had first served as a
goose-girl.

* * * * *

THE GOLDEN BIRD

BY WILHELM AND JAKOB GRIMM

There was once a King who had a beautiful pleasure-garden behind his
palace, in which grew a tree that bore golden apples. As fast as the
apples ripened they were counted, but the next day one was always
missing.

This was made known to the King, who commanded that a watch should be
kept every night under the tree. Now, the King had three sons, and
he sent the eldest into the garden when night was coming on; but at
midnight he fell fast asleep, and in the morning another apple was
missing. The following night the second son had to watch, but he did
not succeed any better, and again another apple was missing in the
morning. Now came the turn of the youngest son, who was eager to go;
but the King did not rely much upon him, and thought he would watch
even worse than his brothers; however, at last he consented.

The youth threw himself on the ground under the tree and watched
steadily, without letting sleep master him. As twelve o'clock
struck, something rustled in the air, and he saw a bird fly by in the
moonlight, whose feathers were of shining gold. The bird alighted on
the tree and was just picking off one of the apples when the young
Prince shot a bolt at it. Away flew the bird, but the arrow had
knocked off one of its feathers, which was of the finest gold. The
youth picked it up and showed it to the King next morning, and told
him all he had seen in the night.

Thereupon the King assembled his council, and each one declared that
a single feather like this one was of greater value than the whole
kingdom.

"However valuable this feather may be," said the King, "one will not
be of much use to me--I must have the whole bird."

So the eldest son went forth on his travels, to look for the wonderful
bird, and he had no doubt that he would be able to find it.

When he had gone a short distance, he saw a fox sitting close to the
edge of the forest, so he drew his bow to shoot. But the fox cried
out: "Do not shoot me, and I will give you a piece of good advice! You
are now on the road to the golden bird, and this evening you will come
to a village where two inns stand opposite to each other--one will be
brilliantly lighted, and great merriment will be going on inside;
do not, however, go in, but rather enter the other, even though it
appears but a poor place to you."

"How can such