A poor man made his living selling wild herbs gathered from forests and along city walls His three daughters made their living spinning and selling yarn from wool caught on bushes as sheep passed on their way to meadow When the father died the three sisters became even poorer The king of their city was a worried sort At night he lurked in the shadows outside houses eavesdropping He wanted to know what his subjects said about him One night he overheard the sisters The oldest sister said If I were the wife of the royal butler I’d make sure everyone had plenty to drink I’d fill one glass and they’d pass it around and it would never empty The middle sister said If I were the wife of the keeper of the royal wardrobe I’d clothe everyone all with a single piece of cloth that would never run out The youngest sister said If I were the king’s wife we would have triplets Two sons born with apples in their hands and a daughter born with a star on her forehead The next morning the king had his servants bring those sisters to him He handed the oldest girl a glass of water and said Prove your words from last night The oldest sister carried the glass from one royal attendant to the next All drank yet the glass still held water The oldest sister was as astonished as everyone else after all the sisters talk had been but idle dreams But the king was satisfied You are now the wife of the royal butler The king handed a piece of cloth and a pair of scissors to the middle sister Prove your words from last night The middle sister cut clothing for all the royal attendants and still there was cloth left The middle sister was astonished Again though the king was satisfied You are now the wife of the keeper of the royal wardrobe 12
The king turned to the youngest sister I will give you a chance to prove your words You will be my queen If you bear me the triplets you described last night for the rest of your life you will want for nothing But if you fail woe to you The youngest sister blinked in fear But her older sisters had been lucky So she let herself hope She became queen The older sisters while they were no longer poor were servants They grew envious of the youngest sister They hated her The youngest sister soon became pregnant Not long before she gave birth the king declared war on another kingdom He told his servants that if his queen gave birth to triplets two boys with apples in their hands and a girl with a star on her forehead all would be well But if not they were to send word to him And he rode off to battle The youngest sister gave birth to triplets exactly as she had foretold She kissed each with gratitude and wonder But her envious sisters bribed the nursemaid to get rid of the babies and put puppies in their place Word was sent to the king that his queen had produced three puppies In 13
a rage the king sentenced her to run inside the treadmill that worked the crane used for building the new cathedral The nursemaid took the three babies outside the city walls and left them for wild beasts to devour But three fairies happened by What darling children Let’s give them presents I give them a deer as nursemaid I give them a purse that never runs out of money I give them a ring that will change color whenever misfortune comes to any one of them And so a deer raised the children Once they were grown the first fairy returned Here are suitable clothes Go rent a house in the city across from the palace The three young people moved to the city and the purse that never ran out of money served them well they furnished their home like a palace The children’s aunts who still worked at the king’s palace soon noticed them In horror they questioned the old nursemaid What did you do Our nephews and niece are alive See the apples in their hands See the star on her forehead Alas the trouble you’ve made Don’t worry the nursemaid said to the aunts I’ll handle this One day when the two brothers had gone out the nursemaid introduced herself to the girl You have lovely things she said But you need something that will make you truly happy She leaned close The Dancing Water Your brothers will get it for you if they love you When one of the brothers came home the sister said If you love me you’ll get me the Dancing Water This brother didn’t know what the Dancing Water was But he loved his sister So he set out to find it He met a hermit who asked him Where are you going horseman To fetch the Dancing Water What You’re going to your death But stay on the journey until you 14
meet a hermit older than me The brother cringed Still his love for his sister was boundless So he continued on until he met a second older hermit That hermit gave him the same instructions The brother quivered but he continued on He met a third hermit so old that his white beard hung down to his feet This hermit said Climb that mountain On top is a house with a beautiful gate Four giant swordsmen guard the gate Pay attention now When the giants eyes are closed do not enter But when their eyes open enter You’ll come to a door If it is open do not enter If it is closed open it and enter Four lions will sit there If their eyes are closed do not pass by them If their eyes are open go past That’s where the Dancing Water is Back home the sister twisted the magic ring on her finger It stayed green so she knew her brother was still safe It took days for the brother to climb the mountain The giants stood before the gate with closed eyes So the brother waited When their eyes opened he went through the gate The door ahead of him stood open So the brother waited When it closed he opened it and went inside The four lions before him had closed eyes So the brother waited When their eyes opened he passed by them There was the Dancing Water He filled many bottles with it Then when the lions eyes were open he escaped Meanwhile back in the city the aunts were happy Surely the nephew who had gone to find the Dancing Water was dead But what was this The nephew returned The aunts had two golden basins made and they had the nursemaid sneak into the young people’s home and set those basins side by side Then the aunts huddled outside the window The nephew poured water into one basin It leaped from that basin to the other and back again The Dancing Water The aunts scolded the old nursemaid Your fault your fault Once again the nursemaid visited the sister when she was alone The 15
