"To thy death art thou sped,
Until God's word be said.
In the white lily bloom,
Brave boy, is thy tomb."
When the two heard that, they were frightened to death, and ran away ingreat haste. When the King came home they told him that the Queen hadbeen delivered of a dog. Then the King said, "What God does, is welldone!" But a fisherman who dwelt near the water fished the little boyout again while he was still alive, and as his wife had no children,they reared him. When a year had gone by, the King again went away,and the Queen had another little boy, whom the false sisters likewisetook and threw into the water. Then up flew a little bird again and sang,
"To thy death art thou sped,
Until God's word be said.
In the white lily bloom,
Brave boy, is thy tomb."
And when the King came back, they told him that the Queen had oncemore given birth to a dog, and he again said, "What God does, is welldone." The fisherman, however, fished this one also out of the water,and reared him.
Then the King again journeyed forth, and the Queen had a little girl,whom also the false sisters threw into the water. Then again a littlebird flew up on high and sang,
"To thy death art thou sped
Until God's word be said.
In the white lily bloom,
Bonny girl, is thy tomb."
And when the King came home they told him that the Queen had beendelivered of a cat. Then the King grew angry, and ordered his wife tobe cast into prison, and therein was she shut up for many long years.
In the meantime the children had grown up. Then eldest once went out withsome other boys to fish, but the other boys would not have him with them,and said, "Go thy way, foundling."
Hereupon he was much troubled, and asked the old fisherman if thatwas true? The fisherman told him that once when he was fishing he haddrawn him out of the water. So the boy said he would go forth and seekhis father. The fisherman, however, entreated him to stay, but he wouldnot let himself be hindered, and at last the fisherman consented. Thenthe boy went on his way and walked for many days, and at last he cameto a great piece of water by the side of which stood an old womanfishing. "Good day, mother," said the boy.
"Many thanks," said she.
"Thou wilt fish long enough before thou catchest anything."
"And thou wilt seek long enough before thou findest thy father. How wiltthou get over the water?" said the woman.
"God knows."
Then the old woman took him up on her back and carried him through it,and he sought for a long time, but could not find his father.
When a year had gone by, the second boy set out to seek his brother. Hecame to the water, and all fared with him just as with his brother. Andnow there was no one at home but the daughter, and she mourned forher brothers so much that at last she also begged the fisherman to lether set forth, for she wished to go in search of her brothers. Then shelikewise came to the great piece of water, and she said to the old woman,"Good day, mother."
"Many thanks," replied the old woman.
"May God help you with your fishing," said the maiden. When the old womanheard that, she became quite friendly, and carried her over the water,gave her a wand, and said to her, "Go, my daughter, ever onwards by thisroad, and when you come to a great black dog, you must pass it silentlyand boldly, without either laughing or looking at it. Then you will cometo a great high castle, on the threshold of which you must let the wandfall, and go straight through the castle, and out again on the otherside. There you will see an old fountain out of which a large treehas grown, whereon hangs a bird in a cage which you must take down.Take likewise a glass of water out of the fountain, and with thesetwo things go back by the same way. Pick up the wand again from thethreshold and take it with you, and when you again pass by the dog,strike him in the face with it, but be sure that you hit him, and thenjust come back here to me." The maiden found everything exactly as the oldwoman had said, and on her way back she found her two brothers who hadsought each other over half the world. They went together to the placewhere the black dog was lying on the road; she struck it in the face,and it turned into a handsome prince who went with them to the river.There the old woman was still standing. She rejoiced much to see themagain, and carried them all over the water, and then she too went away,for now she was freed. The others, however, went to the old fisherman,and all were glad that they had found each other again, but they hungthe bird on the wall.
But the second son could not settle at home, and took his cross-bow andwent a-hunting. When he was tired he took his flute, and made music. TheKing was hunting too, and heard that and went thither, and when he metthe youth, he said, "Who has given thee leave to hunt here?"
"Oh, no one."
"To whom dost thou belong, then?"
"I am the fisherman's son."
"But he has no children."
"If thou wilt not believe, come with me."
That the King did, and questioned the fisherman, who told everything tohim, and the little bird on the wall began to sing,
"The mother sits alone
There in the prison small,
O King of royal blood,
These are thy children all.
The sisters twain so false,
They wrought the children woe,
There in the waters deep
Where the fishermen come and go."
Then they were all terrified, and the King took the bird, the fishermanand the three children back with him to the castle, and ordered theprison to be opened and brought his wife out again. She had, however,grown quite ill and weak. Then the daughter gave her some of the waterof the fountain to drink, and she became strong and healthy. But thetwo false sisters were burnt, and the daughter married the prince.
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