The Reed Maiden

Once there was a king who had two sons. He sent his eldest son to find a wife. The young man went out into the world and chose the elder sister of the Reed Maiden. When he brought his wife home, the king was pleased with his choice. After that, the king sent his younger son to marry, but the younger son declared that he would not take some poor, skinny thing; his wife must be the most beautiful flower on the whole round of the earth, the most lovely, world-beautiful maiden.

One day, the king's two sons went hunting. On the way home, the younger said to the elder, "My dear elder brother, I would beg a favor of you."

"And what might that be, younger brother?"

"Only this: when we get home, ask your wife if there is anyone more beautiful than she."

"If that's your worry, it is no great matter, for my wife is just coming to meet us. Well, my heart's gold-enclosed ruby, will you answer one question? You are the most beautiful to me, but is there one still more beautiful in the world?"

At that, the princess acted as if she were hard of hearing. She answered nothing, but stopped them with a nod and commanded with her eye, "Silence! Not a word more."

That was the end of it. But the younger brother, what didn't he do? He stole quietly into his brother's bedchamber. That evening, when the elder brother and his wife came in, the husband said, "Tell me, my heart's heart, why didn't you answer my question a little while ago?"

"I did not answer, dear husband, because you asked me in front of your brother. It would not have been good for him to know that I have a younger sister who is the most beautiful maiden on the whole round of the earth. But she is hidden in the middle one of three reeds, and for this reason she is known as the world-beautiful Reed Maiden. The other two reeds are her waiting-maids."

"But you haven't told me, my dear, in what corner of the world she is hidden."

"Oh, my dear husband, it is far from here, as far as from here to there and from there back. But since you have asked, I will tell you. Have you heard of the fame of the Black Sea?"

"Indeed, I have not."

"Well, if you haven't, then hear now. In the seventy-seventh island of the Black Sea, right in the middle, are hidden three reeds. But no mortal could go to them unless by some magic power or infernal art; and if by a miracle he should get there, he would not be able to bring anything away. First, because there is such darkness on the islands of the Black Sea that a spoon might stand up in it. Second, because the world-beautiful Reed Maiden is guarded by a witch whose life will end when the reeds are cut down; therefore she guards them as the light of her two eyes, or still more carefully. But if any man could bring the maiden away, he would be the happiest person in the wide world, for the islands would be lighted up, and he would gain a wife whom the starry heavens would gaze upon with smiles."

When the king's younger son had heard all this from root to branch, he left the room by the same way he had entered. Then he saddled his best and favorite steed, put provisions in his bag, and set out into the wide world in search of the beautiful Reed Maiden. He journeyed and traveled over forty-nine kingdoms and beyond the Operentsia Sea till he came to a hut, where an old woman was living. "God give you good day, dear old mother."

"If you had not called me old mother, I would have eaten you on the spot. But where are you journeying in this strange land, where even a bird does not go?"

"I am looking for the world-beautiful Reed Maiden, who is blooming in the seventy-seventh island of the Black Sea. Have you not heard of her, dear old mother?"

"What's the use in denying, my son? I have not heard. Why should I evade, since it can neither harm nor profit me? But here in the neighboring valley, over the mountain, straight ahead, near a round forest on the top of a hill, lives my elder sister. If she knows nothing about it, then no one in the world knows. Here, Mitsi, come out! Conduct the king's son to my elder sister."

The king's son followed Mitsi, who was no other than a large-whiskered little mouse. When they came to a crossroad, Mitsi squeaked once, showed the middle of the road, and ran home. The king's son went along the right road and arrived at the hut in which the second sister lived. She received him in like manner as the first and sent her servant, Pitsi, to show him the road to her eldest sister. Pitsi was no other than a dove-white squirrel with a long bushy tail. When the king's son came to the third hut, where the eldest sister lived, he said, "God give you good day, dear old mother."

"If you had not called me old mother, I would have eaten you on the spot. Where are you wandering in this strange land, where even a bird does not go?"

"I am in search of the world-beautiful Reed Maiden, who is blooming in the seventy-seventh island of the Black Sea. Have you not heard of her, dear old mother?"

"Oh, king's son, you would wear off your horse's legs to the knees, and wear out twelve pairs of iron boots on your own feet, before you could reach that place, for it is only possible to go there on a steed that has sucked dragon's milk, eaten glowing coals, and drunk the fiery flame. But you have in your head three golden hairs, grown from one root, of which you have known nothing to this moment. Come here; let me cut them out."

