The Water of Life

Once upon a time, there was a king who fell very ill. No one thought he would survive. He had three sons who were very sad about it. They went into the palace garden and cried. There they met an old man who asked why they were so sad.

They told him that their father was so sick that he would surely die, because nothing seemed to cure him. Then the old man said, "I know of one more remedy, and that is the water of life. If he drinks it, he will get well again.

But it is hard to find." The eldest son said, "I will find it." He went to the sick king and begged to be allowed to go search for the water of life, because only that could save him. "No," said the king, "the danger is too great.

I would rather die." But the prince begged so long that the king finally agreed. The prince thought to himself, "If I bring the water, I will be my father's favorite and inherit the kingdom." So he set out.

After he had ridden a little way, a dwarf stood in the road and called to him, "Where are you going so fast?" "Silly shrimp," said the prince rudely, "that's none of your business," and rode on. But the little dwarf grew angry and wished an evil wish.

Soon after, the prince entered a ravine. The further he rode, the closer the mountains came together, until the road became so narrow that he could not move forward another step. He could neither turn his horse nor dismount, and was trapped there as if in prison.

The sick king waited a long time for him, but he never came. Then the second son said, "Father, let me go and find the water." He thought to himself, "If my brother is dead, the kingdom will fall to me." At first the king would not let him go either, but finally he gave in.

So the prince set out on the same road his brother had taken, and he too met the dwarf. The dwarf stopped him and asked where he was going in such a hurry. "Little shrimp," said the prince, "that's none of your business," and rode on without another look.

But the dwarf enchanted him, and like his brother, he rode into a ravine where he could go neither forward nor backward. That is what happens to haughty people.

As the second son also stayed away, the youngest begged to be allowed to go and fetch the water. At last the king had to let him go. When he met the dwarf and the dwarf asked him where he was going in such a hurry, he stopped, explained, and said, "I am looking for the water of life, because my father is sick to death." "Do you know where it is to be found?" asked the dwarf.

"No," said the prince. "Because you have behaved properly, and not arrogantly like your false brothers, I will tell you how to get the water of life. It flows from a fountain in the courtyard of an enchanted castle.

But you will not be able to reach it unless I give you an iron wand and two small loaves of bread. Strike the iron door of the castle three times with the wand, and it will spring open.

Inside lie two lions with gaping jaws, but if you throw a loaf to each, they will be quieted. Then hurry and fetch some of the water of life before the clock strikes twelve, or the door will shut again and you will be trapped." The prince thanked him, took the wand and the bread, and set out.

When he arrived, everything was just as the dwarf had said. The door sprang open at the third stroke of the wand. After he had calmed the lions with the bread, he entered the castle and came to a large and splendid hall where sat some enchanted princes.

He drew the rings off their fingers. A sword and a loaf of bread lay there, and he took them. Then he entered a chamber where a beautiful maiden was. She rejoiced when she saw him, kissed him, and told him that he had freed her, and that she would give him her whole kingdom.

She also said that if he returned in a year, their wedding would be celebrated. She told him where the spring of the water of life was, and that he must hurry and draw some before the clock struck twelve.

Then he went on and entered a room with a beautiful new bed. He was very tired and felt like resting a little, so he lay down and fell asleep. When he awoke, it was striking quarter to twelve.

He jumped up in fright, ran to the spring, drew some water in a cup that stood nearby, and hurried away. But just as he was passing through the iron door, the clock struck twelve, and the door slammed shut with such force that it cut off a piece of his heel.

Still, he rejoiced at having obtained the water of life. He went homeward and passed the dwarf again. When the dwarf saw the sword and the loaf, he said, "With these you have won great wealth.

With the sword you can slay whole armies, and the bread will never run out." But the prince did not want to go home without his brothers, so he said, "Dear dwarf, can you tell me where my two brothers are?

They went out before me to search for the water of life and have not returned." "They are imprisoned between two mountains," said the dwarf. "I condemned them to stay there because they were so haughty." Then the prince begged until the dwarf released them.

But the dwarf warned him, "Beware of them, for they have evil hearts." When his brothers came, he rejoiced and told them everything that had happened: that he had found the water of life and brought a cupful away, and that he had rescued a beautiful princess who would wait a year for him, and then their wedding would be celebrated, and he would obtain a great kingdom.

