The Singing, Soaring Lark
There was once upon a time a man who was about to set out on a long
journey, and on parting he asked his three daughters what he should bring back with him
for them. Whereupon the eldest wished for pearls, the second wished for diamonds, but the
third said, dear father, I should like a singing, soaring lark. The father said, yes, if I
can get it, you shall have it, kissed all three, and set out.
Now when the time had come for him to be on his way home again, he
had brought pearls and diamonds for the two eldest, but he had sought everywhere in vain
for a singing, soaring lark for the youngest, and he was very unhappy about it, for she
was his favorite child. Then his road lay through a forest, and in the midst of it was a
splendid castle, and near the castle stood a tree, but quite on the top of the tree, he
saw a singing, soaring lark. Aha, you come just at the right moment, he said, quite
delighted, and called to his servant to climb up and catch the little creature.
But as he approached the tree, a lion leapt from beneath it, shook
himself, and roared till the leaves on the trees trembled. He who tries to steal my
singing, soaring lark, he cried, will I devour. Then the man said, I did not know that the
bird belonged to you. I will make amends for the wrong I have done and ransom myself with
a large sum of money, only spare my life. The lion said, nothing can save you, unless you
will promise to give me for my own what first meets you on your return home, and if you
will do that, I will grant you your life, and you shall have the bird for your daughter,
into the bargain. But the man hesitated and said, that might be my youngest daughter, she
loves me best, and always runs to meet me on my return home.
The servant, however, was terrified and said, why should your
daughter be the very one to meet you, it might as easily be a cat, or dog. Then the man
allowed himself to be persuaded, took the singing, soaring lark, and promised to give the
lion whatsoever should first meet him on his return home.
When he reached home and entered his house, the first who met him
was no other than his youngest and dearest daughter, who came running up, kissed and
embraced him, and when she saw that he had brought with him a singing, soaring lark, she
was beside herself with joy. The father, however, could not rejoice, but began to weep,
and said, my dearest child, I have bought the little bird dear. In return for it, I have
been obliged to promise you to a savage lion, and when he has you he will tear you in
pieces and devour you, and he told her all, just as it had happened, and begged her not to
go there, come what might.
But she consoled him and said, dearest father, indeed your promise
must be fulfilled. I will go thither and soften the lion, so that I may return to you
safely. Next morning she had the road pointed out to her, took leave, and went fearlessly
out into the forest. The lion, however, was an enchanted prince and was by day a lion, and
all his people were lions with him, but in the night they resumed their natural human
shapes.
On her arrival she was kindly received and led into the castle. When
night came, the lion turned into a handsome man, and their wedding was celebrated with
great magnificence. They lived happily together, remained awake at night, and slept in the
daytime. One day he came and said, to-morrow there is a feast in your father's house,
because your eldest sister is to be married, and if you are inclined to go there, my lions
shall conduct you. She said, yes, I should very much like to see my father again, and went
thither, accompanied by the lions.
There was great joy when she arrived, for they had all believed that
she had been torn in pieces by the lion, and had long ceased to live. But she told them
what a handsome husband she had, and how well off she was, remained with them while the
wedding-feast lasted, and then went back again to the forest.
When the second daughter was about to be married, and she was again
invited to the wedding, she said to the lion, this time I will not be alone, you must come
with me. The lion, however, said that it was too dangerous for him, for if when there a
ray from a burning candle fell on him, he would be changed into a dove, and for seven
years long would have to fly about with the doves. She said, ah, but do come with me, I
will take great care of you, and guard you from all light. So they went away together, and
took with them their little child as well.
She had a room built there, so strong and thick that no ray could
pierce through it, in this he was to shut himself up when the candles were lit for the
wedding-feast. But the door was made of green wood which warped and left a little crack
which no one noticed. The wedding was celebrated with magnificence, but when the
procession with all its candles and torches came back from church, and passed by this
apartment, a ray touched him, he was transformed in an instant, and when she came in and
looked for him, she did not see him, but a white dove was sitting there. The dove said to
her, for seven years must I fly about the world, but at every seventh step that you take I
will let fall a drop of red blood and a white feather, and these will show you the way,
and if you follow the trace you can release me. Thereupon the dove flew out at the door,
and she followed him, and at every seventh step a red drop of blood and a little white
feather fell down and showed her the way.
So she went continually further and further in the wide world, never
looking about her or resting, and the seven years were almost past, then she rejoiced and
thought that they would soon be saved, and yet they were so far from it. Once when they
were thus moving onwards, no little feather and no drop of red blood fell, and when she
raised her eyes the dove had disappeared. And as she thought to herself, in this no man
can help you, she climbed up to the sun, and said to him, you shine into every crevice,
and over every peak, have you not seen a white dove flying.
