There was once upon a time a man who was about to set out on a long
journey, and on parting he asked his three daughters what he should
bring back with him for them. Whereupon the eldest wished for
pearls, the second wished for diamonds, but the third said, dear
father, I should like a singing, soaring lark. The father said, yes,
if I can get it, you shall have it, kissed all three, and set out.
Now when the time had come for him to be on his way home again, he
had brought pearls and diamonds for the two eldest, but he had sought
everywhere in vain for a singing, soaring lark for the youngest, and
he was very unhappy about it, for she was his favorite child. Then
his road lay through a forest, and in the midst of it was a splendid
castle, and near the castle stood a tree, but quite on the top of the
tree, he saw a singing, soaring lark. Aha, you come just at the
right moment, he said, quite delighted, and called to his servant to
climb up and catch the little creature.
But as he approached the tree, a lion leapt from beneath it, shook
himself, and roared till the leaves on the trees trembled. He who
tries to steal my singing, soaring lark, he cried, will I devour.
Then the man said, I did not know that the bird belonged to you. I
will make amends for the wrong I have done and ransom myself with a
large sum of money, only spare my life. The lion said, nothing can
save you, unless you will promise to give me for my own what first
meets you on your return home, and if you will do that, I will grant
you your life, and you shall have the bird for your daughter, into
the bargain. But the man hesitated and said, that might be my
youngest daughter, she loves me best, and always runs to meet me on
my return home.
The servant, however, was terrified and said, why should your
daughter be the very one to meet you, it might as easily be a cat, or
dog. Then the man allowed himself to be persuaded, took the singing,
soaring lark, and promised to give the lion whatsoever should first
meet him on his return home.
When he reached home and entered his house, the first who met him was
no other than his youngest and dearest daughter, who came running up,
kissed and embraced him, and when she saw that he had brought with
him a singing, soaring lark, she was beside herself with joy. The
father, however, could not rejoice, but began to weep, and said, my
dearest child, I have bought the little bird dear. In return for it,
I have been obliged to promise you to a savage lion, and when he has
you he will tear you in pieces and devour you, and he told her all,
just as it had happened, and begged her not to go there, come what
might.
But she consoled him and said, dearest father, indeed your promise
must be fulfilled. I will go thither and soften the lion, so that I
may return to you safely. Next morning she had the road pointed out
to her, took leave, and went fearlessly out into the forest. The
lion, however, was an enchanted prince and was by day a lion, and all
his people were lions with him, but in the night they resumed their
natural human shapes.
On her arrival she was kindly received and led into the castle. When
night came, the lion turned into a handsome man, and their wedding
was celebrated with great magnificence. They lived happily together,
remained awake at night, and slept in the daytime. One day he came
and said, to-morrow there is a feast in your father's house, because
your eldest sister is to be married, and if you are inclined to go
there, my lions shall conduct you. She said, yes, I should very much
like to see my father again, and went thither, accompanied by the
lions.
There was great joy when she arrived, for they had all believed that
she had been torn in pieces by the lion, and had long ceased to live.
But she told them what a handsome husband she had, and how well off
she was, remained with them while the wedding-feast lasted, and then
went back again to the forest.
When the second daughter was about to be married, and she was again
invited to the wedding, she said to the lion, this time I will not be
alone, you must come with me. The lion, however, said that it was
too dangerous for him, for if when there a ray from a burning candle
fell on him, he would be changed into a dove, and for seven years
long would have to fly about with the doves. She said, ah, but do
come with me, I will take great care of you, and guard you from all
light. So they went away together, and took with them their little
child as well.
She had a room built there, so strong and thick that no ray could
pierce through it, in this he was to shut himself up when the candles
were lit for the wedding-feast. But the door was made of green wood
which warped and left a little crack which no one noticed. The
wedding was celebrated with magnificence, but when the procession
with all its candles and torches came back from church, and passed by
this apartment, a ray touched him, he was transformed in an instant,
and when she came in and looked for him, she did not see him, but a
white dove was sitting there. The dove said to her, for seven years
must I fly about the world, but at every seventh step that you take I
will let fall a drop of red blood and a white feather, and these will
show you the way, and if you follow the trace you can release me.
Thereupon the dove flew out at the door, and she followed him, and at
every seventh step a red drop of blood and a little white feather
fell down and showed her the way.
So she went continually further and further in the wide world, never
looking about her or resting, and the seven years were almost past,
then she rejoiced and thought that they would soon be saved, and yet
they were so far from it. Once when they were thus moving onwards,
no little feather and no drop of red blood fell, and when she raised
her eyes the dove had disappeared. And as she thought to herself, in
this no man can help you, she climbed up to the sun, and said to him,
you shine into every crevice, and over every peak, have you not seen
a white dove flying.