Then they rode on together and came to a land where war and famine raged. The king there thought he would perish, for the scarcity was so great. The prince went to him and gave him the loaf, with which the king fed his whole kingdom and satisfied everyone.

Then the prince gave him the sword as well, with which the king slew the armies of his enemies and could now live in peace. Then the prince took back his loaf and his sword, and the three brothers rode on.

After that, they entered two more countries where war and famine raged, and each time the prince gave his loaf and his sword to the kings. He had now delivered three kingdoms. Then they boarded a ship and sailed across the sea.

During the voyage, the two eldest brothers talked privately and said, "The youngest has found the water of life, not we. For that, our father will give him the kingdom that belongs to us, and he will rob us of all our fortune." So they began to seek revenge and plotted to destroy him.

They waited until they found him fast asleep, then poured the water of life out of his cup and took it for themselves. Into his cup they poured salt seawater. When they arrived home, the youngest took his cup to the sick king so he could drink and be cured.

But as soon as the king drank a little of the salt seawater, he became even worse than before. Then the two eldest brothers came and accused the youngest of trying to poison the king. They said they had brought the true water of life and handed it to their father.

He had scarcely tasted it when he felt his sickness leave and became strong and healthy as in his youth. Then they went to the youngest, mocked him, and said, "You certainly found the water of life, but you had the trouble and we have the gain.

You should have been smarter and kept your eyes open. We took it from you while you slept at sea. When a year is over, one of us will go and fetch the beautiful princess. But beware: do not tell our father anything about this.

He does not trust you, and if you say a single word, you will lose your life. If you keep silent, we will spare you."

The old king was angry with his youngest son and thought he had plotted against his life. So he called together his court and sentenced his son to be secretly shot. One day, when the prince was riding out to hunt, suspecting no evil, the king's huntsman had to go with him.

When they were quite alone in the forest, the huntsman looked so sad that the prince said, "Dear huntsman, what is the matter?" The huntsman said, "I cannot tell you, and yet I ought to." Then the prince said, "Say openly what it is; I will forgive you." "Alas!" said the huntsman, "I am to shoot you dead; the king ordered me to do it." The prince was shocked and said, "Dear huntsman, let me live.

Here, I give you my royal clothes; give me your ordinary ones instead." The huntsman said, "I will gladly do that; I could never have shot you." So they exchanged clothes, and the huntsman returned home. The prince, however, went deeper into the forest.

After a while, three wagons full of gold and precious stones came to the king for his youngest son. They were sent by the three kings who had slain their enemies with the prince's sword and fed their peoples with his bread. They wanted to show their gratitude.

Then the old king thought, "Could my son have been innocent?" and said to his people, "If only he were still alive! How it grieves me that I let him be killed!" "He is still alive," said the huntsman.

"I could not bring myself to carry out your command." And he told the king what had happened. A stone fell from the king's heart, and he had it proclaimed in every country that his son could return and would be welcomed back.

The princess, however, had a road built to her palace that was completely bright and golden. She told her servants that whoever came riding straight along that road to her would be the right suitor and should be let in.

Whoever rode to the side of it was not the right one and should be turned away. As the year was now almost over, the eldest brother thought he would hurry to the princess and pretend to be her deliverer, thus winning her for his bride and the kingdom as well.

So he rode forth. When he arrived in front of the palace and saw the splendid golden road, he thought, "It would be a sin and a shame to ride over that." So he turned aside and rode on the right side.

When he came to the door, the servants told him he was not the right man and sent him away. Soon after, the second brother set out. When he came to the golden road, his horse put one foot on it, but he thought it would be a sin to tread on it, so he turned aside and rode on the left side.

When he reached the door, the attendants told him he was not the right one and sent him away. When the year had completely passed, the third son wanted to ride out of the forest to his beloved and forget his sorrows with her. So he set out.

He thought of her so constantly and wished to be with her so much that he did not even notice the golden road. His horse rode straight up the middle of it. When he came to the door, it was opened, and the princess received him with joy.

She said he was her deliverer and lord of the kingdom. Their wedding was celebrated with great rejoicing. When it was over, she told him that his father had invited him to come and had forgiven him.

So he rode to his father and told him everything: how his brothers had betrayed him and how he had kept silent. The old king wanted to punish them, but they had put to sea and never came back as long as they lived.