第11章TheThreeLittleBirds

第11章thethreelittlebirds

aboutathousandormoreyearsago,therewereinthiscountrynothingbutsmallkings,andoneofthemwholivedonthekeuterbergwasveryfondofhunting.onceonatimewhenhewasridingforthfromhiscastlewithhishuntsmen,threegirlswerewatchingtheircowsuponthemountain,andwhentheysawthekingwithallhisfollowers,theeldestgirlpointedtohim,andcalledtothetwoothergirls:“hullo!hullo!ifidonotgetthatone,iwillhavenone.”thenthesecondgirlansweredfromtheothersideofthehill,andpointedtotheonewhowasontheking'srighthand:“hullo!hullo!ifidonotgetthatone,iwillhavenone.”andthentheyoungestpointedtotheonewhowasonthelefthand,andcried:“hullo!hullo!ifidonotgethim,iwillhavenoone.”these,however,werethetwoministers.thekingheardallthis,andwhenhehadcomebackfromthechase,hecausedthethreegirlstobebroughttohim,andaskedthemwhattheyhadsaidyesterdayonthemountain.thistheywouldnottellhim,sothekingaskedtheeldestifshereallywouldtakehimforherhusband.thenshesaid:“yes,”andthetwoministersmarriedthetwosister,fortheywereallthreefairandbeautifulofface,especiallythequeen,whohadhairlikeflax.

butthetwosistershadnochildren,andoncewhenthekingwasobligedtogofromhomeheinvitedthemtocometothequeeninordertocheerher,forshewasabouttobearachild.shehadalittleboywhobroughtabrightredstarintotheworldwithhim.thenthetwosisterssaidtoeachotherthattheywouldthrowthebeautifulboyintothewater.whentheyhadthrownhimin(ibelieveitwasintotheweser),alittlebirdflewupintotheair,whichsang:

tothydeathartthousped,

untilgod'swordbesaid.

inthewhitelilybloom,

braveboy,isthytomb.

whenthetwoheardthat,theywerefrightenedtodeath,andranawayingreathaste.whenthekingcamehometheytoldhimthatthequeenhadbeendeliveredofadog.thenthekingsaid:“whatgoddoes,iswelldone!”butafishermanwhodweltnearthewaterfishedthelittleboyoutagainwhilehewasstillalive,andashiswifehadnochildren,theyrearedhim.whenayearhadgoneby,thekingagainwentaway,andthequeenhadanotherlittleboy,whomthefalsesisterslikewisetookandthrewintothewater.thenupflewalittlebirdagainandsang:

tothydeathartthousped,

untilgod'swordbesaid.

inthewhitelilybloom,

braveboy,isthytomb.

andwhenthekingcameback,theytoldhimthatthequeenhadoncemoregivenbirthtoadog,andheagainsaid:“whatgoddoes,iswelldone.”thefisherman,however,fishedthisonealsooutofthewater,andrearedhim.

thenthekingagainjourneyedforth,andthequeenhadalittlegirl,whomalsothefalsesistersthrewintothewater.thenagainalittlebirdflewuponhighandsang:

tothydeathartthousped,

untilgod'swordbesaid.

inthewhitelilybloom,

bonnygirl,isthytomb.

andwhenthekingcamehometheytoldhimthatthequeenhadbeendeliveredofacat.thenthekinggrewangry,andorderedhiswifetobecastintoprison,andthereinwassheshutupformanylongyears.

whenthechildrenhadgrownup,theeldestoncewentoutwithsomeotherboystofish,buttheotherboyswouldnothavehimwiththemandsaid:“goyourway,foundling!”hereuponhewasmuchtroubled,andaskedtheoldfishermanifthatwastrue.thefishermantoldhimthatoncewhenhewasfishinghehaddrawnhimoutofthewater.sotheboysaidhewouldgoforthandseekhisfather.thefisherman,however,entreatedhimtostay,buthewouldnotlethimselfbehindered,andatlastthefishermanconsented.thentheboywentonhiswayandwalkedformanydays,andatlasthecametoagreatstretchofwaterbythesideofwhichstoodanoldwomanfishing.“goodday,mother,”saidtheboy.

