Prevod

Once a poor servant girl was travelling with her master and his household through a great forest. When they were deep among the trees, robbers sprang from the thicket and murdered everyone they found. All were killed except the girl, who had leapt from the carriage in terror and hidden behind a tree. When the robbers had gone off with their plunder, she came out and saw the terrible misfortune. She began to weep bitterly and said, "What is a poor girl like me to do now? I cannot find my way out of the forest, and not a living soul dwells here. I am sure to starve." She wandered about, looking for a path, but could find none. When evening came, she sat down beneath a tree, commended herself to God, and resolved to remain there and go no farther, whatever might happen.

After she had been sitting there for a while, a little white dove flew up to her with a tiny golden key in its beak. It laid the key in her hand and said, "Do you see that great tree over there? There is a little lock in it. Open it with this key, and you will find food enough and need never go hungry again." So she went to the tree, unlocked it, and found milk in a little bowl, with white bread to crumble into it, enough to eat her fill. When she had finished, she said, "Now it is the hour when the chickens at home fly up to roost. I am so tired. If only I could lie down in my own bed too." Then the little dove flew back with another golden key in its beak and said, "Unlock that tree over there, and you will find a bed." She unlocked it and found a lovely, soft little bed. She prayed to dear God to watch over her through the night, lay down, and fell asleep. In the morning the dove came a third time, bringing another little key, and said, "Unlock that tree over there, and you will find clothes." When she opened it, she found clothes adorned with gold and precious stones, finer than any king's daughter possessed. And so she lived there for a time, and every day the little dove came and supplied all her needs, and it was a peaceful, happy life.

One day, however, the little dove came and said, "Will you do something for me?" "With all my heart," said the girl. Then the dove said, "I will lead you to a little house. Go inside, and there, by the hearth in the middle of the room, an old woman will be sitting, and she will say, ‘Good day.’ But whatever you do, do not answer her, no matter what she may do. Instead, go on past her right-hand side, where there is a door. Open it, and you will come into a room where a great many rings of every kind lie on a table. Among them are splendid rings with glittering stones, but leave those where they are and look for a plain one, which must be among them too. Bring it back to me as quickly as you can."

The girl went to the little house and stepped through the doorway. There sat an old woman, whose eyes widened when she saw her, and who said, "Good day, my child." But the girl gave her no answer and walked towards the door. "Where are you going?" cried the old woman, catching hold of her skirt and trying to stop her. "This is my house, and no one may come in unless I wish it." But the girl remained silent, pulled herself free, and went straight into the room. There on the table lay an enormous heap of rings, glittering and shimmering before her eyes. She turned them over and searched for the plain one, but could not find it.

As she searched, she caught sight of the old woman creeping away with a birdcage in her hand. The girl went up to her and took the cage from her, and when she lifted it and looked inside, she saw a bird with the plain ring in its beak. She took the ring and ran joyfully out of the house, thinking the little white dove would come and fetch it, but it did not come. So she leaned against a tree to wait for it, and as she stood there, the tree seemed to grow soft and supple and lower its branches. All at once the branches twined around her and became two arms, and when she turned to look, the tree was a handsome man, who embraced her, kissed her tenderly, and said, "You have freed me from the spell and delivered me from the power of the old woman, who is an evil witch. She had turned me into a tree, and for a few hours each day I was a white dove. As long as she possessed the ring, I could not regain my human form." His servants and horses, whom she had also turned into trees, were now freed from the spell as well and stood beside him. Then they travelled to his kingdom, for he was a king's son, and they were married and lived happily.