University of Virginia Library

XXXVIII.—THE GOLDEN APPLES AND THE NINE
PEAHENS.

There was once upon a time an emperor who had three
sons, and in his yard a golden apple-tree, which flowered
and ripened every night; but somebody robbed it, and the
emperor was utterly unable to discover who the robber was.

Once he was conversing with his sons, and said to them:
`I do not know whither goes the fruit from our apple-tree.'
Then the eldest son answered him: `I will go to-night to
see who takes it.' When it became dark, the eldest son did
as he had said: went out, and lay down under it. Well,
when the apples began to ripen in the course of the night,
slumber overtook him, and he fell asleep; and when he
awoke at dawn he looked—but where were the apples?
Taken away! When he saw this, he went and related all
to his father just as it really happened. The second son
said to his father: `I will go to-night to watch, that I may
see who takes it.' But he, too, watched it even as the first
one. About the time when the apples began to ripen, he
fell asleep. When he woke up in the morning, where were
the apples? Taken away! Now came the turn of the third
and youngest brother. He went out at eventide under the
apple-tree, placed a sofa there, lay down, and went to sleep.
About midnight, when the apples began to ripen, he woke up
and looked at the apple-tree. It had just begun to ripen,
and illuminated all the yard from the brightness of its fruit.
Just then up flew nine peahens, eight of which settled upon
the apple-tree, and the ninth on the ground beside his sofa,
and, as soon as she had alighted, became a damsel, who
shone with beauty like a bright sun. They conversed
together while the other eight were rifling the tree, and when
dawn came, she thanked him for the apples, and he begged
her to leave just one behind her. She gave him two—one
for himself, and one to take to his father—transformed herself
into a peahen, and flew away, followed by the other
eight. In the morning the prince rose up, and took one
apple to his father, who did not know what to do for joy,
and commended him without ceasing. The next evening
the youngest prince went out again to watch the apple-tree,
and as soon as he had gone out, lay down as before, and
watched it that night also. In the morning he again
brought his father an apple. This went on for a few days,
when his brothers began to envy him, because they could
not watch it, whereas he watched it successfully. They
could not make out how to discover the manner in which
he watched the apple-tree. So they sought out an old
witch, who promised them to find out how their young
brother watched the apple-tree. At the approach of evening,
when the youngest prince was about to go out to watch
the apple-tree, the accursed witch stole out and went off
before him, lay down under his sofa, and there concealed
herself. The prince came, lay down without knowing that
the old woman was under his sofa, and went to sleep as
previously. About midnight, when the prince had just woke
up, the nine peahens arrived; eight of them settled on the
tree, and the other on the ground beside his sofa, transformed
herself into a damsel, and they began to converse
together. While these were talking to each other, the
accursed old witch softly raised herself up, and cut off a
piece of the damsel's long hair. As soon as she felt this,
the damsel sprang on one side, transformed herself into a
peahen, and flew away, with the other eight behind her.
The prince, on seeing this, sprang off his sofa, and shouted:
`What is this?' He erelong espied the old woman under
the sofa, seized and hauled her from under it, and, when
morning came, ordered her to be fastened to the tails of two
horses and torn asunder. The peahens came no more to
the apple-tree, and the prince was much grieved on this
account, and wept and mourned day after day. At last he
determined to go to seek them all over the world, and went
and told his father what his intention was, and his father
endeavoured to comfort him, and said: `Stay, my son! I
will find you another damsel in my empire, such an one as
you wish for.' But in vain; he would not follow his father's
advice, and made preparations to go; took with him one of
his servants, and went into the world to find the peahen.
