The Golden Bird

A long time ago there lived a king who had a beautiful garden behind his palace. In the garden grew a tree that bore golden apples. When the apples were ripe, they were counted, but the very next morning one was missing. The king heard about this and ordered a watch to be kept every night beneath the tree.

The king had three sons. The eldest was sent to guard the tree at night, but at midnight he fell asleep, and in the morning another apple was gone.

The next night the second son tried, but the same thing happened: at midnight he fell asleep, and an apple was missing.

Then it was the youngest son's turn. He was willing, but the king did not trust him much and thought he would be even less useful than his brothers. Still, the king let him go. The young prince lay down beneath the tree and stayed awake.

When midnight struck, something rustled through the air, and in the moonlight he saw a bird with feathers that shone like gold. The bird landed on the tree and was just about to pluck an apple when the prince shot an arrow at him.

The bird flew away, but the arrow had struck its feathers, and one golden feather fell down. The prince picked it up and took it to the king the next morning, telling him what he had seen.

The king called his council, and everyone said that a feather like that was worth more than the whole kingdom. "If the feather is so precious," said the king, "then I must have the whole bird!"

So the eldest son set out. He trusted his cleverness and thought he would easily find the Golden Bird. After walking some distance, he saw a fox sitting at the edge of a wood. He raised his gun and took aim. The fox cried, "Do not shoot me!

In return I will give you good advice. You are on the way to the Golden Bird. This evening you will come to a village with two inns opposite each other. One is brightly lit and merry, but do not go in there.

Go into the other inn, even if it looks shabby." "How can such a silly beast give wise advice?" thought the prince, and he pulled the trigger. But he missed the fox, who stretched out his tail and ran quickly into the wood.

He went on, and by evening he reached the village with the two inns. In one they were singing and dancing; the other looked poor and miserable. "I would be a fool to go into the shabby inn and pass by the good one," he thought. So he went into the cheerful inn, lived there in revelry, and forgot about the bird, his father, and all good advice.

Time passed, and when the eldest son did not return for months, the second son set out to find the Golden Bird. The fox met him as well, giving the same advice, but he paid no attention. He came to the two inns, and his brother was at the window of the merry inn, calling him. He could not resist and went inside, living only for pleasure.

After more time had passed, the youngest son wanted to try his luck, but his father would not allow it. "It is useless," said the king. "He will find the Golden Bird even less than his brothers, and if something happens to him, he will not know how to help himself. He is a bit simple." But at last, the king let him go.

Again the fox was sitting at the edge of the wood and begged for his life, offering good advice. The young prince was kind and said, "Do not worry, little fox, I will not harm you." "You will not regret it," answered the fox. "To go faster, climb onto my tail." As soon as he sat down, the fox began to run, over rocks and stones, until his hair whistled in the wind. When they came to the village, the prince got off. He followed the good advice and, without looking around, went into the little inn, where he spent the night quietly.

The next morning, as soon as he was back in the countryside, the fox was sitting there and said, "I will tell you what to do next. Go straight ahead, and you will come to a castle.

In front of it lies a whole regiment of soldiers, but do not worry; they will all be asleep and snoring. Walk right through them into the castle, go through all the rooms, until you find a chamber where the Golden Bird hangs in a wooden cage.

Nearby stands an empty golden cage for show. Beware: do not take the bird out of the common cage and put it into the fine one, or you will be in trouble." With these words, the fox stretched out his tail, the prince sat on it, and away they went until his hair whistled in the wind.

When he reached the castle, everything was as the fox had said. The prince went into the chamber where the Golden Bird was shut in a wooden cage, while a golden one stood nearby. Three golden apples lay around the room.

"It would be silly to leave the beautiful bird in this ugly cage," he thought. So he opened the door, took the bird, and put it into the golden cage. At once the bird gave a shrill cry. The soldiers woke up, rushed in, and threw him into prison.

The next morning he was taken before a court, and since he confessed everything, he was sentenced to death.

The king of that castle, however, said he would spare his life on one condition: the prince must bring him the Golden Horse, which ran faster than the wind. Then he would also receive the Golden Bird as a reward.

The prince set off, sad and sighing, for how could he find the Golden Horse? Suddenly he saw his old friend the fox sitting by the road. "See," said the fox, "this happened because you did not listen to me. But be brave. I will help you.

Go straight ahead to a castle where the horse stands in the stable. The grooms will be lying in front, asleep and snoring. You can quietly lead out the Golden Horse. But be careful: put on the common saddle of wood and leather, not the golden one that hangs nearby, or you will be in trouble." Then the fox stretched out his tail, and off they went until his hair whistled in the wind.

Everything happened as the fox had said. The prince came to the stable where the Golden Horse stood. Just as he was about to put on the common saddle, he thought, "It would be a shame for such a beautiful beast not to have the good saddle that belongs to it." But as soon as the golden saddle touched the horse, it began to neigh loudly.

The grooms woke up, seized the youth, and threw him into prison. The next morning he was sentenced to death, but the king promised to spare his life and give him the Golden Horse if he could bring back the beautiful princess from the Golden Castle.

