ONCE there was a princess, and she was under a curse and enchantment, so that she had to spend her life in the shape of a fish. One day a woman happened to be working in the meadow by the river, and she saw a flock of birds flying above the river and talking to the fish. The woman wondered what it was that was there, so she went to the waterside and looked in. All she saw was a fish swimming about. So she said: "I should like to eat you, fish. I feel sure you would do me good." Now, when she said that, the fish answered: "You could save me. You will have twin sons, although you have never had any children before." The woman said that, if she could help her in that, there was nothing the fish could ask that she would not do to deliver her. The fish answered: "Catch me and take me When the twin sons grew up they were very clever, and so they said: "We must try our luck in the world. We are bold enough. One of us will go to the East and one to the West. Each of us must look at his sword every morning to see if the other needs his help. For the sword will begin to rust as soon as one of us is in peril." So they cast lots which way they should go, and each of them took his sword, his horse, and his dog, and away they went. The first rode through deep forests, and he met a fierce dragon and a lion; so he attacked the dragon, which had nine heads. The lion stayed quiet while the knight attacked the They answered that it certainly was, for the heads were preserved in the palace. The knight said nothing, but when he thought the proper time had come he rode to the palace. The princess saw him from the window, and she wondered who it might be. He was ushered in, and he went straight to the princess and told her everything. He asked her whether he might attend the wedding. She answered: "I am not at all pleased with my marriage. I would much rather marry you, sir." He asked her why. "If he killed the dragon he must be a great man." So they brought the woodcutter before him, and the knight asked to see the heads. So they brought the heads. He looked at the heads and said: There are no tongues in these heads. Where are the tongues?" Then he turned to the woodcutter: "Did you really kill the cruel dragon?" he said. The woodcutter persisted in his story. "And how did you cut the heads off?" "With my hatchet." "Why, you couldn't do it with your hatchet. You are a liar." The woodcutter was taken aback and did not know what to say. He was frightened already, but he said: "It happened that the dragon didn't have any tongues." The knight produced the tongues and said: "Here are the tongues, and it was I who killed the cruel dragon." The princess took hold of him and embraced and kissed him, and she was ready to marry him on the spot. As for the woodcutter, he was kicked out in disgrace, and they put him But he could not rest, and he was eager to explore the castle. So one morning he ordered his horse to be saddled, and, accompanied by his dog, he rode to the castle. When they reached it they found the gate open. As he went in he saw men and animals all turned to stone. In the hall an old hag was sitting by the fire. When she saw him she pretended to tremble. "Dear lord," said she, "bind your dog. He might bite me." He said: "Do not be afraid. He will do you no harm." He bent down to pat the dog, and at that moment the hag took her wand and struck him with it. He was turned to stone, and his horse and dog too. The princess waited for her lord, but he did not He said that he had lost his way in the forest and that he had fallen among robbers, and, since he had no choice, he had to pretend to be a robber too, and to promise to stay with them and to show them good hiding-places. The robbers, so he said, admitted him to be of their company, and he had not been able to escape before this. Everybody was delighted, and the lord's brother was careful enough not to say that he was only the brother. But, whenever they went to bed, he put his sword between himself and the lady. The princess was troubled atTHE TWIN BROTHERS
