Once upon a time lived a king, who had only one son; and when this son grew up, his father sent him to travel about the world, in order that he might find a maiden who would make him a suitable wife.
The king’s son started on his journey, and travelled through the whole world without finding anywhere a maiden whom he loved well enough to marry. Seeing then that he had taken so much trouble, and had spent so much time and money, and all to no purpose, he resolved to kill himself. With this intention he climbed to the top of a high mountain, that he might throw himself from its summit; for he wished that even his bones might never be found. Having arrived at the top of the mountain, he saw a sharp rock jutting out from one side of it, and was climbing up to throw himself from it, when he heard a voice behind him calling, “Stop! stop! O, man! Stop for the sake of three hundred and sixty-five which are in the year!” He looked back, and seeing no one, asked, “Who are you that speak to me? Let me see you. When you know how miserable I am, you will not prevent my killing myself.”
“On the summit of that hill there is an old woman who … holds a bird in her bosom.”
He had scarcely said these words when there appeared to him an old man, with hair as white as wool, who said, “I know all about you. But listen! Do you see that high hill?” “Yes, I do,” said the prince. “And do you see the multitude of marble blocks which are on it?” said the old man. “Yes, I do,” rejoined the prince. “Well, then,” continued the old man, “on the summit of that hill there is an old woman with golden hair, who sits night and day on that very spot, and holds a bird in her bosom. Whoever can get this bird into his hands will be the happiest man in the world. But be careful. If you are willing to try to get the bird, you must take the old woman by her hair before she sees you. If she sees you before you catch her by her hair, you will be changed into a stone on the spot. Thus it happened to all those young men you see standing there, as if they were blocks of marble.”
When the king’s son heard this he thought, “It is all one to me whether I die here or there. If I succeed, so much the better for me; if I fail, I can but die as I had resolved.” So he went up the hill. When he arrived near the old woman he walked very cautiously towards her, hoping to reach her unseen; for, luckily, the old woman was lying with her back towards him, sunning herself, and playing with the bird.
When near enough he sprang suddenly and caught her by the hair. Then the old woman cried out, so that the whole hill shook as with a great earthquake; but the king’s son held fast by her hair, and when she found that she could not escape she said, “What do you desire from me?” He replied, “That you should give me the bird in your bosom, and that you call back to life all these Christian souls.” The old woman consented, and gave him the bird. Then from her mouth she breathed a blue wind towards the men of stone, and immediately they again became alive. The king’s son, having the bird in his hands, was so rejoiced that he began to kiss it; and as he kissed it the bird was transformed into a most beautiful maiden.
This girl the enchantress had turned into a bird, in order that she might allure the young men to her. The girl pleased the king’s son exceedingly, and he took her with him, and prepared to return home. As he was going down the hill the girl gave him a stick, and told him the stick would do everything that he desired of it. So the king’s son struck with it once upon the rock, and in a moment there came out a mass of golden coin, of which they took plenty for use on their journey.
As they were travelling they came to a great river, and could find no place by which they could pass over; so the king’s son touched the surface of the river with his stick, and the water divided, so that a dry path lay before them, and they were able to cross over the river dryshod. A little farther they came to a herd of wolves, and the wolves attacked them, and seemed about to tear them to pieces; but the prince struck at them with his stick, and one by one the wolves were turned into ants. Thus, at length, the king’s son reached home safely with his beloved, and they were shortly after married, and lived long and happily together.