered a watch to be set every night under the tree.
The King had three sons, and he sent the eldest into the garden at nightfall; but by midnight he was overcome with sleep, and in the morning another apple was missing.
On the following night the second son had to keep watch, but he fared no better. When the clock struck twelve, he too was fast asleep, and in the morning another apple was gone.
The turn to watch now came to the third son. He was quite ready, but the King had not much confidence in him, and thought that he would accomplish even less than his brothers. At last, however, he gave his permission; so the youth lay down under the tree to watch, determined not to let sleep get the mastery over him.
As the clock struck twelve there was a rustling in the air, and by the light of the moon he saw a Bird, whose shining feathers were of pure gold. The Bird settled on the tree, and was just plucking an apple when the young Prince shot an arrow at it. The Bird flew away, but the arrow hit its plumage, and one of the golden feathers fell to the ground. The Prince picked it up, and in the morning took it to the King and told him all that he had seen in the night.
The King assembled his council, and everybody declared that a feather like that was worth more than the whole kingdom. ‘If the feather is worth so much,’ said the King, ‘one will not satisfy me; I must and will have the whole Bird.’
The eldest, relying on his cleverness, set out in search of the Bird, and thought that he would be sure to find it soon.
When he had gone some distance he saw a Fox sitting by the edge of a wood ; he raised his gun and aimed at it. The Fox cried out, ‘Do not shoot me, and I will give you some good advice. You are going to look for the Golden Bird; you will come to a village at nightfall, where you will find two inns opposite each other. One of them will be brightly lighted, and there will be noise and revelry going on in it. Be sure you do not choose that one, but go into the other, even if you don’t like the look of it so well.’
‘How can a stupid animal like that give me good advice?’ thought the King’s son, and he pulled the trigger, but missed the Fox, who turned tail and made off into the wood.
Thereupon the Prince continued his journey, and at nightfall reached the village with the two inns. Singing and dancing were going on in the one, and the other had a poverty-stricken and decayed appearance.
‘I should be a fool,’ he said, ‘if I were to go to that miserable place with this good one so near.’
So he went into the noisy one, and lived there in rioting and revelry, forgetting the Bird, his father, and all his good counsels.
When some time had passed and the eldest son did not come back, the second prepared to start in quest of the
Away they flew over stock and stone, at such a pace that his hair whistled in the wind.
He came to the two inns, and saw his brother standing at the window of the one whence sounds of revelry proceeded. He could not withstand his brother’s calling, so he went in and gave himself up to a life of pleasure.
Again some time passed, and the King’s youngest son wanted to go out to try his luck; but his father would not let him go.
‘It is useless,’ he said. ‘He will be even less able to find the Golden Bird than his brothers, and when any ill luck overtakes him, he will not be able to help himself; he has no backbone.’
But at last, because he gave him no peace, he let him go. The Fox again sat at the edge of the wood, begged for its life, and gave its good advice. The Prince was good-natured, and said: ‘Be calm, little Fox, I will do thee no harm.’
‘You won’t repent it,’ answered the Fox; ‘and so that you may get along faster, come and mount on my tail.’
No sooner had he seated himself than the Fox began to run, and away they flew over stock and stone, at such a pace that his hair whistled in the wind.
When they reached the village, the Prince dismounted, and following the good advice of the Fox, he went straight to the mean inn without looking about him, and there he passed a peaceful night. In the morning when he went out into the fields, there sat the Fox, who said: ‘I will now tell you what you must do next. Walk straight on till you come to a castle, in front of which a whole regiment of soldiers is encamped. Don’t be afraid of them; they will all be asleep and snoring. Walk through the midst of them straight into the castle, and through all the rooms, and at last you will reach an apartment where the Golden Bird will be hanging in a common wooden cage. A golden cage stands near it for show, but beware! whatever you do, you must not take the bird out of the wooden cage to put it into the other, or it will be the worse for you.’
After these words the Fox again stretched out his tail, the Prince took his seat on it, and away they flew over stock and stone, till his hair whistled in the wind.
When he arrived at the castle, he found everything just as the Fox had said.