No, said the sun, I have seen none, but I present you with a casket,
open it when you are in sorest need. Then she thanked the sun, and
went on until evening came and the moon appeared, she then asked her,
you shine the whole night through, and on every field and forest,
have you not seen a white dove flying.
No, said the moon, I have seen no dove, but here I give you an egg,
break it when you are in great need. She thanked the moon, and went
on until the night wind came up and blew on her, then she said to it,
you blow over every tree and under every leaf, have you not seen a
white dove flying. No, said the night wind, I have seen none, but I
will ask the three other winds, perhaps they have seen it.
The east wind and the west wind came, and had seen nothing, but the
south wind said, I have seen the white dove, it has flown to the red
sea, where it has become a lion again, for the seven years are over,
and the lion is there fighting with a dragon, the dragon, however, is
an enchanted princess. The night wind then said to her, I will
advise you, go to the red sea, on the right bank are some tall reeds,
count them, break off the eleventh, and strike the dragon with it,
then the lion will be able to subdue it, and both then will regain
their human form. After that, look round and you will see the
griffin which is by the red sea, swing yourself, with your beloved,
on to his back, and the bird will carry you over the sea to your own
home. Here is a nut for you, when you are above the center of the
sea, let the nut fall, it will immediately shoot up, and a tall
nut-tree will grow out of the water on which the griffin may rest,
for if he cannot rest, he will not be strong enough to carry you
across, and if you forget to throw down the nut, he will let you fall
into the sea.
Then she went thither, and found everything as the night wind had
said. She counted the reeds by the sea, and cut off the eleventh,
struck the dragon therewith, whereupon the lion conquered it, and
immediately both of them regained their human shapes. But when the
princess, who hitherto had been the dragon, was released from
enchantment, she took the youth by the arm, seated herself on the
griffin, and carried him off with her.
There stood the poor maiden who had wandered so far and was again
forsaken. She sat down and cried, but at last she took courage and
said, still I will go as far as the wind blows and as long as the
cock crows, until I find him, and she went forth by long, long roads,
until at last she came to the castle where both of them were living
together, there she heard that soon a feast was to be held, in which
they would celebrate their wedding, but she said, God still helps me,
and opened the casket that the sun had given her. A dress lay
therein as brilliant as the sun itself. So she took it out and put
it on, and went up into the castle, and everyone, even the bride
herself, looked at her with astonishment.
The dress pleased the bride so well that she thought it might do for
her wedding-dress, and asked if it was for sale. Not for money or
land, answered she, but for flesh and blood. The bride asked her
what she meant by that, so she said, let me sleep a night in the
chamber where the bridegroom sleeps. The bride would not, yet wanted
very much to have the dress, at last she consented, but the page was
to give the prince a sleeping-draught.
When it was night, therefore, and the youth was already asleep, she
was led into the chamber, she seated herself on the bed and said, I
have followed after you for seven years. I have been to the sun and
the moon, and the four winds, and have enquired for you, and have
helped you against the dragon, will you, then quite forget me. But
the prince slept so soundly that it only seemed to him as if the wind
were whistling outside in the fir-trees.
When therefore day broke, she was led out again, and had to give up
the golden dress. And as that even had been of no avail, she was
sad, went out into a meadow, sat down there, and wept. While she was
sitting there, she thought of the egg which the moon had given her,
she opened it, and there came out a clucking hen with twelve chickens
all of gold, and they ran about chirping, and crept again under the
old hen's wings, nothing more beautiful was ever seen in the world.
Then she arose, and drove them through the meadow before her, until
the bride looked out of the window.
The little chickens pleased her so much that she immediately came
down and asked if they were for sale. Not for money or land, but for
flesh and blood, let me sleep another night in the chamber where the
bridegroom sleeps. The bride said, yes, intending to cheat her as on
the former evening. But when the prince went to bed he asked the
page what the murmuring and rustling in the night had been. On this
the page told all, that he had been forced to give him a
sleeping-draught, because a poor girl had slept secretly in the
chamber, and that he was to give him another that night. The prince
said, pour out the draught by the bed-side.
At night, she was again led in, and when she began to relate how ill
all had fared with her, he immediately recognized his beloved wife by
her voice, sprang up and cried, now I really am released. I have
been as it were in a dream, for the strange princess has bewitched me
so that I have been compelled to forget you, but God has delivered me
from the spell at the right time.
Then they both left the castle secretly in the night, for they feared
the father of the princess, who was a sorcerer, and they seated
themselves on the griffin which bore them across the red sea, and
when they were in the midst of it, she let fall the nut. Immediately
a tall nut-tree grew up, whereon the bird rested, and then carried
them home, where they found their child, who had grown tall and
