Prevod

Once upon a time there was a man who was about to set out on a long journey, and as he said farewell, he asked his three daughters what he should bring them. The eldest wanted pearls, the second wanted diamonds, but the third said, "Dear Father, I would like a singing, springing little lark." Her father said, "Yes, if I can find one, you shall have it," kissed all three, and went on his way. When the time came for him to return home, he had bought pearls and diamonds for the two eldest, but he had searched everywhere in vain for the singing, springing little lark for the youngest, and this grieved him, for she was his dearest child.

His way led him through a forest, and in the heart of it stood a magnificent castle. Near the castle was a tree, and at its very top he saw a little lark singing and springing about. "Ah, you have come at just the right moment!" he said happily, and called to his servant to climb up and catch the little creature. But as he approached the tree, a lion sprang up beneath it, shook himself, and roared so loudly that the leaves on the trees trembled. "Whoever tries to steal my singing, springing little lark," he cried, "I shall devour!" The man said, "I did not know the bird belonged to you. I will make amends for my wrongdoing and pay a great sum to ransom myself. Only spare my life!" The lion replied, "Nothing can save you unless you promise to give me, as my own, the first thing that meets you when you reach home. If you will do that, I will spare your life and give you the bird for your daughter into the bargain." But the man refused, saying, "That might be my youngest daughter. She loves me best and always runs to meet me when I come home." The servant, however, was frightened and said, "Surely it need not be your daughter who meets you. It might just as well be a cat or a dog." So the man let himself be persuaded, took the singing, springing little lark, and promised the lion, as his own, whatever first met him when he reached home.

When he arrived home and entered his house, the first to meet him was none other than his youngest, dearest daughter. She came running, kissed and embraced him, and when she saw that he had brought her a singing, springing little lark, she was beside herself with joy. But her father could not rejoice. He began to weep and said, "My dearest child, I have paid dearly for this little bird. In return for it, I had to promise you to a wild lion, and when he has you, he will tear you to pieces and devour you." Then he told her everything that had happened and begged her not to go, whatever might come of it. But she comforted him and said, "Dearest Father, what you have promised must be kept. I will go, and I am sure I can soothe the lion so that I may return to you safe and sound."

The next morning she had someone show her the way, said farewell, and went bravely into the forest. Now the lion was an enchanted prince. By day he was a lion, and all his people became lions with him, but at night they took on their natural human forms. When she arrived, she was kindly received and led into the castle. When night fell, he became a handsome man, and their wedding was celebrated with great splendour. They lived happily together, waking by night and sleeping by day.

One day he came to her and said, "Tomorrow there will be a feast at your father's house, for your eldest sister is getting married. If you would like to go, my lions shall take you there." She said that, yes, she would dearly love to see her father again, and set off, escorted by the lions. There was great rejoicing when she arrived, for they had all believed that the lion had torn her to pieces and that she had long been dead. But she told them what a handsome husband she had and how well she fared, and stayed with them throughout the wedding celebrations. Then she returned to the forest. When the second daughter was to be married and she was again invited to the wedding, she said to the lion, "This time I will not go alone. You must come with me!" But the lion said it would be too dangerous for him, for if a ray from a burning light touched him there, he would be changed into a dove and would have to fly about with the doves for seven years. "Oh," she said, "do come with me! I will take good care of you and shield you from every light." So they set out together and took their little child with them. Once there, she had a chamber built with walls so strong and thick that no ray of light could penetrate them. He was to sit inside it when the wedding lights were lit. But the door was made of fresh wood, which split and developed a little crack that no one noticed. The wedding was celebrated with great splendour, but as the procession returned from church with its many torches and lights and passed the chamber, a ray no wider than a hair fell upon the prince. The instant it touched him, he was transformed, and when she came in and looked for him, he was nowhere to be seen, but a white dove sat there. The dove said to her, "For seven years I must fly about the world. But every seven steps I will let fall a drop of red blood and a white feather to show you the way, and if you follow the trail, you can free me from the spell."