With a heavy heart the prince set out. Luckily he soon found the faithful fox. "I should leave you to your bad luck," said the fox, "but I pity you and will help you once more. This road leads straight to the Golden Castle. You will reach it by evening. At night, when all is quiet, the beautiful princess goes to the bathhouse to bathe. When she enters, run to her and give her a kiss. Then she will follow you, and you can take her away. Only do not let her take leave of her parents first, or you will be in trouble."

Then the fox stretched out his tail, and away they went until his hair whistled in the wind.

When he reached the Golden Castle, it was just as the fox had said. He waited until midnight, when all was asleep, and the beautiful princess went to the bathhouse. He sprang out and gave her a kiss. She said she would go with him, but she wept and begged to be allowed to say goodbye to her parents. At first he refused, but when she cried more and fell at his feet, he finally gave in. As soon as the maiden reached her father's bedside, the king and everyone in the castle woke up, and the prince was seized and put into prison.

The next morning the king said to him, "Your life is forfeited. But you will be pardoned if you remove the hill in front of my windows, which blocks my view. You must finish within eight days. If you do, you shall have my daughter as your reward."

The prince began to dig and shovel without stopping, but after seven days he had done so little that he gave up hope. On the evening of the seventh day, the fox appeared and said, "You do not deserve my help, but go and lie down to sleep, and I will do the work for you."

The next morning when the prince looked out the window, the hill was gone. He ran joyfully to the king and told him the task was done. Willing or not, the king had to keep his word and give him his daughter.

So the two set out together, and soon the faithful fox joined them. "You have the best thing now," said the fox, "but the Golden Horse also belongs to the maiden of the Golden Castle." "How shall I get it?" asked the prince.

"First take the beautiful maiden to the king who sent you to the Golden Castle. There will be great rejoicing, and they will gladly give you the Golden Horse and bring it out to you.

Mount it as soon as you can, and offer your hand to everyone in farewell, last of all to the beautiful maiden. As soon as you have taken her hand, swing her onto the horse and gallop away.

No one will be able to catch you, for the horse runs faster than the wind."

All went well. The prince carried off the beautiful princess on the Golden Horse.

The fox did not leave them. He said, "Now I will help you get the Golden Bird. When you come near the castle where the Golden Bird is, let the maiden get down, and I will take care of her. Then ride the Golden Horse into the castle yard. They will be overjoyed and bring out the Golden Bird for you. As soon as you have the cage in your hand, gallop back to us and take the maiden away again."

The plan succeeded, and the prince was about to ride home with his treasures when the fox said, "Now you shall reward me for my help." "What do you want?" asked the prince. "When you get to the wood yonder, shoot me dead and chop off my head and feet."

"That would be fine gratitude!" said the prince. "I cannot do that."

The fox said, "If you will not, I must leave you. But before I go, let me give you some good advice: be careful about two things. Buy no gallows-flesh, and do not sit at the edge of any well." Then he ran into the wood.

The prince thought, "That is a strange beast. Who would buy gallows-flesh? And I have never wanted to sit at the edge of a well."

He rode on with the beautiful maiden, and his road took him through the village where his brothers had stayed. There was a great noise, and he asked what was happening. He was told that two men were about to be hanged. As he came nearer, he saw that they were his brothers, who had wasted all their wealth on wicked pranks. He asked if they could be freed. "If you pay for them," said the people, "but why waste your money on wicked men?" Without hesitation, he paid for them, and they all went on together.

They came to the wood where the fox had first met them. The two brothers said, "Let us rest by the well and eat and drink." He agreed, and while talking, he sat down on the edge of the well without thinking.

But the brothers pushed him backwards into the well, took the maiden, the horse, and the bird, and went home to their father. "Here we bring you the Golden Bird," they said, "and also the Golden Horse and the maiden from the Golden Castle." The king rejoiced, but the horse would not eat, the bird would not sing, and the maiden sat and wept.

The youngest brother was not dead. The well was dry, and he fell on soft moss without being hurt, but he could not get out. Even then the faithful fox did not leave him. It jumped down and scolded him for forgetting its advice. "But I cannot give up," said the fox. "I will help you out." It told him to grab its tail and hold tight, and then it pulled him up.

"You are not out of danger yet," said the fox. "Your brothers are not sure you are dead. They have surrounded the wood with watchers who will kill you if you show yourself." A poor man was sitting by the road, and the prince exchanged clothes with him. In this disguise he reached the king's palace.

No one recognized him, but the bird began to sing, the horse began to eat, and the beautiful maiden stopped weeping. The king, astonished, asked what this meant. The maiden said, "I do not know, but I have been so sad, and now I am so happy! I feel as if my true bridegroom has come." She told the king everything, even though the other brothers had threatened to kill her if she betrayed them.

The king ordered all the people in the castle to be brought before him. Among them came the prince in his ragged clothes. The maiden recognized him at once and threw her arms around his neck. The wicked brothers were seized and put to death. The prince married the beautiful maiden and was declared heir to the king.

But what of the poor fox? Long afterward, the prince was walking in the wood when the fox met him. "You have everything you could wish for now," said the fox, "but my misery never ends.

It is in your power to free me." He begged the prince with tears to shoot him dead and cut off his head and feet. So the prince did it. As soon as it was done, the fox turned into a man.

He was none other than the brother of the beautiful princess, freed at last from the magic spell that had been laid upon him. And now nothing more was wanting for their happiness as long as they lived.