The Real Thing and Other Tales

ars old at the time. He said to his mother: "Mot

e, for I am old, and should like some help in my old age." S

it for three days, and no end appeared. On the third day he kept on and came at last to a cottage. He wen

going. I'm seeking my f

e, you can enter

ngry, so he took se

m: "You must serve me

ster was a sorcerer, but he didn't do any harm to the lad. He had a big pond, and three doves used to come

ended, the sorcerer said: "W

id he left

with me to my cellar and take as much money

d carry, and the sorcerer gave him

uck those three feathers out of the dove, and hide them away so carefully that no human

ee feathers. When he plucked out the feathers the dove became a beautiful princess, but she did not know where the

stayed at home with her daughter-in-law. The mother said to her: "Dear daughter-in-law, I can't tell you how

e beauty I have now is nothing to what I sho

ff, fetched one of the fea

he mother kept looking at her, and said: [74]"If you had the others as well, you would

gh the window, thanking her mother-in-law: "Thank you, dearest mother, for giving m

to wait till her husband sh

ortune had befallen him at home. He mounted his horse and hastened home. As he was approaching the door the

ther, and he decided to go away again and follow wherever his eyes might lead him. So he started off, and he

d animals are under his power, and perhaps some of them might know where the doves are. I will give you a ball, and when you roll it three times,

er brother's by evening. He told him that his brother had asked to be remembered kindly to him,

m. You must wait till morning. All the birds and animals are under

blew a whistle, and instantly swarms of birds gath

know about those three golden doves whi

animals gathered round him: bears, lions, squirrels, wolves, every

you knows anything about three golden dove

em knew. S

then you will never hear of them any more. He dwells twice seventy miles from here, and all the devils of Hell are subjected to him.

n on the grass. His hair was all dishevelled like a mop, his paunch was bare [77]like a pail, h

on't be frightened, my boy; though I look so hid

her you can tell me about the three doves

you get up in the morning I will call my apprentices, to

sorcerer blew a whistle, and at once hosts of devils appe

cerer said: "Don't be afraid; not a

d what was thei

thing, about the three doves which use

sorcerer looked about him and

He came and asked what was his master's will. The sorcerer answered: "I want to find out w

have been driving them before me.

carry him as far as their gold-roofed palace," a

out it, or he will let you fall and won't carry you to the palace. When you are seven miles from the palace you will see it, and the devil [79]will ask you if you see it; but shut your eyes tight and say that you can't see it. When you are three miles from it, you will see it quite plainly, and he w

hen they were seven miles from the palace, the devil asked:

from the castle the devil asked him did he see it now. He shut his eyes tight and said that he couldn't see it

es tight and said:

see it; we are just above the roof." And he seized him in

middle one, and she knew him at once. She sprang up right gladly and welcomed him with joy. She ne

ur deliverer! You will save us from the enc

the keys and showed him through all the rooms and closets, letting

they had to go to the Red Sea to bathe there. One day when they had gone out to bathe he thought: "Why don't you want t

dragon were placed three glasses of water. The lad was terrified and started to run away. But the dragon kept on calling out:

tly one of the heads fell from the hook. He begged again: "Now give me

d fell from the hook. Then the dragon said: "Now do as you like. But y

ook. Now the dragon was quite free, and instantly he made for the Red Sea, and began

s came back again and b

t thou wouldst deliver us, and now we are worse off

heart that the dragon had carried off his w

castle, changed into the shape of a horse. One day the horse said to the sorrowi

nd ran for home. The other brother of the three princesses was i

e, he said to the horse:

d: "They came and

[83]and said: "Now we'll ride as fa

: "We cannot possi

"Only let us start; w

away at once, saying to the lad: "I promised to spare your life in return for that g

on rode home, carrying

orrowing husband: "The dragon is away from h

t and stole

and asked the horse:

y have stolen her again, but we

id: "We must

ook them. The dragon snapped away the princess, saying to the lad: "There's your

ewailed his fate because he had lost

oung ravens from their nest on the tree. The old ones will fly at you and peck you-they won't want to let you have their young

e certain that they have brought you the real water of life. If the wound grows together again, you may be sure it is the real water of life. As soon as the wound has gro

d off, dipped it into the healing water, and the wound grew together again. Then he poured some of the water of life int

