Grimm's Household Tales

In olden times there was a king who had a beautiful pleasure garden behind his palace, and in it there was a tree that bore golden apples. When the apples were getting ripe, they were counted, but on the very next morning one was missing. This was told to the King, and he ordered that a watch should be kept every night beneath the tree.

The King had three sons. As soon as night came on, he sent the eldest of them into the garden; but when midnight came he could not keep himself from sleeping, and the next morning another apple was gone.

The following night the second son had to keep watch, and it went no better with him. As soon as twelve o’clock had struck, he fell asleep, and in the morning an apple was gone.

Now it came to the turn of the third son to watch, and he was quite ready, but the King did not trust him much and thought that he would be of even less use than his brothers. At last, however, he let him go. The youth lay down beneath the tree but kept awake and did not let sleep master him. When it struck twelve, something rustled through the air, and in the moonlight he saw a bird coming whose feathers were all shining with gold. The bird alighted on the tree and had just plucked off an apple when the youth shot an arrow at him. The bird flew off, but the arrow had struck his plumage, and one of his golden feathers fell down. The youth picked it up, and the next morning he took it to the King and told him what he had seen in the night. The King called his council together, and everyone declared that a feather like this was worth more than the whole kingdom. “If the feather is so precious,” declared the King, “one alone will not do for me. I must and will have the whole bird!”

The eldest son set out. He trusted in his cleverness and thought that he would easily find the Golden Bird. When he had gone some distance, he saw a fox sitting at the edge of a wood, so he cocked his gun and took aim at him. The Fox cried, “Do not shoot me, and in return I will give you some good advice. You are on the way to the Golden Bird, and this evening you will come to a village in which two inns stand opposite each other. One of them is lighted up brightly, and all goes on merrily within, but do not go into it. Go into the other instead, even though it seems a bad one.” “How can such a silly beast give wise advice?” thought the King’s son, and he pulled the trigger. But he missed the Fox, who stretched out his tail and ran quickly into the wood.

So he pursued his way and by evening came to the village where the two inns were. In one they were singing and dancing; the other had a poor, miserable look. “I should be a fool indeed,” he thought, “if I were to go into the shabby tavern and pass by the good one.” So he went into the cheerful one, lived there in riot and revelry, and forgot the bird and his father and all good advice.

When some time had passed and the eldest son did not come back home for month after month, the second son set out, wishing to find the Golden Bird. The Fox met him as he had met the eldest and gave him the good advice, which he paid no attention to. He came to the two inns, and his brother was standing at the window of the one from which the music came and called out to him. He could not resist but went inside and lived only for pleasure.

Again some time passed, and then the King’s youngest son wanted to set off and try his luck, but his father would not allow it. “It is of no use,” he said. “He will find the Golden Bird even less than his brothers did, and if a mishap were to befall him, he would not know how to help himself. He is somewhat lacking in sense at best.” But at last, since the youth gave him no peace, he let him go.

Again the Fox was sitting outside the wood, begged for his life, and offered his good advice. The youth was good-natured and said, “Be at ease, little Fox. I will do you no harm.” “You will not regret it,” answered the Fox, “and so that you may get on more quickly, get up behind on my tail.” And scarcely had he seated himself when the Fox began to run, and away he went over stock and stone until his hair whistled in the wind. When they came to the village, the youth got off. He followed the good advice and, without looking around, turned into the little inn, where he spent the night quietly.

The next morning, as soon as he got into the open country, the Fox was already sitting there and said, “I will tell you what else you have to do. Go on quite straight, and at last you will come to a castle, in front of which a whole regiment of soldiers is lying, but do not trouble yourself about them, for they will all be asleep and snoring. Go through the midst of them straight into the castle, and go through all the rooms, until at last you come to a chamber where a Golden Bird is hanging in a wooden cage. Close by stands an empty gold cage for show, but beware of taking the bird out of the plain cage and putting it into the fine one, or it may go badly with you.” With these words the Fox again stretched out his tail, and the King’s son seated himself upon it, and away he went over stock and stone until his hair whistled in the wind.