The king's son bent down his head. The old woman cut out the three golden hairs. "See, my son, these three hairs have wondrous power. A fairy gave them to your father, with whom, as he was a beautiful man, she fell in love, and you have inherited them. Here they are; I give them to you with this latch-string. Go up on this terribly high mountain, which in front of my hut supports the heavens. When you shall come to the top, strike the three golden hairs with the latch-string three times; at once will stand before you a magic steed that has grown up on the silken meadow, sucked dragon's milk, eaten glowing coals, and drunk fiery flames."

The king's son gave heartfelt thanks for the kindness shown him, then went up on the great unclimbable mountain that supported the heavens. When he had reached the top, he took out the three golden hairs and struck them three times with the old latch-string. Behold, a fiery cloud rushed toward him like a shot arrow, with a fearful rumbling and cracking, as if a whole stud of horses were before it, and then stood still above his head. All at once he heard from the fiery cloud a triple neighing, at the sound of which, as of a bell, the earth trembled three times. The magic steed rushed out, and like a flood, like a cloudburst, plunged down by his side, blowing from its nostrils varied flames--red, blue, and green. The latch-string became such a saddle that, for the fur and diamond buttons and silver and gold embroidery, the earth could not be seen.

"Hip, hop! Here am I, dear master! That there be no delay in your affair, will you not sit on my back that I may be off with you? Shall I go like the swiftest whirlwind, or like thought, or as a bird can fly?"

"Go, my dear steed, in such fashion that there may be no fault in you or me."

"But before we set out on the long road," said the magic steed, "I wish to say this: since such dense darkness reigns in the islands that a spoon might stand straight in it, we must first go to the bright antechamber of the Sun, and take thence one burning ray."

When the steed had thus ended the speech, he rose into the airy heavens. They journeyed and traveled across forty-nine kingdoms till they came to the portals of the earth, where two bearded wolves stood on guard. These wolves stood on the road and demanded toll. The toll was no other than two pounds of flesh from the good steed. Now, if two pounds of flesh were taken from the steed, it would be but half magic, and so would never reach the end of the road. Whatever the king's son did not do, he took his gleaming clasp knife and cut out two pounds of his own flesh; then he threw it to the bearded wolves, and only on this condition did they let him pass.

The king's son pursued his way till he came to the Sun's bright antechamber, where he tied his steed to a diamond pillar; then he bathed in the fire bath, and rubbed with fire towels. Looking at himself from head to foot in the shining wall of the antechamber as in a mirror, he combed his hair with a golden comb. Here, 'pon my soul, what came of the affair, or what did not, a subject spirit in the service of the Sun became enraged in good earnest (for his eyebrows struggled with each other)--no doubt it was at the king's son--and with a single breath, which the son of the hurricane could not withstand, blew straight ahead, so that the king's son did not feel the ground under his feet for seventy-seven miles. Then he fell into a terribly dark opening, and groped along in this cavern, feeling his way like a blind man.

If he made a step, he trod on a serpent; if he felt with his hand, he grasped a warty toad; if he looked around, he saw only red-eyed worms--creeping, crawling things. He went on and on till he heard the plash of seething water. The beating of iron hammers struck his eardrum, and so struck as almost to break it. This is the place where thunderbolts are made. He went on till he came to a great iron gate, standing open just then, but a tremendous, cursed, hundred-headed dragon, who let no one pass, kept guard there. What could the king's son take hold of? What could he do with his life? Here, upon my soul! What he did, or what he did not do, he took out a sweet-speaking, magic flute and blew on it so sadly that his tears rolled down.

Such touching notes did he draw from the flute that the great powerful beast--the hundred-headed dragon--became as a lamb, lowered his bloody crest; his bristling scales dropped smoothly, one on the other; he stretched on the ground and cowered, whining like a dog when he beholds his master after an absence. Seeing this, the king's son grew bold, and going straight to the dragon, stepped upon him, walked on his back, and the terrible wild beast did not mind it; he only licked his foot, wagged his tail, and let the king's son pass over.

After he had gone through the gate, the darkness began to part, and no wonder, for a charm-given, lovely maiden in a purple velvet robe stepped before him. She was no other than Dawn, the dearest and best-beloved daughter of the Sun. Now, the splendid young prince pleased this flower of the skies. She placed him by her side on her winged steed and flew across the vault of heaven, and they swept on till they reached the razor bridge. When they touched the bridge, their horse became as if he were not; and they crossed so that the horse's feet were not injured, and the razor's edge was not dented. Having passed the razor bridge, they came to the copper forest, where were working at that moment the woodcutters of the Sun, who on iron wagons were taking wood to the kitchen, with a terrible rattling and pounding. Thence they rode to the silver forest, where silver-white birds cheered every wanderer.