The Prince went to the room where the Golden Bird hung in the wooden cage, with a golden cage standing by, and the three golden apples were scattered about the room. He thought it would be absurd to leave the beautiful Bird in the common old cage, so he opened the door, caught it, and put it into the golden cage. But as he did it, the Bird uttered a piercing shriek. The soldiers woke up, rushed in, and carried him away to prison. Next morning he was taken before a judge, and, as he confessed all, he was sentenced to death. The King, however, said that he would spare his life on one condition, and this was that he should bring him the Golden Horse which runs faster than the wind. In addition, he should have the Golden Bird as a reward.
So the Prince set off with many sighs; he was very sad, for where was he to find the Golden Horse?
Then suddenly he saw his old friend the Fox sitting on the road. ‘Now you see,’ said the Fox, ‘all this has happened because you did not listen to me. All the same, keep up your spirits; I will protect you and tell you how to find the Golden Horse. You must keep straight along the road, and you will come to a palace, in the stable of which stands the Golden Horse. The grooms will be lying round the stable, but they will be fast asleep and snoring, and you can safely lead the horse through them. Only, one thing you must beware of. Put the old saddle of wood and leather upon it, and not the golden one hanging near, or you will rue it.’
Then the Fox stretched out his tail, the Prince took his seat, and away they flew over stock and stone, till his hair whistled in the wind.
Everything happened just as the Fox had said. The Prince came to the stable where the Golden Horse stood, but when he was about to put the old saddle on its back, he thought, ‘Such a beautiful animal will be disgraced if I don’t put the good saddle upon him, as he deserves.’ Hardly had the golden saddle touched the horse than he began neighing loudly. The grooms awoke, seized the Prince, and threw him into a dungeon.
The next morning he was taken before a judge, and condemned to death; but the King promised to spare his life, and give him the Golden Horse as well, if he could bring him the beautiful Princess out of the golden palace. With a heavy heart the Prince set out, when to his delight he soon met the faithful Fox.
‘I ought to leave you to your fate,’ he said; ‘but I will have pity on you and once more help you out of your trouble. Your road leads straight to the golden palace,—you will reach it in the evening; and at night, when everything is quiet, the beautiful Princess will go to the bathroom to take a bath. As she goes along, spring forward and give her a kiss, and she will follow you. Lead her away with you; only on no account allow her to bid her parents good-bye, or it will go badly with you.’
Again the Fox stretched out his tail, the Prince seated himself upon it, and off they flew over stock and stone, till his hair whistled in the wind.
When he got to the palace, it was just as the Fox had said. He waited till midnight, and when the whole palace was wrapped in sleep, and the Maiden went to take a bath, he sprang forward and gave her a kiss. She said she was quite willing to go with him, but she implored him to let her say good-bye to her parents. At first he refused; but as she cried, and fell at his feet, at last he gave her leave. Hardly had the Maiden stepped up to her father’s bed, when he and every one else in the palace woke up. The Prince was seized, and thrown into prison.
Next morning the King said to him, ‘Your life is forfeited, and it can only be spared if you clear away the mountain in front of my window, which shuts out the view. It must be done in eight days, and if you accomplish the task you shall have my daughter as a reward.’
So the Prince began his labours, and he dug and shovelled without ceasing. On the seventh day, when he saw how little he had done, he became very sad, and gave up all hope. However, in the evening the Fox appeared and said, ‘You do not deserve any help from me, but lie down and go to sleep; I will do the work.’ In the morning when he woke and looked out of the window, the mountain had disappeared.
Overjoyed, the Prince hurried to the King and told him that his condition was fulfilled, and, whether he liked it or not, he must keep his word and give him his daughter.
So they both went away together, and before long the faithful Fox joined them.
‘You certainly have got the best thing of all,’ said he; ‘but to the Maiden of the golden palace the Golden Horse belongs.’
‘How am I to get it?’ asked the Prince.
‘Oh! I will tell you that,’ answered the Fox. ‘First take the beautiful Maiden to the King who sent you to the golden palace. There will be great joy when you appear, and they will bring out the Golden Horse to you. Mount it at once, and shake hands with everybody, last of all with the beautiful Maiden; and when you have taken her hand firmly, pull her up beside you with a swing and gallop away. No one will be able to catch you, for the horse goes faster than the wind.’
All this was successfully done, and the Prince carried off the beautiful Maiden on the Golden Horse.
