Atlastayoungman，withagoodheartandplentyofcourage，setouttosearchforthering。Hetookhiswaytowardsthesunrising，becauseheknewthatallthewisdomofoldtimecomesfromtheEast。AftersomeyearshemetwithafamousEasternmagician，andaskedforhisadviceinthematter。Themagiciananswered:
’Mortalmenhavebutlittlewisdom，andcangiveyounohelp，butthebirdsoftheairwouldbebetterguidestoyouifyoucouldlearntheirlanguage。Icanhelpyoutounderstanditifyouwillstaywithmeafewdays。’
Theyouththankfullyacceptedthemagician’soffer，andsaid，’I
cannotnowofferyouanyrewardforyourkindness，butshouldmyundertakingsucceedyourtroubleshallberichlyrepaid。’
Thenthemagicianbrewedapowerfulpotionoutofninesortsofherbswhichhehadgatheredhimselfallalonebymoonlight，andhegavetheyouthninespoonfulsofitdailyforthreedays，whichmadehimabletounderstandthelanguageofbirds。
Atpartingthemagiciansaidtohim。’IfyoueverfindSolomon’sringandgetpossessionofit，thencomebacktome，thatImayexplaintheinscriptionontheringtoyou，forthereisnooneelseintheworldwhocandothis。’
Fromthattimetheyouthneverfeltlonelyashewalkedalong；healwayshadcompany，becauseheunderstoodthelanguageofbirds；
andinthiswayhelearnedmanythingswhichmerehumanknowledgecouldneverhavetaughthim。Buttimewenton，andheheardnothingaboutthering。Ithappenedoneevening，whenhewashotandtiredwithwalking，andhadsatdownunderatreeinaforesttoeathissupper，thathesawtwogaily-plumagedbirds，thatwerestrangetohim，sittingatthetopofthetreetalkingtooneanotherabouthim。Thefirstbirdsaid:
’Iknowthatwanderingfoolunderthetreethere，whohascomesofarwithoutfindingwhatheseeks。HeistryingtofindKingSolomon’slostring。’
Theotherbirdanswered，’HewillhavetoseekhelpfromtheWitch-maiden，[3]whowilldoubtlessbeabletoputhimontherighttrack。Ifshehasnotgottheringherself，sheknowswellenoughwhohasit。’
[3]Hollenmadchen。
’ButwhereishetofindtheWitch-maiden？’saidthefirstbird。
’Shehasnosettleddwelling，butishereto-dayandgoneto-morrow。Hemightaswelltrytocatchthewind。’
Theotherreplied，’Idonotknow，certainly，wheresheisatpresent，butinthreenightsfromnowshewillcometothespringtowashherface，asshedoeseverymonthwhenthemoonisfull，inorderthatshemaynevergrowoldnorwrinkled，butmayalwayskeepthebloomofyouth。’
’Well，’saidthefirstbird，’thespringisnotfarfromhere。
Shallwegoandseehowitisshedoesit？’
’Willingly，ifyoulike，’saidtheother。
Theyouthimmediatelyresolvedtofollowthebirdstothespring，onlytwothingsmadehimuneasy:first，lesthemightbeasleepwhenthebirdswent，andsecondly，lesthemightlosesightofthem，sincehehadnotwingstocarryhimalongsoswiftly。Hewastootiredtokeepawakeallnight，yethisanxietypreventedhimfromsleepingsoundly，andwhenwiththeearliestdawnhelookeduptothetree-top，hewasgladtoseehisfeatheredcompanionsstillasleepwiththeirheadsundertheirwings。Heatehisbreakfast，andwaiteduntilthebirdsshouldstart，buttheydidnotleavetheplaceallday。Theyhoppedaboutfromonetreetoanotherlookingforfood，alldaylonguntiltheevening，whentheywentbacktotheiroldperchtosleep。Thenextdaythesamethinghappened，butonthethirdmorningonebirdsaidtotheother，’To-daywemustgotothespringtoseetheWitch-maidenwashherface。’Theyremainedonthetreetillnoon；thentheyflewawayandwenttowardsthesouth。Theyoungman’sheartbeatwithanxietylestheshouldlosesightofhisguides，buthemanagedtokeepthebirdsinviewuntiltheyagainpercheduponatree。Theyoungmanranafterthemuntilhewasquiteexhaustedandoutofbreath，andafterthreeshortreststhebirdsatlengthreachedasmallopenspaceintheforest，ontheedgeofwhichtheyplacedthemselvesonthetopofahightree。Whentheyouthhadovertakenthem，hesawthattherewasaclearspringinthemiddleofthespace。Hesatdownatthefootofthetreeuponwhichthebirdswereperched，andlistenedattentivelytowhattheyweresayingtoeachother。
’Thesunisnotdownyet，’saidthefirstbird；’wemustwaityetawhiletillthemoonrisesandthemaidencomestothespring。
Doyouthinkshewillseethatyoungmansittingunderthetree？’
’Nothingislikelytoescapehereyes，certainlynotayoungman，saidtheotherbird。’Willtheyouthhavethesensenottolethimselfbecaughtinhertoils？’
’Wewillwait，’saidthefirstbird，’andseehowtheygetontogether。’