When he came to the castle, he found everything as the Fox had said. The King’s son went into the chamber where the Golden Bird was shut up in a wooden cage, while a golden one stood close by, and the three golden apples lay about the room. “But,” he thought, “it would be absurd if I were to leave the beautiful bird in the plain and ugly cage.” So he opened the door, took hold of it, and put it into the golden cage. But at the same moment the bird uttered a shrill cry. The soldiers awoke, rushed in, and took him off to prison. The next morning he was taken before a court of justice, and as he confessed everything, he was sentenced to death.

The King, however, said that he would grant him his life on one condition, namely, that he bring him the Golden Horse, which ran faster than the wind; and in that case he should receive the Golden Bird besides, as a reward.

The King’s son set off, but he sighed and was sorrowful, for how was he to find the Golden Horse? But all at once he saw his old friend the Fox sitting on the road. “Look,” said the Fox, “this has happened because you did not listen to me. However, be of good courage. I will help you and tell you how to get to the Golden Horse. You must go straight on, and you will come to a castle, where the horse stands in the stable. The grooms will be lying in front of the stable, but they will be asleep and snoring, and you can quietly lead out the Golden Horse. But you must take care of one thing: put the plain saddle of wood and leather on him, and not the golden one, which hangs close by, or else it will go badly with you.” Then the Fox stretched out his tail, the King’s son seated himself upon it, and away he went over stock and stone until his hair whistled in the wind.

Everything happened just as the Fox had said. The prince came to the stable in which the Golden Horse was standing, but just as he was about to put the plain saddle on him, he thought, “It would be a shame to such a beautiful beast if I did not give him the good saddle that belongs to him by right.” But scarcely had the golden saddle touched the horse when he began to neigh loudly. The grooms awoke, seized the youth, and threw him into prison. The next morning the court sentenced him to death; but the King promised to grant him his life, and the Golden Horse as well, if he could bring back the beautiful princess from the Golden Castle.

With a heavy heart the youth set out; yet, luckily for him, he soon found the trusty Fox. “I ought to leave you to your bad luck,” said the Fox, “but I pity you and will help you out of your trouble once more. This road takes you straight to the Golden Castle, and you will reach it by evening. At night, when everything is quiet, the beautiful princess goes to the bathhouse to bathe. When she enters it, run up to her and give her a kiss; then she will follow you, and you can take her away with you. Only do not allow her to take leave of her parents first, or it will go badly with you.”

Then the Fox stretched out his tail, the King’s son seated himself upon it, and away the Fox went, over stock and stone, until his hair whistled in the wind.

When he reached the Golden Castle, it was just as the Fox had said. He waited until midnight, when everything lay in deep sleep and the beautiful princess was going to the bathhouse. Then he sprang out and gave her a kiss. She said that she would like to go with him, but she asked him pitifully, and with tears, to allow her first to take leave of her parents. At first he resisted her plea, but when she wept more and more and fell at his feet, he gave in at last. But no sooner had the maiden reached her father’s bedside than he and everyone else in the castle awoke, and the youth was seized and put into prison.

The next morning the King said to him, “Your life is forfeited, and you can find mercy only if you remove the hill that stands in front of my windows and prevents me from seeing beyond it. You must finish it all within eight days. If you do that, you shall have my daughter as your reward.”

The King’s son began and dug and shoveled without leaving off, but when, after seven days, he saw how little he had done and how all his work was as good as nothing, he fell into great sorrow and gave up all hope. But on the evening of the seventh day the Fox appeared and said, “You do not deserve that I should take any trouble over you; but just go away and lie down to sleep, and I will do the work for you.”

The next morning, when he awoke and looked out of the window, the hill was gone. The youth ran, full of joy, to the King and told him that the task was fulfilled, and whether he liked it or not, the King had to keep his word and give him his daughter.

So the two set forth together, and it was not long before the trusty Fox caught up with them. “You have certainly gotten what is best,” he said, “but the Golden Horse also belongs to the maiden of the Golden Castle.” “How shall I get it?” asked the youth. “I will tell you,” answered the Fox. “First take the beautiful maiden to the King who sent you to the Golden Castle. There will be unheard-of rejoicing; they will gladly give you the Golden Horse and will bring it out to you. Mount it as soon as possible, and offer your hand to everyone in farewell, to the beautiful maiden last of all. And as soon as you have taken her hand, swing her up onto the horse and gallop away, and no one will be able to bring you back, for the horse runs faster than the wind.”