"The dragon is away from home to-day. Let

d away the princess. They r

and asked the horse:

They've carried her off again, and this

at should prevent us from gett

ched the castle just as the fugitives

the lad: "You rascal! I told you I would tear

in each claw, and tore him in two. Then he

against the other, and they grew together. Then he took the water of life and pou

was over, that now he would be separated from his w

will turn out. But I have another brother across the Red Sea, and he is stronger than I or the dragon. If we could only get him, we should be sure to kill the dragon. But it's a hard [87]thing

st day's service is done, on the next day the Devil's grandmother always cuts off the servant's head and hangs it on a hook. Now, listen carefully. While you are herding the horses, anything the hag gives you to eat at home, eat your fill of i

they saw a huge fly entangled in a cobweb and struggling to free itself. So the lad went up to

sheet, but he tore it in

eb. Tear one of my feet from under my belly, and, whene

ld you help me?" Nevertheless, he t

log, and he was unable to help himself, for wolves have stiff backs, and no wol

ws, and, whenever you are in sore need, think of me, and I w

elly upwards, and he couldn't manage to turn himself over again. So the lad went and turned [89]the crab over a

will be able to get across. But, besides that, you must pluck off one of my claws fr

de a bridge across the sea. The lad crossed the bridge and came to the Devil's grandmother. She was standing waiting for him in the doorway of her house, and welcomed him. He'd just c

at these twenty-four [90]posts, with a hook on each one of them. There are heads on twenty-three of them.

have enough to eat and not starve. He meant to follow the horse's advice, and threw the bread

horse there. Sorrowfully he said: "The Devil's grandmother was right; my head will hang from that hook." I

been forced to eat the bread, so that he

, saying: "Don't be troubled

for the horses, and when they found them, they buzzed round them and plague

she seized a hatchet and began to beat the horses with it, and most of all the lean one, till the flesh hung in strips from its body. The lad was sorry for the horse, for

ure he crumbled the bread and trampled the crumbs into the ground, so that it should be uneatable. But it was no good. He was forced to dig it up and eat

. But he thought of the wolf, and the wolf came running up and asked hi

ooking for the horses. When they found them, they drove them to the herdsman, each horse with a wolf

this is the second day that you have brought them all home." But she beat the horses with the hatchet far wors

But he had to search it out again, so great was the hunger the Devil's grandmother sent against him. The moment he had finished it he fell asleep and the horses were lost. When he woke he burst into tears. This time it was all up with him; the fly and the wolf had he

he sea for the horses, and they pinched them until they drove them out of the sea. But the lean one, since he couldn't think of a better hiding-place, crouched under the crab's belly. The other crabs set [94]to work to

sh hung in strips from their bodies. Then she anointed them with the salve, and the wounds healed by morning. In

you such a wretched horse in return for such

n't take any horse

ed: "Because I am sorry for him, for he always gets t

have him, but I will give [95]you this fat one too. You

rawing near to the gate, the lean horse said: "Get down fro

om the fat horse and

d: "It's the Devil g

s back, he would have dashed you against the vault of the gate, so that

en the princesses saw him co

e dragon is away from home, and the princess will

me, he asked his horse:

e we shan't get her back. The horse from the Red S

ncess away, but this time he could not do it. For the horse from over the Red Sea kicked his nose with his hoof, so th

ory over their enemy. Then the horse which had been giving good advice to his rider all the time

I do that, after all the acts of

ell you why you must behead me, but you wou

igh, and instantly the horse became a beautiful youth. Seeing that, the lad was quick t

there he lived with his wife and her two sisters in all happiness and harmony till