Prevod

It must be a thousand years or more since this land was full of petty kings. One of them lived on the Keuterberg, and he was very fond of hunting. One day, as he rode out of his castle with his huntsmen, three girls were tending their cows at the foot of the mountain. When they saw the king with his great company, the eldest pointed to him and called to the other two, “Hello! Hello! If I cannot have him, I will have no one.” The second, on the other side of the mountain, pointed to the man walking at the king’s right hand and answered, “Hello! Hello! If I cannot have him, I will have no one!” Then the youngest pointed to the man on his left and cried, “Hello! Hello! If I cannot have him, I will have no one!” Now these two men were the king’s ministers. The king heard everything, and when he returned from the hunt, he sent for the three girls and asked what they had said on the mountain the day before. They would not tell him, so the king asked the eldest whether she would like to have him for a husband. She said yes, and the two ministers asked her sisters the same question, for all three were fair of face, especially the queen, whose hair was like flax.

The two sisters, however, had no children, and when the king once had to go away, he asked them to come and keep the queen company, for she was expecting a child. She gave birth to a little boy who came into the world with a red star upon him. Then the two sisters said to one another that they would throw the pretty boy into the water. When they had thrown him in—I believe it was the Weser—a little bird flew up into the air and sang:

“For death made ready, Awaiting word, To the lily spray: Brave boy, is it you?” When the two sisters heard this, they took fright and hurried away. When the king came home, they told him that the queen had given birth to a dog. Then the king said, “Whatever God does is well done.”

Now a fisherman lived beside the water, and he fished the little boy out while he was still alive. Since his wife had no children, they brought him up. A year later the king was away again, and the queen gave birth to another boy, whom the two treacherous sisters likewise took and threw into the water. Then the little bird flew up into the air again and sang:

“For death made ready, Awaiting word, To the lily spray: Brave boy, is it you?” And when the king returned, they told him that the queen had given birth to another dog, and again he said, “Whatever God does is well done.” But the fisherman drew this boy out of the water too, and brought him up.

Then the king went away once more, and the queen gave birth to a little girl, whom the treacherous sisters also threw into the water. Then the little bird flew up into the air again and sang:

“For death made ready, Awaiting word, To the lily spray: Brave girl, is it you?” And when the king came home, they told him that the queen had given birth to a cat. At this the king grew angry and had his wife thrown into prison, where she had to remain for many years.

Meanwhile the children had grown up, and one day the eldest went out fishing with some other boys. But the others did not want him with them and said, “You foundling, be off with you!” This made him very sad, and he asked the old fisherman whether it was true. The fisherman told him that he had been out fishing one day and had drawn him out of the water. Then the boy said he would go away and look for his father. The fisherman begged him to stay, but nothing would hold him back, and at last the fisherman gave his consent. So he set out and walked for several days, until at last he came to an immensely wide stretch of water, where an old woman stood fishing. “Good day, Mother,” said the boy. “Many thanks.” “You must have to fish a long time before you catch a fish.” “And you must have to search a long time before you find your father. How do you mean to get across the water?” said the woman. “Ah, God alone knows.” Then the old woman took him on her back and carried him across, and he searched for a long time but could not find his father. When a year had passed, the second boy set out to look for his brother. He came to the water, and everything happened to him just as it had to his brother. Now only the daughter was left at home, and she pined so sorely for her brothers that at last she too begged the fisherman to let her go and look for them. She also came to the great stretch of water and said to the old woman, “Good day, Mother.” “Many thanks.” “May God help you with your fishing.” When the old woman heard this, she became very friendly, carried her across the water, and gave her a wand, saying, “Now keep straight along this road, my daughter, and when you pass a great black dog, you must walk quietly and boldly past him, without laughing or looking at him. Then you will come to a great castle with its doors standing open. You must drop the wand on its threshold and walk straight through the castle and out on the other side. There you will find an old well, with an old tree growing out of it, and in the tree hangs a bird in a cage. Take it down. Then draw a glass of water from the well and go back the way you came, taking both with you. Pick up the wand from the threshold, and when you pass the dog again, strike him in the face. Only be sure that you hit him, and then come back to me.” She found everything just as the woman had said, and on her way back she found her two brothers, who had been searching for one another through half the world. They went on together until they reached the black dog, and the girl struck him in the face. At once he turned into a handsome prince, who went with them as far as the water. The old woman was still standing there, and she was delighted that they had all returned. She carried them all across the water and then went away herself, for now she was released from the spell. The others all went back to the old fisherman and rejoiced at having found one another again, and they hung the bird on the wall.

The second son could not stay at home for long, so he took his bow and went hunting. When he grew tired, he took out his flute and played a little tune. The king was also out hunting, and when he heard it, he went towards the sound. On finding the boy, he said, “Who gave you leave to hunt here?” “Oh, no one.” “Whose son are you?” “I am the fisherman’s son.” “But he has no children.” “If you will not believe me, come with me.” The king did so and questioned the fisherman, who told him everything. Then the little bird on the wall began to sing:

“Their mother sits alone, In a dungeon built of stone. O king of noble blood, These are your children good. The sisters, false and cruel, Cast them into the pool, Down in the waters deep, Where the fisherman found them to keep.”

They were all startled, and the king took the bird, the fisherman, and the three children with him to the castle. He had the prison unlocked and brought his wife out again. But she had grown very ill and weak. Then her daughter gave her some of the water from the well to drink, and she became well and strong once more. The two treacherous sisters were burned, and the daughter married the prince.