All was carried out successfully, and the King’s son carried off the beautiful princess on the Golden Horse.

The Fox did not stay behind, and he said to the youth, “Now I will help you get the Golden Bird. When you come near the castle where the Golden Bird is to be found, let the maiden get down, and I will take her into my care. Then ride the Golden Horse into the castle yard; there will be great rejoicing at the sight, and they will bring out the Golden Bird for you. As soon as you have the cage in your hand, gallop back to us and take the maiden away again.”

When the plan had succeeded and the King’s son was about to ride home with his treasures, the Fox said, “Now you shall reward me for my help.” “What do you ask for it?” asked the youth. “When you get into the wood over there, shoot me dead and chop off my head and feet.”

“That would be fine gratitude,” said the King’s son. “I cannot possibly do that for you.”

The Fox said, “If you will not do it, I must leave you, but before I go away, I will give you a piece of good advice. Be careful about two things. Buy no one from the gallows, and do not sit at the edge of any well.” And then he ran into the wood.

The youth thought, “That is a strange beast; he has odd whims. Who is going to buy someone from the gallows? And the desire to sit at the edge of a well has never yet seized me.”

He rode on with the beautiful maiden, and his road took him again through the village in which his two brothers had remained. There was a great stir and noise, and when he asked what was going on, he was told that two men were going to be hanged. As he came nearer to the place, he saw that they were his brothers, who had been playing all kinds of wicked pranks and had squandered all their wealth. He asked whether they could not be set free. “If you will pay for them,” answered the people, “but why should you waste your money on wicked men and buy their freedom?” He did not think twice about it but paid for them, and when they were set free, they all went on their way together.

They came to the wood where the Fox had first met them. As it was cool and pleasant within it, the two brothers said, “Let us rest a little by the well and eat and drink.” He agreed, and while they were talking, he forgot himself and sat down on the edge of the well without thinking of any evil. But the two brothers threw him backward into the well, took the maiden, the Horse, and the Bird, and went home to their father. “Here we bring you not only the Golden Bird,” they said. “We have won the Golden Horse also, and the maiden from the Golden Castle.” Then there was great joy; but the Horse would not eat, the Bird would not sing, and the maiden sat and wept.

But the youngest brother was not dead. By good fortune the well was dry, and he fell onto soft moss without being hurt, but he could not get out again. Even in this difficulty the faithful Fox did not leave him. It came and leaped down to him and scolded him for having forgotten its advice. “But still I cannot give you up like this,” it said. “I will help you up into daylight again.” It told him to grasp its tail and keep tight hold of it, and then it pulled him up.

“You are not out of all danger yet,” said the Fox. “Your brothers were not sure of your death, and they have surrounded the wood with watchers, who are to kill you if you let yourself be seen.” But a poor man was sitting on the road, and the youth changed clothes with him, and in this way he got to the King’s palace.

No one knew him, but the Bird began to sing, the Horse began to eat, and the beautiful maiden stopped weeping. The King, astonished, asked, “What does this mean?” Then the maiden said, “I do not know, but I have been so sorrowful, and now I am so happy! I feel as if my true bridegroom had come.” She told him all that had happened, although the other brothers had threatened her with death if she were to betray anything.

The King commanded that all the people in his castle be brought before him, and among them came the youth in his ragged clothes; but the maiden knew him at once and fell upon his neck. The wicked brothers were seized and put to death, but he was married to the beautiful maiden and declared heir to the King.

But how did it fare with the poor Fox? Long afterward the King’s son was walking in the wood again when the Fox met him and said, “You have everything now that you can wish for, but there is never an end to my misery, and yet it is in your power to free me.” Again he asked him, with tears, to shoot him dead and chop off his head and feet. So he did it, and scarcely was it done when the Fox was changed into a man, who was none other than the brother of the beautiful princess, freed at last from the magic spell that had been laid upon him. And now nothing more was lacking to their happiness as long as they lived.