THE SEVEN RAVENS

There was once a man who had seven sons, and last of all one daughter.
Although the little girl was very pretty, she was so weak and small
that they thought she could not live; but they said she should at once
be christened.

So the father sent one of his sons in haste to the spring to get some
water, but the other six ran with him. Each wanted to be first at
drawing the water, and so they were in such a hurry that all let their
pitchers fall into the well, and they stood very foolishly looking at
one another, and did not know what to do, for none dared go home. In
the meantime the father was uneasy, and could not tell what made the
young men stay so long. 'Surely,' said he, 'the whole seven must have
forgotten themselves over some game of play'; and when he had waited
still longer and they yet did not come, he flew into a rage and wished
them all turned into ravens. Scarcely had he spoken these words when
he heard a croaking over his head, and looked up and saw seven ravens
as black as coal flying round and round. Sorry as he was to see his
wish so fulfilled, he did not know how what was done could be undone,
and comforted himself as well as he could for the loss of his seven
sons with his dear little daughter, who soon became stronger and every
day more beautiful.

For a long time she did not know that she had ever had any brothers;
for her father and mother took care not to speak of them before her:
but one day by chance she heard the people about her speak of them.
'Yes,' said they, 'she is beautiful indeed, but still 'tis a pity that
her brothers should have been lost for her sake.' Then she was much
grieved, and went to her father and mother, and asked if she had any
brothers, and what had become of them. So they dared no longer hide
the truth from her, but said it was the will of Heaven, and that her
birth was only the innocent cause of it; but the little girl mourned
sadly about it every day, and thought herself bound to do all she
could to bring her brothers back; and she had neither rest nor ease,
till at length one day she stole away, and set out into the wide world
to find her brothers, wherever they might be, and free them, whatever
it might cost her.

She took nothing with her but a little ring which her father and
mother had given her, a loaf of bread in case she should be hungry, a
little pitcher of water in case she should be thirsty, and a little
stool to rest upon when she should be weary. Thus she went on and on,
and journeyed till she came to the world's end; then she came to the
sun, but the sun looked much too hot and fiery; so she ran away
quickly to the moon, but the moon was cold and chilly, and said, 'I
smell flesh and blood this way!' so she took herself away in a hurry
and came to the stars, and the stars were friendly and kind to her,
and each star sat upon his own little stool; but the morning star rose
up and gave her a little piece of wood, and said, 'If you have not
this little piece of wood, you cannot unlock the castle that stands on
the glass-mountain, and there your brothers live.' The little girl
took the piece of wood, rolled it up in a little cloth, and went on
again until she came to the glass-mountain, and found the door shut.
Then she felt for the little piece of wood; but when she unwrapped the
cloth it was not there, and she saw she had lost the gift of the good
stars. What was to be done? She wanted to save her brothers, and had
no key of the castle of the glass-mountain; so this faithful little
sister took a knife out of her pocket and cut off her little finger,
that was just the size of the piece of wood she had lost, and put it
in the door and opened it.

As she went in, a little dwarf came up to her, and said, 'What are you
seeking for?' 'I seek for my brothers, the seven ravens,' answered
she. Then the dwarf said, 'My masters are not at home; but if you will
wait till they come, pray step in.' Now the little dwarf was getting
their dinner ready, and he brought their food upon seven little
plates, and their drink in seven little glasses, and set them upon the
table, and out of each little plate their sister ate a small piece,
and out of each little glass she drank a small drop; but she let the
ring that she had brought with her fall into the last glass.

On a sudden she heard a fluttering and croaking in the air, and the
dwarf said, 'Here come my masters.' When they came in, they wanted to
eat and drink, and looked for their little plates and glasses. Then
said one after the other,

'Who has eaten from my little plate? And who has been drinking out of
my little glass?'

'Caw! Caw! well I ween
Mortal lips have this way been.'

When the seventh came to the bottom of his glass, and found there the
ring, he looked at it, and knew that it was his father's and mother's,
and said, 'O that our little sister would but come! then we should be
free.' When the little girl heard this (for she stood behind the door
all the time and listened), she ran forward, and in an instant all the
ravens took their right form again; and all hugged and kissed each
other, and went merrily home.

• « poprz.
• nast. »