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
Dancing Water is beautiful But it can’t compare to the Singing Apple That will make you supremely happy Your brothers will get it for you if they love you The sister asked the same brother to bring her the Singing Apple Once more he passed by hermits who gave him instructions He arrived at the mountaintop and made it past the giant swordsmen and the door that kept opening and closing and the lions He came to a pair of garden shears They were closed So he waited When the shears opened he went past them and saw a tree with an apple on top He climbed the tree snatched that apple and rode home Meanwhile the aunts laughed for surely that nephew couldn’t have been lucky enough to survive the journey twice But then he reappeared with the Singing Apple The aunts ran for the old nursemaid who then ran for the sister This time the nursemaid told the girl that to become wildly happy she needed the Speaking Bird The same brother went off in search of the Speaking Bird He met 16
hermits climbed the mountain passed the giant swordsmen and the opening and closing door and the four lions He entered a garden with statues and a fountain in the midst of which was a basin where the Speaking Bird perched The bird squawked Ridiculous one Your aunts sent you to your death You’ll be no better off than your mother who works the treadmill His mother The brother had been instructed not to speak to the bird but only to pluck a wing feather dip it in a jar of oil and anoint the statues with it But he couldn’t stop himself from asking Where is my mother With those words the brother became a statue Back home the sister’s ring changed color to blue Help said the sister to her other brother Go save our brother The second brother met the same three hermits climbed the mountain and got past all the obstacles At last he stood in the garden beside the Speaking Bird Absurd one said the Speaking Bird Now you’ll be no better off than your mother who works the treadmill 17