Theeveninglighthadquitefaded，andthefullmoonwasalreadyshiningdownupontheforest，whentheyoungmanheardaslightrustlingsound。Afterafewmomentstherecameoutoftheforestamaiden，glidingoverthegrasssolightlythatherfeetseemedscarcelytotouchtheground，andstoodbesidethespring。Theyouthcouldnotturnawayhiseyesfromthemaiden，forhehadneverinhislifeseenawomansobeautiful。Withoutseemingtonoticeanything，shewenttothespring，lookeduptothefullmoon，thenkneltdownandbathedherfaceninetimes，thenlookeduptothemoonagainandwalkedninetimesroundthewell，andasshewalkedshesangthissong:
’Full-facedmoonwithlightunshaded，Letmybeautyne’erbefaded。
Neverletmycheekgrowpale！
Whilethemooniswaningnightly，Maythemaidenbloommorebrightly，Mayherfreshnessneverfail！’
Thenshedriedherfacewithherlonghair，andwasabouttogoaway，whenhereyesuddenlyfelluponthespotwheretheyoungmanwassitting，andsheturnedtowardsthetree。Theyouthroseandstoodwaiting。Thenthemaidensaid，’Yououghttohaveaheavypunishmentbecauseyouhavepresumedtowatchmysecretdoingsinthemoonlight。ButIwillforgiveyouthistime，becauseyouareastrangerandknewnobetter。Butyoumusttellmetrulywhoyouareandhowyoucametothisplace，wherenomortalhaseversetfootbefore。’
Theyouthansweredhumbly:’Forgiveme，beautifulmaiden，ifI
haveunintentionallyoffendedyou。Ichancedtocomehereafterlongwandering，andfoundagoodplacetosleepunderthistree。
AtyourcomingIdidnotknowwhattodo，butstayedwhereIwas，becauseIthoughtmysilentwatchingcouldnotoffendyou。’
Themaidenansweredkindly，’Comeandspendthisnightwithus。
Youwillsleepbetteronapillowthanondampmoss。’
Theyouthhesitatedforalittle，butpresentlyheheardthebirdssayingfromthetopofthetree，’Gowhereshecallsyou，buttakecaretogivenoblood，oryouwillsellyoursoul。’Sotheyouthwentwithher，andsoontheyreachedabeautifulgarden，wherestoodasplendidhouse，whichglitteredinthemoonlightasifitwasallbuiltoutofgoldandsilver。Whentheyouthenteredhefoundmanysplendidchambers，eachonefinerthanthelast。Hundredsoftapersburntupongoldencandlesticks，andshedalightlikethebrightestday。Atlengththeyreachedachamberwhereatablewasspreadwiththemostcostlydishes。Atthetablewereplacedtwochairs，oneofsilver，theotherofgold。Themaidenseatedherselfuponthegoldenchair，andofferedthesilveronetohercompanion。Theywereservedbymaidensdressedinwhite，whosefeetmadenosoundastheymovedabout，andnotawordwasspokenduringthemeal。
AfterwardstheyouthandtheWitch-maidenconversedpleasantlytogether，untilawoman，dressedinred，cameintoremindthemthatitwasbedtime。Theyouthwasnowshownintoanotherroom，containingasilkenbedwithdowncushions，wherehesleptdelightfully，yetheseemedtohearavoicenearhisbedwhichrepeatedtohim，’Remembertogivenoblood！’
Thenextmorningthemaidenaskedhimwhetherhewouldnotliketostaywithheralwaysinthisbeautifulplace，andashedidnotanswerimmediately，shecontinued:’YouseehowIalwaysremainyoungandbeautiful，andIamundernoone’sorders，butcandojustwhatIlike，sothatIhaveneverthoughtofmarryingbefore。ButfromthemomentIsawyouItookafancytoyou，soifyouagree，wemightbemarriedandmightlivetogetherlikeprinces，becauseIhavegreatriches。’
Theyouthcouldnotbutbetemptedwiththebeautifulmaiden’soffer，butherememberedhowthebirdshadcalledherthewitch，andtheirwarningalwayssoundedinhisears。Thereforeheansweredcautiously，’Donotbeangry，dearmaiden，ifIdonotdecideimmediatelyonthisimportantmatter。Givemeafewdaystoconsiderbeforewecometoanunderstanding。’
’Whynot？’answeredthemaiden。’Takesomeweekstoconsiderifyoulike，andtakecounselwithyourownheart。’Andtomakethetimepasspleasantly，shetooktheyouthovereverypartofherbeautifuldwelling，andshowedhimallhersplendidtreasures。
Butthesetreasureswereallproducedbyenchantment，forthemaidencouldmakeanythingshewishedappearbythehelpofKingSolomon’ssignetring；onlynoneofthesethingsremainedfixed；
theypassedawaylikethewindwithoutleavingatracebehind。
Buttheyouthdidnotknowthis；hethoughttheywereallreal。
Onedaythemaidentookhimintoasecretchamber，wherealittlegoldboxwasstandingonasilvertable。Pointingtothebox，shesaid，’Hereismygreatesttreasure，whoselikeisnottobefoundinthewholeworld。Itisapreciousgoldring。Whenyoumarryme，Iwillgiveyouthisringasamarriagegift，anditwillmakeyouthehappiestofmortalmen。Butinorderthatourlovemaylastforever，youmustgivemefortheringthreedropsofbloodfromthelittlefingerofyourlefthand。’
Whentheyouthheardthesewordsacoldshudderranoverhim，forherememberedthathissoulwasatstake。Hewascunningenough，however，toconcealhisfeelingsandtomakenodirectanswer，butheonlyaskedthemaiden，asifcarelessly，whatwasremarkableaboutthering？