DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14697#0167
Dioskouroi and Helene in Folk-Tales 1005
promised to bear, and that night he told his mother about them. She taxed the
midwife with neglecting her orders. So the midwife went off, obtained by guile
an entrance into the tower, and told Moon that she was indeed beautiful, but that
she needed one thing to complete her happiness—the branch that makes music.
Her brothers Sun and Morning-star consented to get it. They set off, and met
a monk, who told them all about it. It was kept by two dragons, who would
swallow them if they approached by day, but who snored with open mouth at
midnight and might then be shot. The young men followed the monk's directions,
shot the dragons, broke off the branch, and brought it back to their sister. The
king, who on his rides past the tower had missed them, now told his mother of
their return. She again sent the midwife, who paid a second visit to the tower.
The girl Moon showed her a tree outside the house, which had grown apace from
the planted branch making music continually and producing every morning a
dishful of precious stones. The midwife, duly astonished, said that she still needed
a mirror showing all towns, villages, lands, and princes. The brothers went off
to seek it, and again met the monk. He told them that it was guarded by forty
dragons, who by day kept watch, twenty on one side, twenty on the other, and
by night slept in a row. About midnight they snored so loud that the mountains
re-echoed. The brothers must then tread across their bodies with the greatest
care. This they did, and brought the mirror to their sister. The king again
noticed their absence and their return. He told his mother. She sent the mid-
wife once more, who said to Moon that the only thing now lacking was the bird
Dikjeretto : he understood all languages and by looking in the mirror would be
able to tell her what people were saying all the world over. The brothers sus-
pected that this quest would be the death of them. So they gave their sister two
shirts, which she was to look at daily : if the shirts turned black, she would know
that they had failed. This time, when they met the monk, he refused to help them.
However, they pressed on, and the bird by his glance turned first one and then
the other into stone. Moon knew of the disaster because the two shirts turned
as black as coal. In her grief she set out on horseback to die with her brothers.
The monk met her, had compassion on her, and explained that many a prince
had failed in this enterprise because they had made the attempt in their clothes.
She must strip herself of everything, attack the bird from behind before he was
aware of her presence through the rustling of her clothes, and so grasp him by
the feet. She did as she was bidden, caught the bird, and asked him where her
brothers were. He showed her where they stood, and pointed out a mountain
which opened at midday and contained a spring : if she were quick enough, she
might slip in and get the water of life from the spring ; if not, the mountain would
close upon her, and they would be ruined. The maiden with the bird on her hand
performed the feat with*the utmost speed ; but even so the mountain as it closed
caught a piece of her clothing, and she had to draw her sword and cut it off. She
sprinkled her brothers with the water, and they awoke as from a deep sleep. All
who had been petrified on the spot were now in turn sprinkled and accompanied
the happy party back to the tower, where the herdsman overjoyed at the return
of his fosterlings slew forty lambs and poured out wine in abundance : the feasting
lasted three days and three nights. The king, hearing of it, went out to see
whether the children were there. They showed him the greatest respect, and he
invited them to be his guests on the following Sunday. The bird told the young
people to take him too along with them, adding that the king was their father.
At the royal table both the king's mother and the midwife were present, when
the bird from his cage revealed the whole tale. The king sprang up and kissed
promised to bear, and that night he told his mother about them. She taxed the
midwife with neglecting her orders. So the midwife went off, obtained by guile
an entrance into the tower, and told Moon that she was indeed beautiful, but that
she needed one thing to complete her happiness—the branch that makes music.
Her brothers Sun and Morning-star consented to get it. They set off, and met
a monk, who told them all about it. It was kept by two dragons, who would
swallow them if they approached by day, but who snored with open mouth at
midnight and might then be shot. The young men followed the monk's directions,
shot the dragons, broke off the branch, and brought it back to their sister. The
king, who on his rides past the tower had missed them, now told his mother of
their return. She again sent the midwife, who paid a second visit to the tower.
The girl Moon showed her a tree outside the house, which had grown apace from
the planted branch making music continually and producing every morning a
dishful of precious stones. The midwife, duly astonished, said that she still needed
a mirror showing all towns, villages, lands, and princes. The brothers went off
to seek it, and again met the monk. He told them that it was guarded by forty
dragons, who by day kept watch, twenty on one side, twenty on the other, and
by night slept in a row. About midnight they snored so loud that the mountains
re-echoed. The brothers must then tread across their bodies with the greatest
care. This they did, and brought the mirror to their sister. The king again
noticed their absence and their return. He told his mother. She sent the mid-
wife once more, who said to Moon that the only thing now lacking was the bird
Dikjeretto : he understood all languages and by looking in the mirror would be
able to tell her what people were saying all the world over. The brothers sus-
pected that this quest would be the death of them. So they gave their sister two
shirts, which she was to look at daily : if the shirts turned black, she would know
that they had failed. This time, when they met the monk, he refused to help them.
However, they pressed on, and the bird by his glance turned first one and then
the other into stone. Moon knew of the disaster because the two shirts turned
as black as coal. In her grief she set out on horseback to die with her brothers.
The monk met her, had compassion on her, and explained that many a prince
had failed in this enterprise because they had made the attempt in their clothes.
She must strip herself of everything, attack the bird from behind before he was
aware of her presence through the rustling of her clothes, and so grasp him by
the feet. She did as she was bidden, caught the bird, and asked him where her
brothers were. He showed her where they stood, and pointed out a mountain
which opened at midday and contained a spring : if she were quick enough, she
might slip in and get the water of life from the spring ; if not, the mountain would
close upon her, and they would be ruined. The maiden with the bird on her hand
performed the feat with*the utmost speed ; but even so the mountain as it closed
caught a piece of her clothing, and she had to draw her sword and cut it off. She
sprinkled her brothers with the water, and they awoke as from a deep sleep. All
who had been petrified on the spot were now in turn sprinkled and accompanied
the happy party back to the tower, where the herdsman overjoyed at the return
of his fosterlings slew forty lambs and poured out wine in abundance : the feasting
lasted three days and three nights. The king, hearing of it, went out to see
whether the children were there. They showed him the greatest respect, and he
invited them to be his guests on the following Sunday. The bird told the young
people to take him too along with them, adding that the king was their father.
At the royal table both the king's mother and the midwife were present, when
the bird from his cage revealed the whole tale. The king sprang up and kissed