9. Interpretations of Fairy Tales

A ball of thread was tied up, and the prince went on his way with it. It was agreed that each of the giants would follow him, pulling on the thread. He soon came to a river, but he couldn't cross it. Meanwhile, his brothers were still asleep. He pulled the thread, and one of the giants came along, threw a tree trunk across the river, and he was able to continue on his way. Then he came to the king's castle, where his sisters were supposed to be. He went inside and entered one of the chambers. There he saw one of the sisters. She was lying on a copper bed and had a golden ring on her finger. He took it off her, put it on his own finger, and went on. Then he came to the second chamber, where the second sister was lying on a silver bed, and she had a golden ring on her finger. He took it off and put it on himself. Then he came to the third chamber. There lay the third sister on a golden bed, and he also put her golden ring on his finger. As he looked around, he discovered that there was an entrance to the castle with a very small opening. He pulled on the thread, and the first giant came out. But at the very moment when he wanted to go through the gate, and when his head was already through but his body was still outside, he quickly cut off the giant's head. And he did the same with the second and third giants. Now he had killed the three giants. Now he returned to his brothers, after first untying the sun and the dawn. They looked at each other and said, “Oh, it was a long night!” “Yes,” he said, “it was a long night!” And he came to his brothers. But as the others had done, he told them nothing, and they went home.