So the boy said he would go forth and seek his
father. The fisherman, however, entreated him to stay, but he would not
let himself be hindered, and at last the fisherman consented. Then the
boy went on his way and walked for many days, and at last he came to a
great piece of water by the side of which stood an old woman fishing. “Good day, mother,” said the boy. “Many thanks,” said she. “Thou wilt fish long enough before thou catchest anything.”

“And thou wilt seek long enough before thou findest thy father. How
wilt thou get over the water?” said the woman. “God knows.”

Then the old woman took him up on her back and carried him through it,
and he sought for a long time, but could not find his father. When a year had gone by, the second boy set out to seek his brother. He
came to the water, and all fared with him just as with his brother. And
now there was no one at home but the daughter, and she mourned for her
brothers so much that at last she also begged the fisherman to let her
set forth, for she wished to go in search of her brothers. Then she
likewise came to the great piece of water, and she said to the old
woman, “Good day, mother.”

“Many thanks,” replied the old woman. “May God help you with your fishing,” said the maiden. When the old
woman heard that, she became quite friendly, and carried her over the
water, gave her a wand, and said to her, “Go, my daughter, ever onwards
by this road, and when you come to a great black dog, you must pass it
silently and boldly, without either laughing or looking at it. Then you
will come to a great high castle, on the threshold of which you must
let the wand fall, and go straight through the castle, and out again on
the other side. There you will see an old fountain out of which a large
tree has grown, whereon hangs a bird in a cage which you must take
down. Take likewise a glass of water out of the fountain, and with
these two things go back by the same way. Pick up the wand again from
the threshold and take it with you, and when you again pass by the dog,
strike him in the face with it, but be sure that you hit him, and then
just come back here to me.” The maiden found everything exactly as the
old woman had said, and on her way back she found her two brothers who
had sought each other over half the world. They went together to the
place where the black dog was lying on the road; she struck it in the
face, and it turned into a handsome prince who went with them to the
river. There the old woman was still standing. She rejoiced much to see
them again, and carried them all over the water, and then she too went
away, for now she was freed. The others, however, went to the old
fisherman, and all were glad that they had found each other again, but
they hung the bird on the wall. But the second son could not settle at home, and took his cross-bow and
went a-hunting. When he was tired he took his flute, and made music. The King was hunting too, and heard that and went thither, and when he
met the youth, he said, “Who has given thee leave to hunt here?”

“Oh, no one.”

“To whom dost thou belong, then?”

“I am the fisherman’s son.”

“But he has no children.”

“If thou wilt not believe, come with me.”

That the King did, and questioned the fisherman, who told everything to
him, and the little bird on the wall began to sing,

“The mother sits alone
There in the prison small,
O King of royal blood,
These are thy children all. The sisters twain so false,
They wrought the children woe,
There in the waters deep
Where the fishermen come and go.”


Then they were all terrified, and the King took the bird, the fisherman
and the three children back with him to the castle, and ordered the
prison to be opened and brought his wife out again. She had, however,
grown quite ill and weak. Then the daughter gave her some of the water
of the fountain to drink, and she became strong and healthy. But the
two false sisters were burnt, and the daughter married the prince. 97 The Water of Life

There was once a King who had an illness, and no one believed that he
would come out of it with his life. He had three sons who were much
distressed about it, and went down into the palace-garden and wept. There they met an old man who inquired as to the cause of their grief. They told him that their father was so ill that he would most certainly
die, for 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 of it he
will become well again; but it is hard to find.” The eldest said, “I
will manage to find it,” and went to the sick King, and begged to be
allowed to go forth in search of the water of life, for that alone
could save him. “No,” said the King, “the danger of it is too great. I
would rather die.” But he begged so long that the King consented. The
prince thought in his heart, “If I bring the water, then I shall be
best beloved of my father, and shall inherit the kingdom.” So he set
out, and when he had ridden forth a little distance, a dwarf stood
there in the road who called to him and said, “Whither away so fast?”
“Silly shrimp,” said the prince, very haughtily, “it is nothing to do
with you,” and rode on. But the little dwarf had grown angry, and had
wished an evil wish. Soon after this the prince entered a ravine, and
the further he rode the closer the mountains drew together, and at last
the road became so narrow that he could not advance a step further; it
was impossible either to turn his horse or to dismount from the saddle,
and he was shut in there as if in prison. The sick King waited long for
him, but he came not. Then the second son said, “Father, let me go
forth to seek the water,” and thought to himself, “If my brother is
dead, then the kingdom will fall to me.” At first the King would not
allow him to go either, but at last he yielded, so the prince set out
on the same road that his brother had taken, and he too met the dwarf,
who stopped him to ask, whither he was going in such haste? “Little
shrimp,” said the prince, “that is nothing to thee,” and rode on
without giving him another look. But the dwarf bewitched him, and he,
like the other, rode into a ravine, and could neither go forwards nor
backwards. So fare haughty people. As the second son also remained away, the youngest begged to be allowed
to go forth to fetch the water, and at last the King was obliged to let
him go. When he met the dwarf and the latter asked him whither he was
going in such haste, he stopped, gave him an explanation, and said, “I
am seeking the water of life, for my father is sick unto death.” “Dost
thou know, then, where that is to be found?” “No,” said the prince. “As
thou hast borne thyself as is seemly, and not haughtily like thy false
brothers, I will give thee the information and tell thee how thou mayst
obtain the water of life.