Page 292 [292]
“"THE*GOLDEN*BIRD¬
N times gone by there was a king who
had at the back of his castle a beauti¬
ful pleasure-garden, in which stood a
tree that bore golden apples. As the
apples ripened they were counted, but
one morning one was missing. Then
the king was angry, and he ordered
that watch should be kept about the
tree every night. Now the king had
three sons, and he sent the eldest to spend the whole night
in the garden; so he watched till midnight, and then he
could keep off sleep no longer, and in the morning another
apple was missing. ‘The second son had to watch the follow¬
ing night; but it fared no better, for when twelve o clock had
struck he went to sleep, and in the morning another apple
was missing. Now came the turn of the third son to watch,
and he was ready to do so; but the king had less trust in him,
and believed he would acquit himself still worse than his
brothers, but in the end he consented to let him try. So the
young man lay down under the tree to watch, and resolved
that sleep should not be master. When it struck twelve
something came rushing through the air, and he saw in the
moonlight a bird flying towards him, whose feathers glittered
like gold. The bird perched upon the tree, and had already
pecked off an apple, when the young man let fly an arrow
at it. The bird flew away, but the arrow had struck its
. plumage, and one of its golden feathers fell to the ground:
the young man picked it up, and taking it next morning to
the king, told him what had happened in the night. The king
win)
‘at
§
§
$4
út
NATY
c
Ks
+
)