Two of the birds came and sang the sweetest notes. The silver trees inclined thrice to the daughter of the Sun. Next they reached the golden forest, where sweet-voiced, golden-yellow birds enlivened the visitors and threw down golden nuts here and there from the trees. The golden forest bent thrice to the daughter of the Sun.

In the middle of the golden forest was Dawn's garden, and in the garden her copper-roofed mansion. When the Beauty of the Skies came home, the pearly flowers shook their bells and began to sound. On hearing this, the stars swept forth like a swarm and glittered round about. The maiden nodded but once, and behold! purple clouds swam before her like so many sky sacks, which serve on the extended firmament as boats. Dawn took her seat, but first she spread her mantle and seated the king's son at her side. Lest his part of the boat might be heavier, she drew him nearer to her with an embrace; but he dared not embrace in return.

They sailed and sailed through the airy heavens till they were weary; then they tied their boat to the tree with diamond blossoms, silver leaves, and golden apples. They sat on a golden bench under the tree, and were there but a moment, when at a nod from the Sun's daughter a golden butterfly appeared more quickly than a spoken word and brought fresh-gathered honey of the skies on a rose leaf. When they had eaten, thirst seized the king's son; then a modest star came bringing a goblet on a silver tray, in the goblet a charm drink, and when the king's son had drunk from the golden goblet his thirst fell away as if it had been cut in two.

When their hunger and thirst were gone, at the Sun's daughter's nod the modest stars brought a cithara. Dawn then played on its golden chords with silver feathers and sounded such notes that a man hearing them would spring up and whirl in the dance, even if his own father were lying dead on the table. After that came the hour of rest; the king's son was led across seventy-seven chambers to the bathroom. In the middle of the room stood a great golden cask filled with dew, and on a boxwood table lay lathery soap. The king's son bathed in the dew water, washed himself with the lathery soap, and wiped with a towel of gold.

When he rose next morning, Dawn gave him a burning ray which she wound up like a ribbon, put in a box, and hung with a golden hair on the neck of the king's son. After that they parted amidst tear shedding. The Sun's daughter sped across the vault of heaven on her winged steed, and the king's son continued his journey.

As I say, he had a ray to light up the island. The king's son journeyed and traveled till the steed spoke, saying, "Listen, dear master."

"What is your command, dear horse?"

"Gird yourself well, for you must cut the three reeds at a blow; a second blow would lose you your head. If at one blow you succeed, the island will be lighted up. The world-beautiful maiden and her two attendants will be yours, but only on condition that you cut not open the reeds before coming to water; for if you do, they will die a fearful death in a moment."

The king's son promised by heaven and earth that he would act as told. On the seventh day they came to the island of the Black Sea, where there was such darkness that a spoon would have stood up in it; but the king's son drew out the box hanging by the golden hair and removed the cover. All at once the way was lighted, but so strangely that it gave light only to him; he could see everything, but not a created soul could see him. When he came to where the three reeds were growing, they bent before him and bowed to the earth. They continued to bow; at the best moment the king's son drew his sword and with a blow all three reeds fell upon his breast. But from the three reed stumps black blood sprang forth, and a bitter wail was heard as if a naked sword had been thrust into someone's heart. It had been thrust into the heart of the witch; for the black blood was hers, and the bitter wail was her death sigh.

She could only live while the three reeds stood. As soon as the old witch had breathed out her soul, the burning ray flew out of the silver box as if it had been shot from a gun, and the whole island was in light.

Then the king's son sat on his good steed and journeyed over forty-nine kingdoms as swiftly as the most fleet-winged bird could go. Once curiosity rose in him to know if there was indeed something in the reeds, and what it could be like. I say, curiosity rose up in him and bored his side as if with an iron auger, so that what he did or did not do, he took out his gleaming knife and split the smallest reed, in which was the youngest attendant of the world-beautiful Reed Maiden. No sooner had he split the reed than a beauteous, pearl-given, lovely girl fell upon his breast; and her first word was, "Water! Only as much water as a little swallow takes in her beak when she gives drink to her young, or I die!"

But the king's son had it not. One drop of water is not much, but he could not give that much. The beautiful maiden, like a broken flower, began to wither, grew paler and paler, till at last the pallor of death seized her head, and bending to the breast of the king's son, she died.