The Violet Fairy Book

one some way through a thick wood they came on a great grey wolf with three cubs. Just as they were going to shoot, the wo

heir way, and a little w

r, and she would give each of them a cub. And so it happened with a fox, a hare, a boar, a

w at the crossing of three roads. The eldest prince took an arrow, and shot

this place, he must walk round the trees of the other two, and if he sees blood flowing from the mark in

n the three birches were marked by their arrows they turned to the

each other, and each of them set out down a different road, follow

The prince walked up to the door and knocked. The moment it was opened the beasts rushed in, and each seized on a robber, killed him, and dragged the body down to the cellar. Now, one of the robb

he cave where the dead robbers lay. But as soon as his back was turned she forgot what he had said, and having wandered through all the other roo

what I tell you, and

u must put on my chin to heal the wound; then if I drink the contents of the second bottle it will make me well, and the third bottle will make me stronger than I ever was before. Then, when your brother comes back from the wood

nd fastened her brother’s thumbs behind his back. But with one wrench he set

that she must take a much stouter cord to bind his thumbs with. But again he fr

ord is not s

silk, which she had prepared by the robber’s advice, and this time, though the prince pulled and tugged with all his might, he could no

, who rushed into the room brandishing a knife

ince spoke

ie to blow three blasts on my hunting horn — one in th

the eyes with his brush. Then they awoke the lion, who sprang against the door of the cage with might and main, so that it fell in splinters on the ground, and the beasts were free. Rushing through the court to their mas

urned to the step

her with a chain to the wall, and put a great bowl in front of her and sai

When he had gone a little way he came to an inn. Everyone in

daughter is to die. She is to be handed

should she die? I am very

ined, and soon he saw a movement in the water a long way off. As it came nearer, he knew what it was, for skimming swiftly along the waters came a monster dragon with nine heads. Then the prince took counsel with his beasts, and as the dragon approached the shore the fox drew his brush through the w

e and thanked him for delivering her

s palace.’ And she gave him a ring and half of her handkerchief. But o

kill him, and then we can say to the king that we slew the d

arted off into the wood, where he found an ox, which he straightway killed. Then he called the fox, and told him to mount guard over the dead ox, and if a bird came past and tried to peck at the flesh

wn where there are three wells of healing and to bring bac

trength, and the well of swiftness, and she flew back to the dead prince and dropped

he town, accompanied

d that preparations for a great feast were being

d said: ‘What token have you got that you killed the dragon and won the hand

he truth. So the coachman was bound in chains and thrown into prison, and

and he lost his way, and wandered about among the trees looking for the path that would lead him back to the palace. As he walked he saw the l

prince determined not to wander further. So he asked th

afraid of your beasts. Let me hit them with m

tretched out her rod and hit the beasts, and in one mom

y had agreed to do, he walked round the two trees, and when he saw that blood oozed from the cut in the eldest prince’s tree he knew that his brother must be dead. So he set out, followed by his beasts,

old him how they had sought him everywhere. Then they led him to the king, and he too thought that it was his son-in-law. But the princess k

ame to the clearing among the trees, where the fire was burning and where the old woman was raking sticks and leaves into the

fraid of your beasts. May I give them a stroke w

s a witch. So she stretched out her rod, and in a mome

to the cross-roads where the three birches grew. As he went round the trees he saw th

knew that he was not her husband. So when they were alone together she besought him to go and seek for his brother and bring him home. Calling his beasts round him, he set out and wandered through the woods. And he put his ear down to the earth, to listen if he could hear the sound of his brother’s beasts. And it seemed to him as if he heard a faint sound far off, but he did not know from what direction it came. So he blew o

answe

e me the rod’; and he touched the fox with it, and in a moment it was turned into

d their beasts back to life at onc

e ashes, and sprinkled the ashes on the stones that stood around. And in a momen

id not know which was his son-in-law, but the princess knew which w

airy tale)