The Flight of the Golden Bird (7 page)

She said, “Is the queen yir mother?”

“Yes,” he said, “the queen’s my mother. I’m the prince and the queen’s my mother.” But he took a liking to the goose girl and he felt sorry for her. He said, “Look, I couldn’t take ye to the palace in any way, but me and my mother gets on very well together. If ye tell me yir problem I’ll try and find it out fir ye.”

So the princess sat down and she told him the story I’m telling you. And when he realised that she was a king’s daughter he fell in love with her right away. He wouldn’t let her out of his sight.

“Now,” he says, “I can’t take ye, I can’t take ye back to the palace with me because ye never know what my mother may do or may think. But you wait here – nobody’ll touch ye in this
place because nobody’s allowed here. Ye’ll be quite safe. You stay here and I’ll be back!”

Away rides the prince back to the palace. Jumps off his horse, and his mother meets him at the door. He walks up.

She said, “Where have you been, my son?”

“Oh, Mother,” he said, “I’ve been riding all over and the day was so warm.”

“Come and have something tae eat.”

So he sat with his mother and they talked for a long while.

“You know, Mother,” he said… She loved this boy so much. He always used to come by her side when she sat in the chair and place his head on her knee. She would run her hands through his hair, that’s all she loved to do. He was her only son… He said, “Mother, when I was out riding…”

She said, “Tell me what ye’ve been doing all day!”

“When I was out riding today, Mother,” he said, “I fell asleep and I had a wonderful dream.”

“Oh, please tell me,” she said. “What was it about?”

“Well,” he said, “it’s a funny dream, Mother; I dreamt that in a faraway land in a faraway place, a land I’ve never seen, a land of hills and mountains and seas, there lived a king and queen and they had twelve sons.”

“Oh,” says the queen, “they had twelve sons.”

“And the king hated the sons so much, and the queen loved the sons…” He told her the story I’m telling you.

“Oh,” says the queen, “that’s a wonderful dream!”

“And,” he said, “one o’ the sons – after they all came back – was left with a wing on his arm, and there I wakened up. But, Mother, I’m worried, I’m worried about my dream, Mother…” and she’s still groping his hair, ye see… He said, “Mother, I wonder why I should have wakent up? I wanted my dream to finish!”

She said, “I’ll finish yir dream for ye, I’ll finish yir dream for ye, son, if it’ll make ye happy.”

He said, “I wonder why the prince in my dream had never got his arm back.”

“Oh dear,” she said, “he could get his arm back in your dream; if you’d hae dreamt a little more, you’d have seen the end o’ yir dream. If he’d only went and found a swan’s nest, where he’d find an unhatched egg, and get someone to get the unhatched egg that had never come to be a young swan, and break it over his wing – the wing would disappear and he’d have his arm back wonst more. That’s the bit o’ yir dream that ye missed.”

“Oh, Mother,” he said, “thank you very much. Now I’m happy!” He couldn’t hardly wait till the next day, now he had the secret that he wanted. So, he’s up and, early as possible, rode down the valley. And sure enough he came to the clearing, there was the princess with her geese. He rode over.

He spoke to her, said, “I talked to my mother.”

She says, “Did you find the solution to my brother’s problem?”

“Yes, I found the solution to your brother’s problem.”

She says, “Tell me, tell me, please!”

“I’ll tell ye on one condition.”

“Well, what is the condition?”

He said, “On one condition I’ll tell ye: if you marry me! And be my wife!”

And she really liked him, ye know, and he liked her. So she promised to marry him. He took her on the horse. He rode up to the palace. Nobody could stop him, rode right into the palace, jumped off, took the ragged goose girl into the queen’s chamber where she was sitting.

He says, “Mother, I’ve brought you back the rest o’ my dream.”

And the queen said, “What, you have deceived me?” she said to her son.

“Yes, Mother,” he said, “I knew that you would never have told me, only in a dream. This is a princess, and it’s her brother who
has the wing. And I’m going to marry her, I’m going to take her to be my wife.”

“Well,” says the queen, “it’s about time that ye’re having a wife!” and the queen liked this young woman right away. She ordered the rags to be taken off her, sent for a beautiful dress. They had a great banquet and they had a great party that went on for days, and the prince married the princess.

Now the soldiers are still waiting and waiting and waiting to see would she return; for the peril of their death they couldn’t go back. When they had waited for over a month, one day who should they see coming but a coach and five white horses. And the head man with the soldiers went out, he stopped the coach and asked if they’d seen a goose girl.

