468 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



|:2'"» S. X Dec. 16. '60. 



•with magnificent antlers ran right across the 

 meadow. 



The youth levelled his piece ; but just at that 

 moment his attendant gave him a push, so that 

 the shot whistled harmlessly in the air. In a great 

 passion at this, the young man cried : "If you do' 

 that again, I will shoot you." It was of no use 

 for the faithful fellow to try and excuse himself. 

 All was in vain. Our friend would not retract 

 what he had just said. He could not forget that 

 the three stags had escaped him, for he had never 

 seen finer ones in his life. This day their hostess 

 of the cottage gave them still more delicious food ; 

 and wines of all sorts, and in great quantity, were 

 put on the table. And she told the servant se- 

 cretly that he had done well indeed, and that his 

 master was on his way to great happiness. 



The next day, when the young man again 

 went into the wood, the woman said to the 

 servant : " Follow your master, and if he sees 

 three black stags on the meadow, don't let him 

 shoot them. This is the most dangerous day of 

 all to him ; it depends upon his behaviour to-day 

 whether he lives or not ; but betray me not, as 

 you value your own life." The man willingly 

 promised her everything, and hurried after hismas- 

 ter. But to-day his heart was very sad, he knew not 

 why or wherefore. The wood appeared no longer 

 so beautiful, nor the birds so cheerful, nor the 

 streamlet half so merry as before. He tried hard 

 to persuade his master to go in another direction, 

 but the youth would not listen to him ; he was 

 thinking of the three stags, and he said to his 

 faithful attendant. " Now I warn you, once for 

 all, if you push me to-day, it will fare badly with 

 you." But they had hardly reached the meadow, 

 before three black stags with mighty antlers broke 

 from the bushes, and bounded before thera. The 

 youth took aim, but again his faithful attendant 

 gave him a push. The shot whizzed thiough the 

 wood, and the three stags escaped. 



" You shall pay dearly for this," cried the young 

 man, loading again. It was all in vain the faith- 

 ful servant cried, and begged for his life; his mas- 

 ter shot him down in his fury. But when he looked 

 upon the pale corpse which lay at his feet, his 

 anger fled, and sorrow seize* him for the deed 

 which he had done. In vain did he call his faith- 

 ful servant by a hundred endearing names, and 

 cried and wrung his hands, — he was dead. Then 

 he rushed wildly to the cottage, but it was de- 

 serted, and the old woman had disappeared. He 

 went into the stable, saddled one of his horses, 

 mounted it, and rode away in despair, whither he 

 knew not. 



Thus in the deepest sorrow he rode on hour after 

 hour by the wild wood-paths. The sun was begin- 

 ning to sink, and the wood became thicker and 

 thicker ; there was no village, not even a house to 

 be seen, and he was seized with the pains of hunger 



and thirst. The whole night he rode on and on until 

 the morning dawn again tinged the tree-tops with a 

 rosy light, and he came to an opening in the wood, 

 where there was a large meadow, in which was a 

 clear cold spring. He bent down to it in order to 

 cool his parched lips, and drank a long draught. 

 When he rose to his feet there stood before him 

 three lovely maidens. 



When he saluted them they met him with a 

 dark and angry look, and said : "In your wicked 

 anger you have destroyed your own happiness, 

 and have delayed our freedom for a long period. 

 Had you only followed good advice, and listened 

 to friendly entreaties, you would have been by 

 this time in the Kingdom of Gold ; but now your 

 wandering must be long, and your struggles many 

 ere you can reach it." Then the youth fell on his 

 knees before them, and cried with a bitter cry of 

 repentance : " I will sufler and endure everything 

 if only I can atone for my deed. Oh ! tell me 

 what I shall do ! " " That we are not allowed to 

 do," said the maidens, " but we will assist you as 

 far as we can." 



Then the eldest gave him a sword, which no- 

 thing could resist, and whoever was struck by it 

 fell dead to the ground. The second gave him a 

 purse which would always remain full of bright 

 gold, however much you might take out of it. 

 But the most beautiful of the maidens, with whom 

 he had fallen desperately in love at first sight, 

 gave him a golden ring, that he might not forget 

 her. And then they vanished. 



After this the youth felt as If a heavy weight 

 had been taken from his heart ; he was in- 

 spired with fresh courage, and thought of nothing 

 else but the Kingdom of Gold, and the three 

 maidens ; but more especially he thought of the 

 youngest. He vaulted on his horse, and rode into 

 the wood with a lighter heart. He had not gone 

 a hundred yards before he heard a frightful hiss- 

 ing, mingled with pitiful moans. He galloped to 

 the spot, from which the sounds came, and there 

 he saw a hideous dragon, which had twisted its 

 long tail round a lion, and was spitting its venom 

 at it. He seized his sword, and with one blow cut 

 otF the dragon's tail, and the part cut off sprang 

 with such force into the trees that it crushed whole 

 boughs. With a second blow he cut off the dra- 

 gon's head, so that the monster fell down, and its 

 tongue stretched a full arm's length from Its throat. 

 But the lion, shaking himself, leapt round his de- 

 liverer like a faithful dog, pressed his shaggy 

 head against him, and tried in every way he 

 could to show his gratitude, and from this moment 

 followed him everywhere he went. The young 

 man's courage now increased, for he had proved 

 the power of his sword, and he rode cheerfully on 

 his way for many weeks, till he came to the Lake 

 of the Lost Waters, which is so long and broad 

 that no one can see from one side to the other. 