When he had travelled a long time, he came to a lake, in
the midst of which was a rich palace, and in the palace an
aged empress, who had one daughter. The prince, on
coming to the old empress, asked her to tell him about the
nine peahens, if she knew about them; and the old woman
replied that she did, and that the nine peahens came daily
to bathe in the lake. On telling him this, she began to try
to over-persuade him with these words: `Never mind those
nine peahens, my son. I have a handsome damsel, and
abundance of wealth—it will all remain yours.' But as soon
as the prince heard where the peahens were, he would not
listen to her talk, but in the morning ordered his servant to
get the horses ready to go to the lake. Before they started
for the lake, the old woman called his servant, bribed him,
and gave him a little whistle, saying to him: `When the
time approaches for the peahens to come to the lake, do
you secretly look out, and blow the whistle behind your
master's neck; he will immediately fall asleep, and will not
see them.' The accursed servant hearkened to her, took
the whistle, and did as the old woman told him. When
they arrived at the shore of the lake, he calculated the time
when the peahens would arrive, blew the whistle behind his
master's neck, and he immediately fell as sound asleep as if
he were dead. Scarcely had he fallen asleep, when the
peahens arrived; eight of them settled on the lake, and the
ninth perched upon his horse, and began to try to awaken
him: `Arise, my birdie! arise, my lamb! arise, my dove!'
But he heard nothing, but slept on as if dead. When the
peahens had finished bathing, they all flew away, and he
awoke, and asked his servant: `What is it? Did they
come?' The servant replied: `They did come,' and told
him how eight of them settled on the lake, and the ninth on
his horse, and that she tried to wake him. When the unhappy
prince heard this from his servant, he was ready to
kill himself from pain and anger. The next morning they
visited the shore of the lake again, but his accursed servant
calculated the time to blow the whistle behind his neck, and
he immediately fell asleep as if he were dead. Scarcely had
he fallen asleep, when the nine peahens arrived; eight
settled on the lake, and the ninth on his horse, and began
to try to awake him: `Arise, my birdie! arise, my lamb!
arise, my dove!' But he slept on as if he were dead, hearing
nothing. When the peahen failed to wake him, and
they were about to fly away again, the one which had been
trying to wake him turned and said to his servant: `When
your master wakes, tell him that to-morrow it will once more
be possible for him to see us, but after that, never more.'
On saying this she took flight, and the others from the lake
after her. Scarcely had they flown away, when the prince
awoke, and asked his servant: `Did they come?' He told
him: `They did come, and eight of them settled on the lake,
and the ninth on your horse, and tried to wake you, but you
slept soundly. As she departed, she told me to tell you
that you will see her here once again to-morrow, and never
more.' When the prince heard this, he was ready to kill
himself in his unhappiness, and did not know what to do
for sorrow. On the third day he got ready to go to the
lake, mounted his horse, went to the shore, and, in order
not to fall asleep, kept his horse continually in motion. But
his wicked servant, as he followed him, calculated the time,
and blew the whistle behind his neck, and he immediately
leant forward on his horse and fell asleep. As soon as he
fell asleep, the nine peahens flew up; eight settled on the
lake, and the ninth on his horse, and endeavoured to wake
him: `Arise, my birdie! arise, my lamb! arise, my dove!'
But he slept as if he were dead, and heard nothing. Then,
when they were about to fly away again, the one which had
perched on his horse turned round, and said to his servant:
`When your master wakes up, tell him to roll the under peg
on the upper, and then he will find me.'[2] Then she flew off,
and those from the lake after her. When they had flown
away, he awoke again, and asked his servant: `Did they
come?' He replied: `They did; and the one that had
perched on your horse told me to tell you to roll the upper
peg on the under one, and then you would find her. When
the prince heard this, he drew his sword, and cut off his
servant's head. When he had done this, he started to
travel on alone. When he had travelled a long time, he
came at dusk to the cottage of a hermit, and lodged there
for the night. In the evening the prince asked the hermit:
`Grandfather, have you heard of nine golden peahens?' The
hermit answered: `Yes, my son; you are fortunate in having
come to me to ask about them. They are not far hence;
it is not more than half a day's journey to them from here.'
In the morning, when the prince departed to seek them, the
hermit came out to accompany him, and said to him: `Go
to the right, and you will find a large gate. When you enter
that gate, turn to the right, and then you will go right into
their town, and in that town is their palace. He went on
his way according to the hermit's words, and went on till he
came to that gate; then turned to the right, and descried
the town upon a hill. When he saw the town he was much
rejoiced. When he entered the town he inquired where the
palace of the nine peahens was. It was pointed out to him.
