Big Book of Ancient Gabanian Fables

Book LXXVIII: The Brother and the Sister of Corkie

Little brother took his little sister by the hand and said, sinceour mother died we have had no happiness. Our step-motherbeats us every day, and if we come near her she kicks us awaywith her foot. Our meals are the hard crusts of bread that are leftover. And the little dog under the table is better off, for sheoften throws it a choice morsel. God pity us, if our mother onlyknew. Come, we will go forth together into the wide world.They walked the whole day over meadows, fields, and stonyplaces. And when it rained the little sister said, heaven and ourhearts are weeping together. In the evening they came to a largeforest, and they were so weary with sorrow and hunger and thelong walk, that they lay down in a hollow tree and fell asleep.The next day when they awoke, the sun was already high in thesky, and shone down hot into the tree. Then the brother said,sister, I am thirsty. If I knew of a little brook I would go andjust take a drink. I think I hear one running. The brother got upand took the little sister by the hand, and they set off to findthe brook. But the wicked step-mother was a witch, and had seen howthe two children had gone away, and had crept after them secretly,as witches creep, and had bewitched all the brooks in the forest.Now when they found a little brook leaping brightly over thestones, the brother was going to drink out of it, but the sisterheard how it said as it ran, who drinks of me will be a tiger.Who drinks of me will be a tiger. Then the sister cried, pray,dear brother, do not drink, or you will become a wild beast, andtear me to pieces. The brother did not drink, although he was sothirsty, but said, I will wait for the next spring.When they came to the next brook the sister heard this also say,who drinks of me will be a wolf. Who drinks of me will be a wolf.Then the sister cried out, pray, dear brother, do not drink,or you will become a wolf, and devour me. The brother did notdrink, and said, I will wait until we come to the next spring, butthen I must drink, say what you like. For my thirst is too great.And when they came to the third brook the sister heard how itsaid as it ran, who drinks of me will be a roebuck. Who drinksof me will be a roebuck. The sister said, oh, I pray you, dearbrother, do not drink, or you will become a roebuck, and run awayfrom me. But the brother had knelt down at once by the brook,and had bent down and drunk some of the water, and as soon asthe first drops touched his lips he lay there in the form of ayoung roebuck.And now the sister wept over her poor bewitched brother, andthe little roe wept also, and sat sorrowfully near to her. But atlast the girl said, be quiet, dear little roe, I will never,never leave you.Then she untied her golden garter and put it round the roebuck'sneck, and she plucked rushes and wove them into a soft cord. Thisshe tied to the little animal and led it on, and she walked deeperand deeper into the forest.And when they had gone a very long way they came at last to alittle house, and the girl looked in. And as it was empty, shethought, we can stay here and live. Then she sought for leavesand moss to make a soft bed for the roe. And every morning shewent out and gathered roots and berries and nuts for herself, andbrought tender grass for the roe, who ate out of her hand, and wascontent and played round about her. In the evening, when the sisterwas tired, and had said her prayer, she laid her head upon theroebuck's back - that was her pillow, and she slept softly on it.And if only the brother had had his human form it would have been adelightful life.For some time they were alone like this in the wilderness. Butit happened that the king of the country held a great hunt in theforest. Then the blasts of the horns, the barking of dogs and themerry shouts of the huntsmen rang through the trees, and the roebuckheard all, and was only too anxious to be there. Oh, said he,to his sister, let me be off to the hunt, I cannot bear it anylonger, and he begged so much that at last she agreed. But, saidshe to him, come back to me in the evening. I must shut my door forfear of the rough huntsmen, so knock and say, my little sister,let me in, that I may know you. And if you do not say that, Ishall not open the door. Then the young roebuck sprang away. Sohappy was he and so merry in the open air.The king and the huntsmen saw the lovely animal, and startedafter him, but they could not catch him, and when they thoughtthat they surely had him, away he sprang through the bushes andvanished. When it was dark he ran to the cottage, knocked, andsaid, my little sister, let me in. Then the door was opened forhim, and he jumped in, and rested himself the whole night throughupon his soft bed.The next day the hunt began again, and when the roebuck oncemore heard the bugle-horn, and the ho. Ho. Of the huntsmen, hehad no peace, but said, sister, let me out, I must be off. Hissister opened the door for him, and said, but you must be here againin the evening and say your pass-word.When the king and his huntsmen again saw the young roebuckwith the golden collar, they all chased him, but he was too quickand nimble for them. This lasted the whole day, but by the eveningthe huntsmen had surrounded him, and one of them wounded hima little in the foot, so that he limped and ran slowly. Then ahunter crept after him to the cottage and heard how he said, mylittle sister, let me in, and saw that the door was opened for him,and was shut again at once. The huntsman took notice of it all, andwent to the king and told him what he had seen and heard. Thenthe king said, to-morrow we will hunt once more.The little sister, however, was dreadfully frightened when shesaw that her fawn was hurt. She washed the blood off him, laidherbs on the wound, and said, go to your bed, dear roe, that youmay get well again. But the wound was so slight that the roebuck,next