No, said the sun, I have seen none, but I present you with a casket,
open it when you are in sorest need. Then she thanked the sun, and went on until evening
came and the moon appeared, she then asked her, you shine the whole night through, and on
every field and forest, have you not seen a white dove flying.
No, said the moon, I have seen no dove, but here I give you an egg,
break it when you are in great need. She thanked the moon, and went on until the night
wind came up and blew on her, then she said to it, you blow over every tree and under
every leaf, have you not seen a white dove flying. No, said the night wind, I have seen
none, but I will ask the three other 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 has flown to the red sea, where it has
become a lion again, for the seven years are over, and the lion is there fighting with a
dragon, the dragon, however, is an enchanted princess. The night wind then said to her, I
will advise you, go to the red sea, on the right bank are some tall reeds, count them,
break off the eleventh, and strike the dragon with it, then the lion will be able to
subdue it, and both then will regain their human form. After that, look round and you will
see the griffin which is by the red sea, swing yourself, with your beloved, on to his
back, and the bird will carry you over the sea to your own home. Here is a nut for you,
when you are above the center of the sea, let the nut fall, it will immediately shoot up,
and a tall nut-tree will grow out of the water on which the griffin may rest, for if he
cannot rest, he will not be strong enough to carry you across, and if you forget to throw
down the nut, he will let you fall into the sea.
Then she went thither, and found everything as the night wind had
said. She counted the reeds by the sea, and cut off the eleventh, struck the dragon
therewith, whereupon the lion conquered it, and immediately both of them regained their
human shapes. But when the princess, who hitherto had been the dragon, was released from
enchantment, she took the youth by the arm, seated herself on the griffin, and carried him
off with her.
There stood the poor maiden who had wandered so far and was again
forsaken. She sat down and cried, but at last she took courage and said, still I will go
as far as the wind blows and as long as the cock crows, until I find him, and she went
forth by long, long roads, until at last she came to the castle where both of them were
living together, there she heard that soon a feast was to be held, in which they would
celebrate their wedding, but she said, God still helps me, and opened the casket that the
sun had given her. A dress lay therein as brilliant as the sun itself. So she took it out
and put it on, and went up into the castle, and everyone, even the bride herself, looked
at her with astonishment.
The dress pleased the bride so well that she thought it might do for
her wedding-dress, and asked if it was for sale. Not for money or land, answered she, but
for flesh and blood. The bride asked her what she meant by that, so she said, let me sleep
a night in the chamber where the bridegroom sleeps. The bride would not, yet wanted very
much to have the dress, at last she consented, but the page was to give the prince a
sleeping-draught.
When it was night, therefore, and the youth was already asleep, she
was led into the chamber, she seated herself on the bed and said, I have followed after
you for seven years. I have been to the sun and the moon, and the four winds, and have
enquired for you, and have helped you against the dragon, will you, then quite forget me.
But the prince slept so soundly that it only seemed to him as if the wind were whistling
outside in the fir-trees.
When therefore day broke, she was led out again, and had to give up
the golden dress. And as that even had been of no avail, she was sad, went out into a
meadow, sat down there, and wept. While she was sitting there, she thought of the egg
which the moon had given her, she opened it, and there came out a clucking hen with twelve
chickens all of gold, and they ran about chirping, and crept again under the old hen's
wings, nothing more beautiful was ever seen in the world. Then she arose, and drove them
through the meadow before her, until the bride looked out of the window.
The little chickens pleased her so much that she immediately came
down and asked if they were for sale. Not for money or land, but for flesh and blood, let
me sleep another night in the chamber where the bridegroom sleeps. The bride said, yes,
intending to cheat her as on the former evening. But when the prince went to bed he asked
the page what the murmuring and rustling in the night had been. On this the page told all,
that he had been forced to give him a sleeping-draught, because a poor girl had slept
secretly in the chamber, and that he was to give him another that night. The prince said,
pour out the draught by the bed-side.
At night, she was again led in, and when she began to relate how ill
all had fared with her, he immediately recognized his beloved wife by her voice, sprang up
and cried, now I really am released. I have been as it were in a dream, for the strange
princess has bewitched me so that I have been compelled to forget you, but God has
delivered me from the spell at the right time.
Then they both left the castle secretly in the night, for they
feared the father of the princess, who was a sorcerer, and they seated themselves on the
griffin which bore them across the red sea, and when they were in the midst of it, she let
fall the nut. Immediately a tall nut-tree grew up, whereon the bird rested, and then
carried them home, where they found their child, who had grown tall and beautiful, and
they lived thenceforth happily until their death.
--The
End-- |
