第3章

Atlastayoungman，withagoodheartandplentyofcourage，setouttosearchforthering。Hetookhiswaytowardsthesunrising，becauseheknewthatallthewisdomofoldtimecomesfromtheEast。AftersomeyearshemetwithafamousEasternmagician，andaskedforhisadviceinthematter。Themagiciananswered:

’Mortalmenhavebutlittlewisdom，andcangiveyounohelp，butthebirdsoftheairwouldbebetterguidestoyouifyoucouldlearntheirlanguage。Icanhelpyoutounderstanditifyouwillstaywithmeafewdays。’

Theyouththankfullyacceptedthemagician’soffer，andsaid，’I

cannotnowofferyouanyrewardforyourkindness，butshouldmyundertakingsucceedyourtroubleshallberichlyrepaid。’

Thenthemagicianbrewedapowerfulpotionoutofninesortsofherbswhichhehadgatheredhimselfallalonebymoonlight，andhegavetheyouthninespoonfulsofitdailyforthreedays，whichmadehimabletounderstandthelanguageofbirds。

Atpartingthemagiciansaidtohim。’IfyoueverfindSolomon’sringandgetpossessionofit，thencomebacktome，thatImayexplaintheinscriptionontheringtoyou，forthereisnooneelseintheworldwhocandothis。’

Fromthattimetheyouthneverfeltlonelyashewalkedalong；healwayshadcompany，becauseheunderstoodthelanguageofbirds；

andinthiswayhelearnedmanythingswhichmerehumanknowledgecouldneverhavetaughthim。Buttimewenton，andheheardnothingaboutthering。Ithappenedoneevening，whenhewashotandtiredwithwalking，andhadsatdownunderatreeinaforesttoeathissupper，thathesawtwogaily-plumagedbirds，thatwerestrangetohim，sittingatthetopofthetreetalkingtooneanotherabouthim。Thefirstbirdsaid:

’Iknowthatwanderingfoolunderthetreethere，whohascomesofarwithoutfindingwhatheseeks。HeistryingtofindKingSolomon’slostring。’

Theotherbirdanswered，’HewillhavetoseekhelpfromtheWitch-maiden，[3]whowilldoubtlessbeabletoputhimontherighttrack。Ifshehasnotgottheringherself，sheknowswellenoughwhohasit。’

[3]Hollenmadchen。

’ButwhereishetofindtheWitch-maiden？’saidthefirstbird。

’Shehasnosettleddwelling，butishereto-dayandgoneto-morrow。Hemightaswelltrytocatchthewind。’

Theotherreplied，’Idonotknow，certainly，wheresheisatpresent，butinthreenightsfromnowshewillcometothespringtowashherface，asshedoeseverymonthwhenthemoonisfull，inorderthatshemaynevergrowoldnorwrinkled，butmayalwayskeepthebloomofyouth。’

’Well，’saidthefirstbird，’thespringisnotfarfromhere。

Shallwegoandseehowitisshedoesit？’

’Willingly，ifyoulike，’saidtheother。

Theyouthimmediatelyresolvedtofollowthebirdstothespring，onlytwothingsmadehimuneasy:first，lesthemightbeasleepwhenthebirdswent，andsecondly，lesthemightlosesightofthem，sincehehadnotwingstocarryhimalongsoswiftly。Hewastootiredtokeepawakeallnight，yethisanxietypreventedhimfromsleepingsoundly，andwhenwiththeearliestdawnhelookeduptothetree-top，hewasgladtoseehisfeatheredcompanionsstillasleepwiththeirheadsundertheirwings。Heatehisbreakfast，andwaiteduntilthebirdsshouldstart，buttheydidnotleavetheplaceallday。Theyhoppedaboutfromonetreetoanotherlookingforfood，alldaylonguntiltheevening，whentheywentbacktotheiroldperchtosleep。Thenextdaythesamethinghappened，butonthethirdmorningonebirdsaidtotheother，’To-daywemustgotothespringtoseetheWitch-maidenwashherface。’Theyremainedonthetreetillnoon；thentheyflewawayandwenttowardsthesouth。Theyoungman’sheartbeatwithanxietylestheshouldlosesightofhisguides，buthemanagedtokeepthebirdsinviewuntiltheyagainpercheduponatree。Theyoungmanranafterthemuntilhewasquiteexhaustedandoutofbreath，andafterthreeshortreststhebirdsatlengthreachedasmallopenspaceintheforest，ontheedgeofwhichtheyplacedthemselvesonthetopofahightree。Whentheyouthhadovertakenthem，hesawthattherewasaclearspringinthemiddleofthespace。Hesatdownatthefootofthetreeuponwhichthebirdswereperched，andlistenedattentivelytowhattheyweresayingtoeachother。

’Thesunisnotdownyet，’saidthefirstbird；’wemustwaityetawhiletillthemoonrisesandthemaidencomestothespring。

Doyouthinkshewillseethatyoungmansittingunderthetree？’

’Nothingislikelytoescapehereyes，certainlynotayoungman，saidtheotherbird。’Willtheyouthhavethesensenottolethimselfbecaughtinhertoils？’

’Wewillwait，’saidthefirstbird，’andseehowtheygetontogether。’

