9. Interpretations of Fairy Tales

After some time, the three brothers wanted to marry, and the youngest brother told the others that he knew where three princesses were and led them to that castle. The three brothers married, the youngest marrying the most beautiful, the one who had lain on the golden bed. The youngest was the heir to his father-in-law and therefore had to live in a foreign land. But after some time had passed, he wanted to visit his homeland and take his wife with him. However, his father-in-law said to him: “If you embark on this journey, your wife will be snatched from you at the border, and you may never see her again!” But they wanted to travel anyway, so they set off and took thirty travelers with them for protection. But when they reached the border, the wife was snatched away as if by an unknown force. He returned and asked his father-in-law how and where he could find his wife again. His father-in-law told him, “If you must, you can only find her in the white land.” So he set out on his journey to find his wife again. But he had no idea where the road to the white land lay. He first came to a castle and wanted to ask there where the road to the white land was. When he entered the castle, he saw the lady of the castle sitting there, and he saw that she was one of his sisters whom the brothers had thrown out of the window, and he asked about her husband. He was called in. It was a four-headed dragon, and he was asked for directions to the white land. But the four-headed dragon said he did not know where the white land was; perhaps the animals knew. The animals were called in, but none of them knew the way to the white land. So the prince went on and came to a second castle. There he found the second of his sisters, whom his brothers had given away. He asked about her husband. He was called, and he was an eight-headed dragon. But he also knew nothing of a white land. Perhaps, he said, the animals knew. The animals were called together again, but none of them knew the way to the white land, and the prince had to go on. After a while, he came to a third castle. When he entered, he found the third of the sisters there. He told her what he wanted, and she answered him very sadly. Her husband was called, and he was a twelve-headed dragon. He was asked about the white land, but he said he did not know, though it might be that one of his animals knew. The animals were called, but none of them knew the white land either. Finally, a lame wolf came. He said, “Yes, I once came to a land where I was wounded, so that I am now lame. I know the white land, alas, I know it!” Then the prince said, “I want to be taken there!” “But the wolf would not, even if he were promised whole flocks of sheep. Finally, however, he agreed to lead the prince's son far enough that he could see the white land from a mountain. They came to this mountain, and there the lame wolf left him. The prince's son came upon a spring. He drank from it and felt wonderfully refreshed by the water. Then a woman came up, whom he immediately recognized as his kidnapped wife. And she, who also recognized him at once, said to him, “You cannot win me back, for if you did, the sorcerer who now has me as his wife would immediately come and take me back on his magic horse. He can fly through the air as fast as a thought!” The prince said, ‘Yes, what shall we do then?’ She replied, ”There is a way, and that is: we must have a faster horse. Go to the old woman who lives on the border of the country. You will hire yourself out as a servant to her. She will give you difficult tasks to do, but you will see how you can succeed; and you will ask for your wages the youngest foal and a saddle, and you will tell the old woman: the one lying on the floor, covered in chicken manure—and thirdly, you will ask for a very old bridle!