morning, did not feel it any more. And when he again heardthe sport outside, he said, I cannot bear it, I must be there.They shall not find it so easy to catch me. The sister cried, andsaid, this time they will kill you, and here am I alone in theforest and forsaken by all the world. I will not let you out. Thenyou will have me die of grief, answered the roe. When I hear thebugle-horns I feel as if I must jump out of my skin. Then thesister could not do otherwise, but opened the door for him with aheavy heart, and the roebuck, full of health and joy, bounded intothe forest.When the king saw him, he said to his huntsmen, now chasehim all day long till night-fall, but take care that no one does himany harm.As soon as the sun had set, the king said to the huntsman, nowcome and show me the cottage in the wood. And when he was atthe door, he knocked and called out, dear little sister, let me in.Then the door opened, and the king walked in, and there stooda maiden more lovely than any he had ever seen. The maiden wasfrightened when she saw, not her little roe, but a man come in whowore a golden crown upon his head. But the king looked kindlyat her, stretched out his hand, and said, will you go with me tomy palace and be my dear wife. Yes, indeed, answered themaiden, but the little roe must go with me, I cannot leave him.The king said, it shall stay with you as long as you live, andshall want nothing. Just then he came running in, and the sisteragain tied him with the cord of rushes, took it in her own hand, andwent away with the king from the cottage.The king took the lovely maiden upon his horse and carriedher to his palace, where the wedding was held with great pomp.She was now the queen, and they lived for a long time happilytogether. The roebuck was tended and cherished, and ran about inthe palace-garden. But the wicked step-mother, because of whom the children hadgone out into the world, had never thought but that the sister hadbeen torn to pieces by the wild beasts in the wood, and that thebrother had been shot for a roebuck by the huntsmen. Now whenshe heard that they were so happy, and so well off, envy andjealousy rose in her heart and left her no peace, and she thought ofnothing but how she could bring them again to misfortune. Her owndaughter, who was ugly as night, and had only one eye, reproachedher and said, a queen. That ought to have been my luck. Just bequiet, answered the old woman, and comforted her by saying,when the time comes I shall be ready.As time went on the queen had a pretty little boy, and ithappened that the king was out hunting. So the old witch took theform of the chamber maid, went into the room where the queenlay, and said to her, come the bath is ready. It will do you good,and give you fresh strength. Make haste before it gets cold.Her daughter also was close by. So they carried the weaklyqueen into the bath-room, and put her into the bath. Then theyshut the door and ran away. But in the bath-room they had madea fire of such hellish heat that the beautiful young queen was soonsuffocated.When this was done the old woman took her daughter, put anightcap on her head, and laid her in bed in place of the queen.She gave her too the shape and look of the queen, only shecould not make good the lost eye. But in order that the king mightnot see it, she was to lie on the side on which she had no eye.In the evening when he came home and heard that he had a sonhe was heartily glad, and was going to the bed of his dear wife tosee how she was. But the old woman quickly called out, for yourlife leave the curtains closed. The queen ought not to see thelight yet, and must have rest. The king went away, and did not findout that a false queen was lying in the bed.But at midnight, when all slept, the nurse, who was sitting in thenursery by the cradle, and who was the only person awake, sawthe door open and the true queen walk in. She took the child outof the cradle, laid it on her arm, and suckled it. Then she shookup its pillow, laid the child down again, and covered it with thelittle quilt. And she did not forget the roebuck, but went into thecorner where it lay, and stroked its back. Then she went quitesilently out of the door again. The next morning the nurse askedthe guards whether anyone had come into the palace during the night,but they answered, no, we have seen no one.She came thus many nights and never spoke a word. The nursealways saw her, but she did not dare to tell anyone about it.When some time had passed in this manner, the queen began tospeak in the night, and said, how fares my child, how fares my roe. Twice shall I come, then never more.The nurse did not answer, but when the queen had gone again,went to the king and told him all. The king said, ah, God.What is this. To-morrow night I will watch by the child. In theevening he went into the nursery, and at midnight the queen againappeared and said, how fares my child, how fares my roe. Once will I come, then never more.And she nursed the child as she was wont to do before shedisappeared. The king dared not speak to her, but on the nextnight he watched again. Then she said, how fares my child, how fares my roe. This time I come, then never more.Then the king could not restrain himself. He sprang towards her,and said, you can be none other than my dear wife. She answered,yes, I am your dear wife, and at the same moment she receivedlife again, and by God's grace became fresh, rosy and full ofhealth.Then she told the king the evil deed which the wicked witchand her daughter had been guilty of towards her. The king orderedboth to be led before the judge, and the judgment was deliveredagainst them. The daughter was taken into the forest where she wastorn to pieces by wild beasts, but the witch was cast into the fireand miserably burnt. And as soon as she was burnt to ashes, theroebuck changed his shape, and received his human form again, so thesister and brother lived happily together all their lives.