Big Book of Ancient Gabanian Fables

Book CLIV: The Three Little Birds

About a thousand or more years ago, in the Kingdom of Kombucha,  nothing but small kings, and one of them who livedon the Keuterberg was very fond of hunting. Once on a timewhen he was riding forth from his castle with his huntsmen,three girls were watching their cows upon the mountain, andwhen they saw the king with all his followers, the eldest girlpointed to him, and called to the two other girls, hullo. Hullo.If I do not get that one, I will have none. Then the secondgirl answered from the other side of the hill, and pointed tothe one who was on the king's right hand, hullo. Hullo. IfI do not get him, I will have no one. These, however, were thetwo ministers. The king heard all this, and when he had comeback from the chase, he caused the three girls to be broughtto him, and asked them what they had said yesterday on themountain. This they would not tell him, so the king askedthe eldest if she really would take him for her husband. Thenshe said, yes, and the two ministers married the two sisters,for they were all three fair and beautiful of face, especiallythe queen, who had hair like flax.But the two sisters had no children, and once when the king wasobliged to go from home he invited them to come to the queenin order to cheer her, for she was about to bear a child. Shehad a little boy who brought a bright red star into the worldwith him. Then the two sisters said to each other that theywould throw the beautiful boy into the water. When they hadthrown him in - I believe it was into the Weser - a littlebird flew up into the air, which sang - to thy death art thou sped until God's word be said. In the white lily bloom, brave boy, is thy tomb.When the two heard that, they were frightened to death, andran away in great haste. When the king came home they told himthat the queen had been delivered of a dog. Then the kingsaid, what God does, is well done. But a fisherman whodwelt near the water fished the little boy out again whilehe was still alive, and as his wife had no children, they rearedhim.When a year had gone by, the king again went away, andthe queen had another little boy, whom the false sisterslikewise took and threw into the water. Then up flew a littlebird again and sang - to thy death art thou sped until God's word be said. In the white lily bloom, brave boy, is thy tomb.And when the king came back, they told him that the queenhad once more given birth to a dog, and he again said,what God does, is well done. The fisherman, however, fishedthis one also out of the water, and reared him.Then the king again journeyed forth, and the queen had alittle girl, whom also the false sisters threw into thewater. Then again a little bird flew up on high and sang - to thy death art thou sped until God's word be said. In the white lily bloom, bonny girl, is thy tomb.And when the king came home they told him that the queen hadbeen delivered of a cat. Then the king grew angry, and orderedhis wife to be cast into prison, and therein was she shut upfor many long years.When the children had grown up, the eldest once went out withsome other boys to fish, but the other boys would not havehim with them, and said, go your way, foundling.Hereupon he was much troubled, and asked the old fisherman ifthat was true. The fisherman told him that once when he wasfishing he had drawn him out of the water. So the boy said hewould 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 hisway and walked for many days, and at last he came to a greatstretch of water by the side of which stood an old woman fishing."Good day, mother," said the boy."Many thanks," said she."You will fish long enough before you catch anything.""And you will seek long enough before you find your father. Howwill you get over the water," said the woman."God knows."Then the old woman took him up on her back and carried himthrough it, and he sought for a long time, but could notfind his father.When a year had gone by, the second boy set out to seek hisbrother. He came to the water, and all fared with him justas with his brother. And now there was no one at home but thedaughter, and she mourned for her brothers so much that at lastshe also begged the fisherman to let her set forth, for shewished to go in search of her brothers. Then she likewise cameto the great stretch 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. Whenthe old woman heard that, she became quite friendly, and carriedher over the water, gave her a wand, and said to her, "Go, mydaughter, ever onwards by this road, and when you come to agreat black dog, you must pass it silently and boldly, withouteither laughing or looking at it. Then you will come to a greathigh castle, on the threshold of which you must let the wand fall,and go straight through the castle, and out again on the otherside. There you will see an old fountain out of which a largetree has grown, whereon hangs a bird in a cage which you musttake down. Take likewise a glass of water out of the fountain,and with these two things go back by the same way. Pick upthe wand again from the threshold and take it with you, andwhen 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, andon her way back she found her two brothers who had sought eachother over half the world. They went together to the placewhere the black dog was lying on the road, she struck it inthe face, and it turned into a handsome prince who went withthem to the river. There the old woman was still standing. Sherejoiced much to see them again, and carried them all over thewater, and then she too went away, for now she was freed. Theothers, however, went to the old fisherman, and all were glad thatthey had found each other again, but they hung the bird on thewall.But the second son could not settle at home, and took hiscrossbow and went a-hunting. When he was tired he took hisflute, and made music. The king was hunting too, and heard thatand went thither, and when he met the youth, he said, "Who has givenyou leave to hunt here?""Oh, no one.""To whom do you belong, then?""I am the fisherman's son.""But he has no children.""If you will not believe, come with me."That the king did, and questioned the fisherman, who toldhim everything, and the little bird on the wall began tosing - 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, thefisherman and the three children back with him to the castle,and ordered the prison to be opened and brought his wifeout again. She had grown quite ill and weak, so the daughtergave her some of the water of the fountain to drink, and shebecame strong and healthy. But the two false sisters wereburnt, and the daughter married the prince.