The Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales

The Golden Bird

Once there was a king who had a beautiful garden. In the garden stood a tree that grew golden apples. Every day, someone counted the apples. But when the apples began to ripen, the king noticed something strange—every night, one apple disappeared!

The king became very angry. He ordered the gardener to keep watch over the tree all night. The gardener sent his oldest son to guard it. But around midnight, the son fell asleep, and in the morning another apple was missing. Next, the second son tried to watch the tree. He also fell asleep at midnight, and another apple vanished.

Then the youngest son offered to keep watch. At first the gardener said no—he worried his youngest boy might get hurt. But finally he agreed, and the young man lay down under the tree to watch. Right at midnight, he heard a rustling sound in the air. A bird made of pure gold came flying down and began pecking at an apple with its beak. The gardener's son jumped up and shot an arrow at it. The arrow didn't hurt the bird at all—but it knocked loose one golden feather from its tail before the bird flew away.

The next morning, the feather was brought to the king, and all his advisors gathered to see it. Everyone agreed the feather alone was worth more than all the riches in the kingdom. But the king said, "One feather isn't enough. I must have the whole bird."

So the gardener's oldest son set out, sure he could find the golden bird easily. Before long, he came to a forest, where he saw a fox sitting by the path. He grabbed his bow to shoot it. But the fox said, "Don't shoot me! I'll give you good advice instead. I know you're searching for the golden bird. Tonight you'll reach a village with two inns across the street from each other. One will look bright and cheerful. Don't stay there—rest at the other one, even though it looks shabby and poor."

The young man thought, "What could an animal possibly know about this?" He shot his arrow at the fox anyway, but missed. The fox ran off into the woods with its tail high in the air. The son continued on and reached the village that evening. One inn was full of singing, dancing, and feasting; the other looked dirty and poor. "I'd be foolish," he thought, "to stay in that shabby place when this one looks so fun." So he went into the cheerful inn, ate and drank happily, and completely forgot about the golden bird—and his home.

Time passed, and since the oldest son never returned and no one heard from him, the second son set out too. The same thing happened to him. He met the fox, who gave him the same good advice. But when he reached the village, his older brother called to him from the window of the fun inn, and he couldn't resist joining in. He also forgot the bird and his home.

More time passed. The youngest son wanted to search for the golden bird too. At first, his father wouldn't allow it—he loved his son dearly and feared he might never return, just like his brothers. But eventually, since the boy wouldn't give up, his father agreed. When the youngest son reached the forest, he met the fox and heard the same advice. Unlike his brothers, he thanked the fox and didn't try to harm it. So the fox said, "Climb onto my tail—you'll travel faster that way." The young man sat down, and off they raced over rocks and fields, moving so fast their hair whistled in the wind.

When they reached the village, the young man followed the fox's advice and went straight to the shabby inn without even glancing at the other one. He rested comfortably all night. In the morning, the fox met him again and said, "Keep walking straight ahead until you reach a castle. In front of it, you'll find a troop of soldiers fast asleep and snoring. Ignore them and walk past into the castle. Keep going until you find a room where the golden bird sits in a plain wooden cage. Next to it will be a beautiful golden cage. Do NOT put the bird into the fancy cage, or you'll regret it." Then the fox stretched out its tail again, and away they raced.

Everything happened just as the fox said. The young man found the room with the golden bird in its wooden cage. Below it sat the golden cage, along with the three golden apples that had gone missing. But he thought to himself, "It seems silly to carry such a beautiful bird in such a plain, shabby cage." So he opened the door and moved the bird into the golden cage.

The bird let out a piercing scream! All the soldiers woke up at once, captured him, and dragged him before the king. The next morning, the court judged him and sentenced him to death—unless he could bring back the golden horse that could run as fast as the wind. If he succeeded, he would be given the golden bird to keep.

So he set out again, sighing sadly. Suddenly, his friend the fox appeared and said, "You see what happened because you didn't listen to me? Still, I'll help you find the golden horse if you do exactly as I say. Walk straight ahead until you reach the castle where the horse is kept in its stall. The stable groom will be sleeping right beside it. Quietly take the horse—but be sure to use the old leather saddle, not the golden one sitting nearby." The young man climbed onto the fox's tail, and off they raced again.

Everything went smoothly, and the groom lay sleeping with his hand resting on the golden saddle. But when the young man saw the beautiful horse, he thought it seemed wrong to use the plain leather saddle. "I'll give him the fancy one," he decided. "He deserves it." The moment he lifted the golden saddle, the groom woke up and shouted so loudly that guards rushed in and captured him. The next morning, he was brought before the court again and sentenced to death. But the court agreed that if he brought back the beautiful princess, he could live and keep both the bird and the horse.

He set off feeling very sad. But the old fox appeared again and said, "Why didn't you listen to me? If you had, you'd already have both the bird and the horse! Still, I'll give you one more piece of advice. Keep walking straight until evening, when you'll reach a castle. At midnight, the princess will go to the bathhouse. Approach her and give her a kiss—she'll agree to run away with you. But whatever you do, don't let her say goodbye to her parents first." The fox stretched out its tail once more, and off they raced.

Everything happened exactly as the fox predicted. At midnight, the young man met the princess on her way to the bath and kissed her. She agreed to leave with him, but begged through tears to say goodbye to her father first. He refused at first, but she cried harder and harder and finally fell at his feet, until he gave in. The instant she reached her father's rooms, though, the guards woke up and captured the young man again.

He was brought before the king, who declared, "You may never marry my daughter unless, within eight days, you dig away the hill that blocks the view from my window." This hill was so enormous that the whole world couldn't move it. After the young man worked for seven days with barely any progress, the fox appeared and said, "Go to sleep. I'll finish the work for you." By morning, the hill was gone! The young man happily told the king it was time to keep his promise.

The king had no choice but to keep his word, and the young man and princess set off together. Then the fox came and said, "We should take all three prizes—the princess, the horse, and the bird." "That would be wonderful," said the young man, "but how can we manage it?"

"Just listen carefully," said the fox. "When you reach the king who has the golden horse, and he asks about the princess, say 'Here she is!' He'll be overjoyed. Then you'll be given the golden horse to ride. When it's time to say goodbye, shake everyone's hand—but shake the princess's hand last. Then quickly lift her onto the horse behind you, spur the horse, and gallop away as fast as possible."

Everything worked perfectly. Then the fox said, "When we reach the castle with the bird, I'll wait outside with the princess while you go speak to the king. When he sees you have the right horse, he'll bring out the bird. Ask to hold it, saying you want to check it's the true golden bird—then the moment it's in your hands, ride away!"

This worked too. They escaped with the bird, the princess climbed back on the horse, and they rode into a great forest. There, the fox said, "Please kill me now, and cut off my head and feet." But the young man refused. So the fox said, "Then let me give you one final warning: never pay to save someone from the gallows, and never sit down beside a river." With that, the fox left.

"Well," thought the young man, "that shouldn't be too hard to remember."

He rode on with the princess until he reached the village where he'd left his two brothers behind. There, he heard shouting and commotion. When he asked what was happening, people told him, "Two men are about to be hanged." As he got closer, he saw that the two men were his own brothers, who...