It springs from a fountain in the courtyard
of an enchanted castle, but thou wilt not be able to make thy way to
it, if I do not give thee an iron wand and two small loaves of bread. Strike thrice with the wand on the iron door of the castle and it will
spring open: inside lie two lions with gaping jaws, but if thou
throwest a loaf to each of them, they will be quieted. Then hasten to
fetch some of the water of life before the clock strikes twelve, else
the door will shut again, and thou wilt be imprisoned.” The prince
thanked him, took the wand and the bread, and set out on his way. When
he arrived, everything was as the dwarf had said. The door sprang open
at the third stroke of the wand, and when he had appeased the lions
with the bread, he entered the castle, and came to a large and splendid
hall, wherein sat some enchanted princes whose rings he drew off their
fingers. A sword and a loaf of bread were lying there, which he carried
away. After this, he entered a chamber, in which was a beautiful maiden
who rejoiced when she saw him, kissed him, and told him that he had
delivered her, and should have the whole of her kingdom, and that if he
would return in a year their wedding should be celebrated; likewise she
told him where the spring of the water of life was, and that he was to
hasten and draw some of it before the clock struck twelve. Then he went
onwards, and at last entered a room where there was a beautiful
newly-made bed, and as he was very weary, he felt inclined to rest a
little. So he lay down and fell asleep. When he awoke, it was striking
a quarter to twelve. He sprang up in a fright, ran to the spring, drew
some water in a cup which stood near, and hastened away. But just as he
was passing through the iron door, the clock struck twelve, and the
door fell to with such violence that it carried away a piece of his
heel. He, however, rejoicing at having obtained the water of life, went
homewards, and again passed the dwarf. When the latter saw the sword
and the loaf, he said, “With these thou hast won great wealth; with the
sword thou canst slay whole armies, and the bread will never come to an
end.” But the prince would not go home to his father without his
brothers, and said, “Dear dwarf, canst thou not tell me where my two
brothers are? They went out before I did in search of the water of
life, and have not returned.” “They are imprisoned between two
mountains,” said the dwarf. “I have condemned them to stay there,
because they were so haughty.” Then the prince begged until the dwarf
released them; but he warned him, however, and said, “Beware of them,
for they have bad hearts.” When his brothers came, he rejoiced, and
told them how things had gone with him, that he had found the water of
life and had brought a cupful away with him, and had rescued a
beautiful princess, who was willing to wait a year for him, and then
their wedding was to be celebrated and he would obtain a great kingdom. After that they rode on together, and chanced upon a land where war and
famine reigned, and the King already thought he must perish, for the
scarcity was so great. Then the prince went to him and gave him the
loaf, wherewith he fed and satisfied the whole of his kingdom, and then
the prince gave him the sword also wherewith he slew the hosts of his
enemies, and could now live in rest and peace. The prince then took
back his loaf and his sword, and the three brothers rode on. But after
this they entered two more countries where war and famine reigned and
each time the prince gave his loaf and his sword to the Kings, and had
now delivered three kingdoms, and after that they went on board a ship
and sailed over the sea. During the passage, the two eldest conversed
apart and said, “The youngest has found the water of life and not we,
for that our father will give him the kingdom the kingdom which belongs
to us, and he will rob us of all our fortune.” They then began to seek
revenge, and plotted with each other to destroy him. They waited until
they found him fast asleep, then they poured the water of life out of
the cup, and took it for themselves, but into the cup they poured salt
sea-water. Now therefore, when they arrived home, the youngest took his
cup to the sick King in order that he might drink out of it, and be
cured. But scarcely had he drunk a very little of the salt sea-water
than he became still worse than before. And as he was lamenting over
this, the two eldest brothers came, and accused the youngest of having
intended to poison him, and said that they had brought him the true
water of life, and handed it to him. He had scarcely tasted it, when he
felt his sickness departing, and became strong and healthy as in the
days of his youth. After that they both went to the youngest, mocked
him, and said, “You certainly found the water of life, but you have had
the pain, and we the gain; you should have been sharper, and should
have kept your eyes open. We took it from you whilst you were asleep at
sea, and when a year is over, one of us will go and fetch the beautiful
princess. But beware that you do not disclose aught of this to our
father; indeed he does not trust you, and if you say a single word, you
shall lose your life into the bargain, but if you keep silent, you
shall have it as a gift.”

The old King was angry with his youngest son, and thought he had
plotted against his life. So he summoned the court together and had
sentence pronounced upon his son, that he should be secretly shot. And
once when the prince was riding forth to the chase, suspecting no evil,
the King’s huntsman had to go with him, and when they were quite alone
in the forest, the huntsman looked so sorrowful that the prince said to
him, “Dear huntsman, what ails you?” The huntsman said, “I cannot tell
you, and yet I ought.” Then the prince said, “Say openly what it is, I
will pardon you.” “Alas!” said the huntsman, “I am to shoot you dead,
the King has ordered me to do it.” Then the prince was shocked, and
said, “Dear huntsman, let me live; there, I give you my royal garments;
give me your common ones in their stead.” The huntsman said, “I will
willingly do that, indeed I should not have been able to shoot you.”
Then they exchanged clothes, and the huntsman returned home; the
prince, however, went further into the forest. After a time three
waggons of gold and precious stones came to the King for his youngest
son, which were sent by the three Kings who had slain their enemies
with the prince’s sword, and maintained their people with his bread,
and who wished to show their gratitude for it. The old King then
thought, “Can my son have been innocent?” and said to his people,
“Would that he were still alive, how it grieves me that I have suffered
him to be killed!” “He still lives,” said the huntsman, “I could not
find it in my heart to carry out your command,” and told the King how
it had happened.