THE GOLDEN BIRD

A certain king had a beautiful garden, and in it stood a tree that bore golden apples. These apples were always counted, and every year, just as they began to ripen, one would go missing each night. This made the king furious, and he ordered the gardener to keep watch under the tree all night long. The gardener sent his eldest son to keep watch, but around midnight the young man fell asleep, and by morning another apple was gone. Next the second son was ordered to watch, but he too fell asleep at midnight, and again an apple disappeared. Then the third son offered to take a turn. The gardener at first refused, afraid that harm might come to him, but eventually agreed, and the young man lay down beneath the tree to watch.

As the clock struck twelve, he heard a rustling sound in the air, and a bird made of pure gold came flying toward the tree. Just as it snapped at one of the apples with its beak, the gardener's son jumped up and shot an arrow at it. The arrow didn't hurt the bird, but it knocked loose a golden feather from its tail before the bird flew off. The feather was brought to the king the next morning, and the whole royal council was summoned. Everyone agreed it was worth more than all the wealth in the kingdom—but the king said, "One feather is no use to me. I must have the whole bird."

So the gardener's eldest son set out, confident he'd find the golden bird without much trouble. He hadn't traveled far when he came to a wood, and beside it sat a fox. He raised his bow to shoot it. The fox spoke up: "Don't shoot me—I'll give you good advice instead. I know your errand; you're searching for the golden bird. Tonight you'll reach a village with two inns facing each other. One will look cheerful and inviting; avoid it. Stay instead at the other, even though it looks shabby and poor." But the young man thought, What could a mere animal know about this? So he shot at the fox anyway, missed, and the fox raised its tail and dashed into the woods.

He continued on and reached the village that evening. One inn was full of singing, dancing, and feasting; the other looked dirty and run-down. "I'd be a fool," he thought, "to choose that miserable place over this one." So he went into the lively inn, ate and drank his fill, and forgot all about the bird—and his home as well.

Time passed, and when the eldest son never returned and no word came of him, the second son set out. The same thing happened to him: he met the fox, received the same advice, ignored it, and when he reached the two inns, his older brother called to him from the window of the merry one. Unable to resist, he went in and forgot the golden bird and his homeland just as his brother had.

More time passed, and the youngest son decided he too would search for the golden bird. His father resisted for a long while—he loved this son dearly and feared some misfortune might keep him from ever returning. But the young man was determined, so at last his father agreed. On the road, he met the fox and heard the same warning. Unlike his brothers, he thanked the fox and made no attempt to harm it. The fox said, "Climb onto my tail, and you'll travel faster." The young man did, and off they raced over rocks and fields so swiftly that the wind whistled through their hair.

When they reached the village, the young man followed the fox's advice exactly, passing by the cheerful inn without a glance and resting comfortably at the shabby one instead. The next morning, the fox met him again and said, "Keep going straight until you reach a castle. In front of it, you'll find a troop of soldiers fast asleep and snoring. Ignore them and go inside. Make your way through until you find a room where the golden bird sits in a plain wooden cage. Beside it stands a beautiful golden cage—but do not move the bird into it, or you'll regret it." Then the fox stretched out its tail again, and they sped off as before.

Everything at the castle matched the fox's description. The young man found the room with the golden bird in its wooden cage, and beside it stood the golden cage along with the three stolen apples. But he thought, It would look ridiculous to carry off such a magnificent bird in this shabby cage. So he opened the door, took the bird, and placed it in the golden cage instead. At once the bird let out a piercing shriek that woke every soldier in the castle. He was seized and dragged before the king. The next morning, after a trial, he was sentenced to death—unless he could bring the king the golden horse that could run as fast as the wind. If he succeeded, he would be given the golden bird as his reward.

So he set out again, sighing and full of despair, when suddenly the fox appeared once more. "You see what comes of ignoring my advice," it said. "Still, I'll help you find the golden horse if you'll listen this time. Go straight to the castle where the horse stands in its stall. Beside it, the groom will be asleep and snoring. Take the horse quietly, but be sure to use the old leather saddle, not the golden one sitting nearby." The young man climbed onto the fox's tail again, and off they went.

Everything went smoothly, and the groom lay snoring with his hand resting on the golden saddle. But when the young man looked at the magnificent horse, he thought it a shame to saddle it with something so plain. "I'll give him the good saddle—he deserves it," he said. The moment he lifted the golden saddle, the groom woke and cried out, bringing guards running. The young man was captured and, the next morning, brought before the court and sentenced to death. But a bargain was struck: if he could bring back the beautiful princess, he would live and keep both the bird and the horse.

He set off, heavyhearted, and once again the fox found him. "Why didn't you listen to me? If you had, you'd already have both the bird and the horse. Still, I'll help you one more time. Go straight ahead, and by evening you'll reach a castle. At midnight, the princess goes 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." The fox stretched out its tail, and off they raced again.

At the castle, everything unfolded just as the fox had said. At midnight, the young man met the princess on her way to the bath, kissed her, and she agreed to leave with him—but begged, through tears, to say farewell to her father first. He refused at first, but she wept so bitterly and pleaded so desperately that he finally gave in. The moment she reached her father's chambers, though, the guards woke, and the young man was captured again.

Brought before the king, he was told, "You'll never marry my daughter unless, within eight days, you level the hill that blocks the view from my window." The hill was so enormous that it seemed impossible for the whole world to move it. After six days of barely making progress, the fox appeared. "Go to sleep," it said. "I'll finish the work for you." By morning, the hill was gone, and the young man went to the king and demanded the princess as promised.

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

"Just listen," said the fox. "When you reach the king with the princess, he'll be overjoyed. He'll offer you the golden horse. Mount it, and when it's time to say goodbye, save your handshake with the princess for last. Then quickly pull her up behind you, spur the horse, and ride away as fast as you can."

Everything went exactly as planned. Then the fox said, "When we reach the castle with the bird, I'll wait with the princess at the gate while you go speak to the king. When he sees it's the true horse, he'll bring out the bird. Insist on holding it yourself to check that it's genuine—and once it's in your hand, ride off."

This too succeeded. They rode away with the bird, the princess climbed back on, and they continued into a great forest. There the fox said, "Now kill me, and cut off my head and feet." The young man refused. So the fox said, "Then let me at least give you one final warning: never pay to free someone from the gallows, and never sit down beside a river." With that, it vanished.

That should be easy enough to follow, the young man thought.

He rode on with the princess until he reached the village where he'd once left his two brothers behind. There he found a crowd and great commotion. When he asked what was happening, he was told, "Two men are about to be hanged." Drawing closer, he saw that the condemned men were his own brothers, who...