Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 6 1888.djvu/208

200 son! Let me bless you in good time, before I close my eyes." The son made no reply, but became lost in thought. He would gladly with all his heart have fulfilled his father's wish, but there was no damsel in whom his heart could take delight.

Once upon a time when he was sitting in the garden, and just considering what to do, all of a sudden an old woman appeared before him. Where she came, there she came. "Go to the glass hill, pluck the three lemons, and you will have a wife in whom your heart will take delight," said she; and as she had appeared, so she disappeared. Like a bright flash darted these words through the prince's soul. At that moment he determined, come what might, to seek the glass hill and pluck the three lemons. He made known his determination to his father, and his father gave him for the journey a horse, arms and armour, and his fatherly blessing.

Through forest-covered mountains, through desert plains, went our prince on his pilgrimage for a very very great distance, but there was nothing to be seen, nothing to be heard of the glass hill and the three lemons. Once, quite wearied out with his long journey, he threw himself down in the cool shade of a broad lime-tree. As he threw himself down his father's sword, which he wore at his side, clanged against the ground, and a dozen ravens began croaking at the top of the tree. Frightened by the clang of the sword, they rose on their wings and flew into the air above the lofty tree. "Hem! till now I haven't seen a living creature for a long while," said the prince to himself, springing from the ground. "I will go in the direction in which the ravens have flown; maybe some hope will disclose itself to me."

He went on, he went on anew for three whole days and three nights, till at last a lofty castle displayed itself to him at a distance. "Praise be to God! I shall not at any rate come to human beings," cried he, and proceeded further.

The castle was of pure lead; round it flew the twelve ravens, and in front of it stood an old woman: it was Jezibaba leaning on a long leaden staff. "Ah I my son; whither have you come? Here there is neither bird nor insect to be seen, much less a human being," said Jezibaba to the prince. "Flee, if life is dear to you; for if my