At the gate a watchman stopped him, and inquired whence
and who he was. The prince told him all, whence he was
and who he was. After this the watchman went off to
announce him to the empress. When she heard it, she ran
breathless, and stood in the form of a damsel before him,
took him by the hand, and led him upstairs. Then the two
rejoiced together, and in a day or two were wedded.

When a few days had elapsed after their marriage, the
empress departed to go on a journey, and the prince remained
alone. When she was about to start, she took out
and gave him the keys of twelve cellars, and said to him:
`Open all the cellars, but do not have any nonsense with
the twelfth.' She went away. When the prince remained
alone in the palace, he bethought himself: `What does this
mean, that I am to open all the cellars, but not to open the
twelfth? Glory to the Lord God! what can there be in it?'
He then began to open them one after the other. He came
to the twelfth, and at first would not open it; but as he
had no occupation, he began to brood and to say to himself:
`How can it be in this cellar that she told me not to open
it?' At last he opened it too, and found standing in the
midst of it a cask bound with iron hoops, and a voice out of
it was heard, saying: `I pray you, brother—I am athirst for
water—give me a cup of water.' On hearing this voice,
the prince took a cup of water, and sprinkled it on the
bung; and as soon as he had sprinkled it, one of the hoops
of the cask burst. The voice then cried: `Give me one
more cup of water; I am athirst.' He took a cup of water
and sprinkled it on the bung; and as soon as he had done
so, another hoop burst on the cask. The voice then cried:
`I am athirst; give me, brother, one more cup of water.'
The prince took another cup of water and poured it on the
bung; but as soon as he had finished pouring it, the third
hoop of the cask burst, the cask split asunder, and out of it
flew a dragon, found the empress on her way, and carried
her off. Thus it happened, and the attendants came and
told their master that a dragon had carried the empress
away. Finally he set off to seek her in the world. When
he had travelled a long time, he came to a marsh, and in

that marsh espied a little fish, which was endeavouring to
jump into the water, but was unable to do so. This little
fish, on seeing the prince, addressed itself to him: `I pray
you, brother, do a good action: throw me into the water;
I shall some time be of use to you; only take a scale from
me, and when you are in want of me, rub it between your
fingers.' On hearing this he took a scale off it, threw the
fish into the water, put the scale into a handkerchief, and
went on his way. When he had gone a little further, he
espied a fox caught in a trap. When the fox saw him, it
called out: `I pray you, brother, let me out of this trap; I
shall some day be of use to you; only take one or two hairs
from my fur, and when I am wanted for you, rub them
between your fingers.' He let it out of the trap, took one
or two hairs from it, and went on his way. Thus he proceeded
onwards, till, as he went, he came to a hill, and found
a crow caught in a trap just like the fox before. As soon as
the crow saw him, it cried out: `I pray you, be a brother to
me, traveller; let me out of this trap; I shall some day be
of use to you; only take a feather or two from me, and
when you are in want of me, rub them between your fingers.'
The prince took one or two feathers from the crow, let it
out of the trap, and then went on his way. As he went on
to find the empress, he met a man, and asked him: `I pray
you, brother, do you not know where is the palace of the
dragon emperor?' The man showed him the way, and also
told him at what time he was at home, that he might find
him. The prince thanked him, and said: `Farewell.' He
then went on, and gradually came to the palace of the dragon
emperor. On his arrival there he found his beloved, and
when she saw him and he saw her, they were both full of
joy. Now they began to plan together how to escape.
Finally they agreed to saddle their horses and take to flight.
They saddled them, mounted, and off. When they had
ridden off, the dragon arrived and looked about, but the
empress was not to be found. `Now what shall we do?'
said the dragon to his horse. `Shall we eat and drink, or
pursue them?' The horse replied to him: `Don't trouble
yourself; eat and drink.' When he had dined, the dragon
mounted his horse and galloped after them, and in course
of time overtook them, and took the empress away, but said
to the prince: `Go in safety; this time you are forgiven,
because you gave me water in the cellar; but do not come
a second time if your life is dear to you.' The poor prince
remained as if thunderstricken, then started and proceeded
a little way; but as he could not overcome his heart, he
returned to the dragon's palace. There he found the
empress weeping. When they saw each other and met,
they began to consult how to get away so as to escape.
