Prevod

A man had seven sons and still no little daughter, much as he longed for one. At last his wife was expecting another child, and when it came into the world, it was indeed a girl. Their joy was great, but the child was small and frail, and because she was so weak, she needed to be baptized without delay. The father sent one of the boys hurrying to the spring to fetch water for the baptism. The other six ran along with him, and because each wanted to be the first to draw the water, they dropped the pitcher into the well. There they stood, not knowing what to do, and none of them dared go home. When they still did not return, their father grew impatient and said, "No doubt those godless boys have forgotten all about it again in the middle of some game." He began to fear that the girl would die unbaptized, and in his anger he cried, "I wish those boys would all turn into ravens!" Scarcely had he spoken when he heard a whirring in the air above his head. He looked up and saw seven coal-black ravens flying away.

The parents could not take back the curse, and though they grieved deeply for the loss of their seven sons, they found some comfort in their dear little daughter, who soon grew strong and became more beautiful with every passing day. For a long time she did not even know that she had ever had brothers, for her parents took care never to mention them. Then one day she happened to hear people talking about her, saying that the girl was certainly beautiful, but that she was really to blame for the misfortune of her seven brothers. This made her very sad, and she went to her father and mother and asked whether she had once had brothers, and what had become of them. Her parents could no longer keep the secret, but they told her that it had been heaven's decree, and that her birth had merely been the innocent occasion for it. Yet the girl felt the burden on her conscience every day and believed she must free her brothers from the spell. She could find neither rest nor peace until she slipped away in secret and went out into the wide world to seek her brothers and set them free, whatever it might cost. She took nothing with her but a little ring to remember her parents by, a loaf of bread for her hunger, a small pitcher of water for her thirst, and a little chair to rest on when she grew tired.

She walked on and on, far, far away, to the very end of the world. There she came to the sun, but it was too hot and terrible, and it ate little children. She hurried away and ran to the moon, but it was far too cold, and dreadful and wicked as well. When it noticed the child, it said, "I smell human flesh." She quickly fled and came to the stars, who were kind and friendly to her, each sitting on its own little chair. The morning star rose, gave her a little chicken bone, and said, "Without this bone you cannot unlock the Glass Mountain, and your brothers are inside the Glass Mountain."

The girl took the bone, wrapped it carefully in a little cloth, and went on her way until she reached the Glass Mountain. The gate was locked, and she went to take out the bone, but when she unfolded the cloth, it was empty: she had lost the gift of the kindly stars. What was she to do now? She wanted to rescue her brothers, but she had no key to the Glass Mountain. The good little sister took a knife, cut off one of her little fingers, put it into the gate, and managed to unlock it. When she had gone inside, a little dwarf came to meet her and said, "My child, what are you looking for?" "I am looking for my brothers, the seven ravens," she answered. The dwarf said, "The raven gentlemen are not at home, but if you wish to wait here until they come, step inside." Then the little dwarf brought in the ravens' food on seven little plates and their drink in seven little cups. The sister ate a morsel from each plate and drank a sip from each cup, but into the last little cup she dropped the ring she had brought with her.

All at once she heard a whirring and a rushing in the air, and the little dwarf said, "Here come the raven gentlemen flying home." They came in, meaning to eat and drink, and looked for their little plates and cups. Then one after another said, "Who has been eating from my little plate? Who has been drinking from my little cup? A human mouth has been here." When the seventh reached the bottom of his cup, the little ring rolled towards him. He looked at it and recognized it as a ring belonging to their father and mother, and said, "God grant that our little sister were here, for then we would be free." When the girl, who had been standing behind the door listening, heard his wish, she stepped forward, and all the ravens regained their human forms. They embraced and kissed one another, and went joyfully home.