Theeveninglighthadquitefaded，andthefullmoonwasalreadyshiningdownupontheforest，whentheyoungmanheardaslightrustlingsound。Afterafewmomentstherecameoutoftheforestamaiden，glidingoverthegrasssolightlythatherfeetseemedscarcelytotouchtheground，andstoodbesidethespring。Theyouthcouldnotturnawayhiseyesfromthemaiden，forhehadneverinhislifeseenawomansobeautiful。Withoutseemingtonoticeanything，shewenttothespring，lookeduptothefullmoon，thenkneltdownandbathedherfaceninetimes，thenlookeduptothemoonagainandwalkedninetimesroundthewell，andasshewalkedshesangthissong:

’Full-facedmoonwithlightunshaded，Letmybeautyne’erbefaded。

Neverletmycheekgrowpale！

Whilethemooniswaningnightly，Maythemaidenbloommorebrightly，Mayherfreshnessneverfail！’

Thenshedriedherfacewithherlonghair，andwasabouttogoaway，whenhereyesuddenlyfelluponthespotwheretheyoungmanwassitting，andsheturnedtowardsthetree。Theyouthroseandstoodwaiting。Thenthemaidensaid，’Yououghttohaveaheavypunishmentbecauseyouhavepresumedtowatchmysecretdoingsinthemoonlight。ButIwillforgiveyouthistime，becauseyouareastrangerandknewnobetter。Butyoumusttellmetrulywhoyouareandhowyoucametothisplace，wherenomortalhaseversetfootbefore。’

Theyouthansweredhumbly:’Forgiveme，beautifulmaiden，ifI

haveunintentionallyoffendedyou。Ichancedtocomehereafterlongwandering，andfoundagoodplacetosleepunderthistree。

AtyourcomingIdidnotknowwhattodo，butstayedwhereIwas，becauseIthoughtmysilentwatchingcouldnotoffendyou。’

Themaidenansweredkindly，’Comeandspendthisnightwithus。

Youwillsleepbetteronapillowthanondampmoss。’

Theyouthhesitatedforalittle，butpresentlyheheardthebirdssayingfromthetopofthetree，’Gowhereshecallsyou，buttakecaretogivenoblood，oryouwillsellyoursoul。’Sotheyouthwentwithher，andsoontheyreachedabeautifulgarden，wherestoodasplendidhouse，whichglitteredinthemoonlightasifitwasallbuiltoutofgoldandsilver。Whentheyouthenteredhefoundmanysplendidchambers，eachonefinerthanthelast。Hundredsoftapersburntupongoldencandlesticks，andshedalightlikethebrightestday。Atlengththeyreachedachamberwhereatablewasspreadwiththemostcostlydishes。Atthetablewereplacedtwochairs，oneofsilver，theotherofgold。Themaidenseatedherselfuponthegoldenchair，andofferedthesilveronetohercompanion。Theywereservedbymaidensdressedinwhite，whosefeetmadenosoundastheymovedabout，andnotawordwasspokenduringthemeal。

AfterwardstheyouthandtheWitch-maidenconversedpleasantlytogether，untilawoman，dressedinred，cameintoremindthemthatitwasbedtime。Theyouthwasnowshownintoanotherroom，containingasilkenbedwithdowncushions，wherehesleptdelightfully，yetheseemedtohearavoicenearhisbedwhichrepeatedtohim，’Remembertogivenoblood！’

Thenextmorningthemaidenaskedhimwhetherhewouldnotliketostaywithheralwaysinthisbeautifulplace，andashedidnotanswerimmediately，shecontinued:’YouseehowIalwaysremainyoungandbeautiful，andIamundernoone’sorders，butcandojustwhatIlike，sothatIhaveneverthoughtofmarryingbefore。ButfromthemomentIsawyouItookafancytoyou，soifyouagree，wemightbemarriedandmightlivetogetherlikeprinces，becauseIhavegreatriches。’

Theyouthcouldnotbutbetemptedwiththebeautifulmaiden’soffer，butherememberedhowthebirdshadcalledherthewitch，andtheirwarningalwayssoundedinhisears。Thereforeheansweredcautiously，’Donotbeangry，dearmaiden，ifIdonotdecideimmediatelyonthisimportantmatter。Givemeafewdaystoconsiderbeforewecometoanunderstanding。’

’Whynot？’answeredthemaiden。’Takesomeweekstoconsiderifyoulike，andtakecounselwithyourownheart。’Andtomakethetimepasspleasantly，shetooktheyouthovereverypartofherbeautifuldwelling，andshowedhimallhersplendidtreasures。

Butthesetreasureswereallproducedbyenchantment，forthemaidencouldmakeanythingshewishedappearbythehelpofKingSolomon’ssignetring；onlynoneofthesethingsremainedfixed；

theypassedawaylikethewindwithoutleavingatracebehind。

Buttheyouthdidnotknowthis；hethoughttheywereallreal。

Onedaythemaidentookhimintoasecretchamber，wherealittlegoldboxwasstandingonasilvertable。Pointingtothebox，shesaid，’Hereismygreatesttreasure，whoselikeisnottobefoundinthewholeworld。Itisapreciousgoldring。Whenyoumarryme，Iwillgiveyouthisringasamarriagegift，anditwillmakeyouthehappiestofmortalmen。Butinorderthatourlovemaylastforever，youmustgivemefortheringthreedropsofbloodfromthelittlefingerofyourlefthand。’

Whentheyouthheardthesewordsacoldshudderranoverhim，forherememberedthathissoulwasatstake。Hewascunningenough，however，toconcealhisfeelingsandtomakenodirectanswer，butheonlyaskedthemaiden，asifcarelessly，whatwasremarkableaboutthering？