Then said the prince to the empress: `When the dragon
comes, ask him from whom he bought that horse, and tell
me, that I may obtain such another, that we may escape.'
After saying this to her he went out, that the dragon might
not find him on his arrival. When the dragon came, the
empress began to coax him and make herself agreeable to
him, and said to him: `What a swift horse yours is! From
whom did you buy him? Tell me, I pray you.' He
answered: `Where I bought him nobody can make a purchase.
On a certain hill lives an old woman who has twelve
horses in her stable, such that you don't know which is
better than another. One of them is in the corner, and
this one looks skinny; but he is the best of all, and is
brother of mine: this one could fly to the sky. Whoever
seeks to obtain a horse from the old woman must serve her
three days. The old woman has a mare with a foal; whoever
watches the mare successfully for three days, to him
the old woman gives the choice of whichever horse he
wishes. Whoever engages himself to watch the mare, and
fails to watch her successfully for three days and three
nights, loses his life.' On the morrow the dragon went
away, and the prince came in. The empress told him what
the dragon had said. Then the prince started off and went
to the hill where the old woman was to be found. When
he entered her house, he said to her: `Good-day, old
woman!' The old woman replied: `The Lord give you
prosperity, my son!' She said to him: `What brings you
here, my son?' He replied: `I should like to take service
with you.' The old woman said to him: `Very good, my
son. I have a mare with a foal. If you watch her successfully
for three days, I will give you one of these twelve
horses of mine to take away, whichever you choose; but if
you fail to watch her successfully, I shall take off your head.'
Then she took him into the yard. In the yard post after
post was fixed in the ground, and on each was stuck a
human head; only one remained vacant, and this cried out
continually: `Old woman, give me a head!' When the old
woman had shown him all, she said: `Know that all these
engaged to watch the mare and the foal, but were unable to
watch her successfully.' But the prince was in no wise
terrified thereby. In the afternoon he mounted the mare
and galloped uphill and downhill, and the foal galloped
after her. Thus till midnight, and then, would he nould
he, sleep crept over him, and he fell asleep. When he woke
up at dawn his arms were round a stump instead of the
mare, but he held the halter in his hand. When he perceived
this, the poor fellow became dizzy from terror, and
started off to look for her; and while he was looking for her,
came to a sheet of water, and when he came to the water,
he remembered the little fish, unfolded the handkerchief, and
took out the scale and rubbed it between his fingers. Up
sprang the little fish out of the water, and lay before him.
`What is the matter, adopted brother?' said the fish. He
replied: `The old woman's mare has escaped from me, and
I don't know where she is.' The fish said to him: `Here
she is amongst us; she has transformed herself into a fish,
and her foal into a little fish; but do you flap the halter on
the water, and call out: "Coop! coop! old woman's mare!" '
He flapped the water with the halter, and called out: `Coop!
coop! old woman's mare!' and immediately she transformed
herself again into a mare, and, pop! there she was
on the brink of the water before him! He put the halter
on her and mounted her, and trot! trot! and at the old
woman's. When he brought her in, the old woman gave
him his dinner, but led the mare into the stable, scolded
her, and said: `Among the fish, good-for-nothing rogue?'
The mare replied: `I was among the fish, but they told of
me, because they are his friends.' The old woman said
to her: `Go among the foxes.' The second day he
mounted the mare, and galloped uphill and downhill, and
the foal galloped after. Thus till midnight. When it was
about midnight sleep overcame him, and he fell asleep upon
the mare's back. At dawn, when he awoke, his arms were
round a stump, but he held the halter in his hand. When
he perceived this, he sprang off again to seek her. As he
was seeking her, it came at once into his head what the old
woman had said to the mare when she was leading it into
the stable. Then he unwrapped the fox's hairs out of the
handkerchief, rubbed them between his fingers, and the fox
immediately jumped out before him. `What is it, adopted
brother?' He replied: `The old woman's mare has run
away.' The fox said to him: `Here she is amongst us;
she has become a fox, and the foal a fox-cub. But do you
flap the ground with the halter, and call out: "Coop! coop!
old woman's mare!" ' He flapped and called, and the mare
leaped out before him. Then he caught her and put the
halter on her, mounted her, and rode to the old woman's.