The Fox was not far off, and he said to the Prince, ‘Now I will help you to get the Golden Bird, too. When you approach the castle where the Golden Bird lives, let the Maiden dismount, and I will take care of her. Then ride with the Golden Horse into the courtyard of the castle; there will be great rejoicing when they see you, and they will bring out the Golden Bird to you. As soon as you have the cage in your hand, gallop back to us and take up the Maiden again.’
When these plans had succeeded, and the Prince was ready to ride on with all his treasures, the Fox said to him:
‘Now you must reward me for my help.’
‘What do you want?’ asked the Prince.
‘When you reach that wood, shoot me dead and cut off my
head and my paws.’
The Prince carried off the beautiful Maiden on the Golden Horse.
‘That would indeed be gratitude!’ said the Prince. ‘I can’t possibly promise to do such a thing.’
The Fox said, ‘If you won’t do it, I must leave you; but before I go I will give you one more piece of advice. Beware of two things—buy no gallows-birds, and don’t sit on the edge of a well.’ Saying which, he ran off into the wood.
The Prince thought, ‘That is a strange animal; what whims he has. Who on earth would want to buy gallows-birds! And the desire to sit on the edge of a well has never yet seized me!’
He rode on with the beautiful Maiden, and the road led him through the village where his two brothers had stayed behind. There was a great hubbub in the village, and when he asked what it was about, he was told that two persons were going to be hanged. When he got nearer he saw that they were his brothers, who had wasted their possessions and done all sorts of evil deeds. He asked if they could not be set free.
‘Yes, if you ’ll ransom them,’ answered the people; ‘but why will you throw your money away in buying off such wicked people?’
He did not stop to reflect, however, but paid the ransom for them, and when they were set free they all journeyed on together.
They came to the wood where they had first met the Fox. It was deliciously cool there, while the sun was broiling outside, so the two brothers said, ‘Let us sit down here by the well to rest a little and eat and drink.’ The Prince agreed, and during the conversation he forgot what he was about, and, never dreaming of any foul play, seated himself on the edge of the well. But his two brothers threw him backwards into it, and went home to their father, taking with them the Maiden, the Horse, and the Bird.
‘Here we bring you not only the Golden Bird, but the Golden Horse, and the Maiden from the golden palace, as our booty.’
Thereupon there was great rejoicing; but the Horse would not eat, the Bird would not sing, and the Maiden sat and wept all day.
The youngest brother had not perished, however. Happily the well was dry, and he fell upon soft moss without taking any harm; only, he could not get out.
Even in this great strait the faithful Fox did not forsake him, but came leaping down and scolded him for not taking his advice. ‘I can’t leave you to your fate, though; I must help you to get back to the light of day.’ He told him to take tight hold of his tail, and then he dragged him up. ‘You are not out of every danger even now,’ said the Fox. ‘Your brothers were not sure of your death, so they have set watchers all over the wood to kill you if they see you.’
A poor old man was sitting by the roadside, and the Prince exchanged clothes with him, and by this means he succeeded in reaching the King’s court.
Nobody recognised him, but the Bird began to sing, the Horse began to eat, and the beautiful Maiden left off crying.
In astonishment the King asked, ‘What does all this mean?’
The Maiden answered: ‘I do not know; but I was very sad, and now I am gay. It seems to me that my true bride-groom must have come.’
She told the King all that had happened, although the two brothers had threatened her with death if she betrayed anything. The King ordered every person in the palace to be brought before him. Among them came the Prince disguised as an old man in all his rags; but the Maiden knew him at once, and fell on his neck. The wicked brothers were seized and put to death; but the Prince was married to the beautiful Maiden, and proclaimed heir to the King.
But what became of the poor Fox? Long afterwards, when the Prince went out into the fields one day, he met the Fox, who said: ‘You have everything that you can desire, but there is no end to my misery. It still lies in your power to release me.’ And again he implored the Prince to shoot him dead, and to cut off his head and his paws.
At last the Prince consented to do as he was asked, and no sooner was it done than the Fox was changed into a man; no other than the brother of the beautiful Princess, at last set free from the evil spell which so long had lain upon him.
There was nothing now wanting to their happiness for the rest of their lives.