Then the dove flew out through the door, and she followed it. Every seven steps a little drop of red blood and a little white feather fell to show her the way. So she went on and on into the wide world, neither looking about her nor resting, until the seven years were almost over. Then she rejoiced, thinking that their deliverance must be near, though it was still so far away. One day, as she walked on, no more little feathers fell, nor any little drops of red blood, and when she raised her eyes, the dove had vanished. Thinking, "No human being can help you now," she climbed up to the sun and said, "You shine into every crevice and over every peak. Have you seen a white dove flying?" "No," said the sun, "I have seen none. But here is a little casket for you. Open it when you are in great need." She thanked the sun and went on until evening came and the moon shone. Then she asked him, "You shine all night long, over every field and forest. Have you seen a white dove flying?" "No," said the moon, "I have seen none. But here is an egg for you. Break it when you are in great need." She thanked the moon and went on until the night wind came and blew upon her. Then she said to him, "You blow over every tree and beneath every leaf. Have you seen a white dove flying?" "No," said the night wind, "I have seen none. But I will ask the other three winds. Perhaps they have seen it." The east wind and the west wind came and had seen nothing, but the south wind said, "I have seen the white dove. It flew to the Red Sea, where it became a lion again, for the seven years are over. The lion is there fighting a dragon, but the dragon is an enchanted princess." Then the night wind said to her, "I will tell you what to do. Go to the Red Sea. On its right bank tall reeds are growing. Count them, cut off the eleventh, and strike the dragon with it. Then the lion will be able to overcome it, and both will regain their human forms. Afterwards, look about you, and you will see the griffin sitting beside the Red Sea. Climb onto his back with your beloved, and the bird will carry you across the sea and home. Here is a nut as well. When you are halfway across the sea, let it fall. At once it will sprout, and a great nut tree will rise from the water, on which the griffin can rest. If he could not rest, he would not be strong enough to carry you across. And if you forget to drop the nut, he will let you fall into the sea."

She went there and found everything just as the night wind had said. She counted the reeds by the sea, cut off the eleventh, and struck the dragon with it. The lion overcame it, and at once both regained their human forms. But as soon as the princess who had been a dragon was freed from the spell, she took the young man in her arms, mounted the griffin, and carried him away with her. There stood the poor woman who had travelled so far, abandoned once more, and she sat down and wept. At last, however, she took heart and said, "I will go as far as the wind blows and as long as the cock crows, until I find him." And she travelled on over long, long roads until at last she came to the castle where the two were living together. There she heard that a feast would soon be held, at which they were to be married. But she said, "God will yet help me," and opened the little casket the sun had given her. Inside lay a dress as radiant as the sun itself. She took it out, put it on, and went up to the castle, where everyone, even the bride herself, gazed at her in wonder. The bride liked the dress so much that she thought it would make her a wedding gown, and asked whether it was for sale. "Not for money or possessions," she answered, "but for flesh and blood." The bride asked what she meant. Then she said, "Let me spend one night in the chamber where the bridegroom sleeps." The bride was unwilling, yet she longed to have the dress. At last she consented, but ordered the valet to give the prince a sleeping draught. When night came and the young man was already asleep, she was led into the chamber. She sat down beside the bed and said, "I have followed you for seven years. I have been to the sun and the moon and the four winds to ask after you, and I helped you against the dragon. Will you forget me altogether?" But the prince slept so soundly that it seemed to him only as though the wind were rustling outside among the fir trees. When morning broke, she was led out again and had to give up the golden dress. And when this too had done no good, she grew sorrowful, went out into a meadow, sat down, and wept. As she sat there, she remembered the egg the moon had given her. She broke it open, and out came a hen with twelve chicks, all of pure gold. They ran about, cheeping, and crept back beneath their mother's wings, and there was no lovelier sight in all the world. She rose and drove them before her across the meadow until the bride looked out of the window. The little chicks delighted her so much that she came down at once and asked whether they were for sale. "Not for money or possessions, but for flesh and blood. Let me spend one more night in the chamber where the bridegroom sleeps!" The bride agreed, intending to deceive her as she had the evening before. But as the prince was going to bed, he asked his valet what the murmuring and rustling in the night had been. The valet told him everything: that he had been ordered to give him a sleeping draught because a poor girl was to spend the night secretly in his chamber, and that tonight he was to give him another. The prince said, "Pour the draught beside the bed!" That night she was led in again, and as she began to tell him of all her sorrowful adventures, he knew his dear wife at once by her voice, sprang up, and cried, "Now I am truly freed! It has all been like a dream, for the strange princess had bewitched me so that I was forced to forget you. But God has lifted the spell from me just in time." Then the two of them slipped out of the castle in the night, for they feared the princess's father, who was a sorcerer, and climbed onto the griffin's back. He carried them across the Red Sea, and when they were halfway over, she dropped the nut. At once a great nut tree sprang up, and the bird rested on it. Then he carried them home, where they found their child, who had grown tall and beautiful, and from that day on they lived happily to the end of their lives.