Page:Segnius Irritant or Eight Primitive Folk-lore Stories.pdf/48

 was Jezibaba’s son coming home. “Fuj! Fuj! what a smell of man’s flesh, I am come to eat it!” roared the gigantic fellow, while yet at the door, and thumped with a silver club on the ground, so that the whole castle shook again. “Ah! not so, not so, my son; why, it is a beautiful youth has come and brought thee salutations from thy brother of the castle of lead.” “Oh! if he has been at my brother’s, and if he has done nothing to him, don’t let him be the least afraid of me; let him come out.” The prince jumped out from under the bed and stood beside him, and looked beside him as if he had posted himself under a very tall pine tree. “Well, thou midget, wert thou really at my brother’s?” “Yes, that I have been; and here I have some of the dumplings left which he gave me for the journey.” Well, I believe thee; so now tell me, what wouldst thou?” “Ach! what would I? I have come to ask thee if thou couldst perhaps tell me something about the hill of glass and about the three citrons.” “H’m! I have heard something about it all, but I cannot point thee out the way. Meanwhile, knowest thou what? Go to my brother at the castle of gold—he will direct thee. But, stay! I will not let thee go empty; mother, quick, the dumplings!” Jezibaba brought the dumplings upon a great silver dish and placed them on the table. There! eat,” exclaimed her son. The prince, perceiving that the dumplings were of silver, said he was not hungry, but would take some on the journey, if he might. “Take as many as thou wishest, and salute my brother and aunt.” The prince pocketed the dumplings, politely expressed his thanks, and continued his journey.

Three days had already elapsed since he had quitted the castle of silver, and had wandered continuously through thick mountains, not the least knowing whither he ought to go, whether this way or that. Completely tired out he threw himself under a broad beech tree to take breath a bit. His silver sabre rang out upon the ground, and its voice was carried far and wide. “Kr, kr, kr,” croaked above the wayfarer a flock of ravens, scared by the clatter of the sabre, and flew into the air. “Praised be God! the golden castle will not be far off now!” exclaimed the prince, and, relieved and comforted, continued his journey according as the ravens showed him the way. Scarcely had he emerged from the valley on to the hillside, when he saw a beautiful broad meadow; in the middle of the meadow stood a castle of gold. It was as though he had been looking at the sunrise, and before the gate of this castle stood old hump-backed Jezibaba