57 The Golden Bird

In the olden time there was a king, who had behind his palace a
beautiful pleasure-garden in which there was a tree that bore golden
apples. When the apples were getting ripe they were counted, but on the
very next morning one was missing. This was told to the King, and he
ordered that a watch should be kept every night beneath the tree. The King had three sons, the eldest of whom he sent, as soon as night
came on, into the garden; but when midnight came he could not keep
himself from sleeping, and next morning again an apple was gone. The following night the second son had to keep watch, it fared no
better with him; as soon as twelve o’clock had struck he fell asleep,
and in the morning an apple was gone. Now it came to the turn of the third son to watch; and he was quite
ready, but the King had not much trust in him, and thought that he
would be of less use even than his brothers; but at last he let him go. The youth lay down beneath the tree, but kept awake, and did not let
sleep master him. When it struck twelve, something rustled through the
air, and in the moonlight he saw a bird coming whose feathers were all
shining with gold. The bird alighted on the tree, and had just plucked
off an apple, when the youth shot an arrow at him. The bird flew off,
but the arrow had struck his plumage, and one of his golden feathers
fell down. The youth picked it up, and the next morning took it to the
King and told him what he had seen in the night. The King called his
council together, and everyone declared that a feather like this was
worth more than the whole kingdom. “If the feather is so precious,”
declared the King, “one alone will not do for me; I must and will have
the whole bird!”

The eldest son set out; he trusted to his cleverness, and thought that
he would easily find the Golden Bird. When he had gone some distance he
saw a Fox sitting at the edge of a wood, so he cocked his gun and took
aim at him. The Fox cried, “Do not shoot me! and in return I will give
you some good counsel. You are on the way to the Golden Bird; and this
evening you will come to a village in which stand two inns opposite to
one another. One of them is lighted up brightly, and all goes on
merrily within, but do not go into it; go rather into the other, even
though it seems a bad one.” “How can such a silly beast give wise
advice?” thought the King’s son, and he pulled the trigger. But he
missed the Fox, who stretched out his tail and ran quickly into the
wood. So he pursued his way, and by evening came to the village where the two
inns were; in one they were singing and dancing; the other had a poor,
miserable look. “I should be a fool, indeed,” he thought, “if I were to
go into the shabby tavern, and pass by the good one.” So he went into
the cheerful one, lived there in riot and revel, and forgot the bird
and his father, and all good counsels. When some time had passed, and the eldest son for month after month did
not come back home, the second set out, wishing to find the Golden
Bird. The Fox met him as he had met the eldest, and gave him the good
advice of which he took no heed. He came to the two inns, and his
brother was standing at the window of the one from which came the
music, and called out to him. He could not resist, but went inside and
lived only for pleasure. Again some time passed, and then the King’s youngest son wanted to set
off and try his luck, but his father would not allow it. “It is of no
use,” said he, “he will find the Golden Bird still less than his
brothers, and if a mishap were to befall him he knows not how to help
himself; he is a little wanting at the best.” But at last, as he had no
peace, he let him go. Again the Fox was sitting outside the wood, and begged for his life,
and offered his good advice. The youth was good-natured, and said, “Be
easy, little Fox, I will do you no harm.” “You shall not repent it,”
answered the Fox; “and that you may get on more quickly, get up behind
on my tail.” And scarcely had he seated himself when the Fox began to
run, and away he went over stock and stone till his hair whistled in
the wind. When they came to the village the youth got off; he followed
the good advice, and without looking round turned into the little inn,
where he spent the night quietly. The next morning, as soon as he got into the open country, there sat
the Fox already, and said, “I will tell you further what you have to
do. Go on quite straight, and at last you will come to a castle, in
front of which a whole regiment of soldiers is lying, but do not
trouble yourself about them, for they will all be asleep and snoring. Go through the midst of them straight into the castle, and go through
all the rooms, till at last you will come to a chamber where a Golden
Bird is hanging in a wooden cage. Close by, there stands an empty gold
cage for show, but beware of taking the bird out of the common cage and
putting it into the fine one, or it may go badly with you.” With these
words the Fox again stretched out his tail, and the King’s son seated
himself upon it, and away he went over stock and stone till his hair
whistled in the wind. When he came to the castle he found everything as the Fox had said. The
King’s son went into the chamber where the Golden Bird was shut up in a
wooden cage, whilst a golden one stood hard by; and the three golden
apples lay about the room. “But,” thought he, “it would be absurd if I
were to leave the beautiful bird in the common and ugly cage,” so he
opened the door, laid hold of it, and put it into the golden cage. But
at the same moment the bird uttered a shrill cry. The soldiers awoke,
rushed in, and took him off to prison. The next morning he was taken
before a court of justice, and as he confessed everything, was
sentenced to death. The King, however, said that he would grant him his life on one
condition namely, if he brought him the Golden Horse which ran faster
than the wind; and in that case he should receive, over and above, as a
reward, the Golden Bird. The King’s son set off, but he sighed and was sorrowful, for how was he
to find the Golden Horse? But all at once he saw his old friend the Fox
sitting on the road. “Look you,” said the Fox, “this has happened
because you did not give heed to me. However, be of good courage. I
will give you my help, and tell you how to get to the Golden Horse. You
must go straight on, and you will come to a castle, where in the stable
stands the horse. The grooms will be lying in front of the stable; but
they will be asleep and snoring, and you can quietly lead out the
Golden Horse. But of one thing you must take heed; put on him the
common saddle of wood and leather, and not the golden one, which hangs
close by, else it will go ill with you.” Then the Fox stretched out his
tail, the King’s son seated himself upon it, and away he went over
stock and stone until his hair whistled in the wind.