“manythanks,”saidshe.

“youwillfishlongenoughbeforeyoucatchanything.”

“andyouwillseeklongenoughbeforeyoufindyourfather.howwillyougetoverthewater?”saidthewoman.

“godknows.”

thentheoldwomantookhimuponherbackandcarriedhimthroughit,andhesoughtforalongtime,butcouldnotfindhisfather.

whenayearhadgoneby,thesecondboysetouttoseekhisbrother.hecametothewater,andallfaredwithhimjustaswithhisbrother.andnowtherewasnooneathomebutthedaughter,andshemournedforherbrotherssomuchthatatlastshealsoedthefishermantolethersetforth,forshewishedtogoinsearchofherbrothers.thenshelikewisecametothegreatstretchofwater,andshesaidtotheoldwoman:“goodday,mother.”

“manythanks,”repliedtheoldwoman.

“maygodhelpyouwithyourfishing,”saidthemaiden.whentheoldwomanheardthat,shebecamequitefriendly,andcarriedheroverthewater,gaveherawand,andsaidtoher:“gomydaughter,everonwardsbythisroad,andwhenyoucometoagreatblackdog,youmustpassitsilentlyandboldly,withouteitherlaughingorlookingatit.thenyouwillcometoagreathighcastle,onthethresholdofwhichyoumustletthewandfall,andgostraightthroughthecastle,andoutagainontheotherside.thereyouwillseeanoldfountainoutofwhichalargetreehasgrown,whereonhangsabirdinacagewhichyoumusttakedown.takelikewiseaglassofwateroutofthefountain,andwiththesetwothingsgobackbythesameway.pickupthewandagainfromthethresholdandtakeitwithyou,andwhenyouagainpassbythedog,strikehiminthefacewithit,butbesurethatyouhithim,andthenjustcomebackheretome.”themaidenfoundeverythingexactlyastheoldwomanhadsaid,andonherwaybackshefoundhertwobrotherswhohadsoughteachotheroverhalftheworld.theywenttogethertotheplacewheretheblackdogwaslyingontheroad;shestruckitintheface,anditturnedintoahandsomeprincewhowentwiththemtotheriver.theretheoldwomanwasstillstanding.sherejoicedmuchtoseethemagain,andcarriedthemalloverthewater,andthenshetoowentaway,fornowshewasfreed.theothers,however,wenttotheoldfisherman,andallweregladthattheyhadfoundeachotheragain,buttheyhungthebirdonthewall.

butthesecondsoncouldnotsettleathome,andtookhiscrossbowandwentahunting.whenhewastiredhetookhisflute,andmademusic.thekingwashuntingtoo,andheardthatandwentthither,andwhenhemettheyouth,hesaid:“whohasgivenyouleavetohunthere?”

“oh,noone.”

“towhomdoyoubelong,then?”

“iamthefisherman'sson.”

“buthehasnochildren.”

“ifyouwillnotbelieve,comewithme.”

thatthekingdid,andquestionedthefisherman,whotoldhimeverything,andthelittlebirdonthewallbegantosing:

themothersitsalone

thereintheprisonsmall,

okingofroyalblood,

therearethychildrenall.

thesisterstwainsofalse,

theywroughtthechildrenwoe,

thereinthewatersdeep

wherethefishermencomeandgo.

thentheywereallterrified,andthekingtookthebird,thefishermanandthethreechildrenbackwithhimtothecastle,andorderedtheprisontobeopenedandbroughthiswifeoutagain.shehadgrownquiteillandweak,sothedaughtergavehersomeofthewaterofthefountaintodrink,andshebecamestrongandhealthy.butthetwofalsesisterswereburnt,andthedaughtermarriedtheprince.