When he brought her home, the old woman gave him his
dinner, led the mare off to the stable, and said: `Among the
foxes, good-for-nothing rogue?' The mare replied: `I was
among them, but they are his friends, and told of me.'
The old woman said to her: `Be among the crows.' The
third day the prince again mounted the mare, and galloped
her uphill and downhill, and the foal galloped after. Thus
till midnight. About midnight he became sleepy, and fell
asleep, and woke up at dawn; but his arms were round a
stump, and he held the halter in his hand. As soon as he
perceived this, he darted off again to seek the mare, and as
he was seeking her, it came into his head what the old woman
had said the day before when scolding the mare. He took
out the handkerchief and unwrapped the crow's feathers,
rubbed them between his fingers, and, pop! the crow was
before him. `What is it, adopted brother?' The prince
replied: `The old woman's mare has run away, and I don't
know where she is.' The crow answered: `Here she is
amongst us; she has become a crow, and the foal a young
crow. But flap the halter in the air, and cry: "Coop! coop!
old woman's mare!" ' He flapped the halter in the air, and
cried: `Coop! coop! old woman's mare!' and the mare
transformed herself from a crow into a mare, just as she had
been, and came before him. Then he put the halter on her,
and mounted her, and galloped off, the foal following behind,
to the old woman's. The old woman gave him his
dinner, caught the mare, led her into the stable, and said to
her: `Among the crows, good-for-nothing rogue?' The
mare replied: `I was among them, but they are his friends,
and told of me.' Then when the old woman came out, the
prince said to her: `Well, old woman, I have served you
honestly; now I ask you to give me that which we agreed
upon.' The old woman replied: `My son, what is agreed
upon must be given. Here are twelve horses—choose
whichever you please.' He replied: `Why shall I pick and
choose? Give me that one where he is in the corner;
there is none better in my eyes.' Then the old woman
began to dissuade him: `Why chose that skinny one when
there are so many good ones?' He then insisted once for
all: `Give me the one which I ask, for such was our agreement.'
The old woman twisted, turned, and without more
ado gave him the one which he asked for. Then he
mounted it, and `Farewell, old woman!' `Good-bye, my
son!' When he took it to a wood and groomed it, it glittered
like gold. Afterwards, when he mounted it and gave
it its head, it flew, flew like a bird, and in a jiffy arrived at
the dragon's palace. As soon as he entered the courtyard,
he bade the empress to get ready for flight. She was not long
in getting ready; they both mounted the horse and set off.
They had not long started in flight when the dragon arrived
—looked about. No empress. Then he said to his horse:
`Shall we eat and drink, or shall we pursue?' `Eat or not,
drink or not, pursue or not, you won't catch him.' When
the dragon heard this, he immediately mounted his horse,
and started to pursue them. When the prince and empress
perceived that he was pursuing them, they were terrified,
and urged their horse to go quickly, but the horse answered
them: `Never fear; there's no need to hurry.' The dragon
came trot, trot, and the horse he rode called to that which
bore the prince and the empress: `Bless you, brother,
wait! for I shall break my wind from pursuing you.' The
other replied: `Whose fault is it, if you're such a fool as to
carry that spectre on your back? Buck, and throw him on
the ground, and then follow me.' When the dragon's horse
heard this, up with his head, a jump with his hind-quarters,
and bang went the dragon against a stone. The dragon
was smashed to pieces, and his horse followed the prince
and empress. Then the empress caught and mounted it,
and they arrived safe and sound in the empress's dominions,
and reigned honourably as long as they lived.