And a young man leans out of the coach, says, “No, I’ve never seen a goose girl, but I saw a princess – and she’s here!”

They told the soldiers all about it. The soldiers joined behind them, came behind the coach, and they all rode back the way they came, back to their own country to their own palace. And the king and queen were happy to see the return of them. And all the sons gathered there together.

But still no egg.

Now the princess had the secret, she was married, she had the secret but she still had no egg. She was still worried about her brother, so the next day she goes back to the old henwife wonst more.

She said, “I’ve been there.”

And the old henwife said, “I know you’ve been, and now ye have a husband. And now ye have the secret, but ye don’t know where tae find an egg, a swan’s egg.” (It had to be a swan’s egg, no other was any good, a buff.) “But,” she says, “ye’re a lucky young woman tae have a beautiful husband and twelve beautiful brothers.”

“But,” she says to the old henwife, “I don’t have an egg!”

“But,” says the old henwife, “ye’re luckier than ye thought,
because yesterday jist below my house a swan walked away with five young ones and left a buff egg in the nest.”

And the princess walked down – sure enough – there was the egg in the nest. She picked it up; she walked back. And when she walked back there was a great banquet in the palace, everybody was dancing and singing and having great fun – welcome back the princess! Except for the young brother who was sitting sad at the corner with a cloak held round him with one hand.

The princess walks up, she whispers to him and both of them walk out the door.

And she said, “Take back yir cloak!” He pulled back his cloak and she broke the rotten swan’s egg on his wing. And lo and behold, she no sooner broke it... the rotten, smelly stuff ran down over his wing and dropped on the ground... than an amazing thing happened – his fingers began to appear, the feathers began to disappear, and the wing was gone for ever!

And when he saw this he was so happy, he threw his arms round his sister’s neck and kissed her, walked back into the banquet hall, held up his arms and said, “Look at me, look at me!”

All his brothers walked round, said, “What’s so funny about ye, why ye waving yir arms in the air?”

He said, “I’m not waving my arms in the air; I’m showing ye I don’t have a wing any more!” And they were
all
so happy, they all gathered round him. And he came to his little sister the princess, said, “Thank you, my little sister, fir what you’ve done fir me!”

She says, “Don’t thank me, thank your brother-in-law;
he’s
the one that did it for ye, not me!” And everybody lived happy ever after, and that’s the end of my story.

A long time ago there lived a poor widow lady who had one little son, and she had a small house away out in the forest. She was very poor and her one little son she loved very dearly. His daddy had been killed in the forest a long time before and the boy never had any memory of his daddy. This little boy’s name was Freddy. And, of course, Freddy was very fond of his mother, and he always, always did everything his mother told him to do – inside the house. But when Freddy went out of doors he would not look anywhere but high up in the sky. He spent all his time staring at the white fleecy clouds. At night–time he’d lie and watch the stars in the sky. He spent all his time – up there. Freddy never looked around his feet. He would walk in his mummy’s garden, crush all the strawberries and stand on all the little creatures; he never paid attention to them. He didn’t want anything around his feet, he wanted up there in the white fleecy clouds. Till one morning things were about to change for Freddy.

Freddy was out walking in his mummy’s garden watching the white fleecy clouds passing by, when a little voice at his feet said, “Be careful, you nearly walked on me!” For the first time Freddy looked down at his feet. And there to his amazement was a tiny little man dressed in green, and he was very angry. He had a little beard and said, “You nearly walked on me with your big feet!”

“Well,” Freddy said, “it’s your own fault – you should not be under my feet.”

And the little man said, “It’s not my fault. You watch where you’re going in future; you nearly trod on me. And you tread
on the little creatures. Why are you staring at the sky all of the time?”

“Oh,” Freddy said, “I’d love to be up in the sky among those white fleecy clouds. Everything is up there!”

And the little man said, “There’s nothing up there but clouds.”

“Oh,” Freddy said, “if I could only be up there...”

And the little man said, “Would you like to be up there?”

“Oh,” Freddy said, “I would love to be up there. I’d do anything just to be up among those white fleecy clouds.”

Then the little man said, “
Very well then, Freddy, up there you shall be
.” And he pointed his finger at Freddy, and Freddy got smaller and smaller and smaller, and soon he was the size of the little man. The little man pulled a leaf from the garden and bent it over with his fingers, made a little boat.

“Now,” he said, “Freddy, climb into the boat!” And Freddy was small. He climbed into the little boat made of the leaf. Now the little man came up and said, “Freddy, you want to go to the sky, don’t you?”

“Oh,” Freddy said, “I’d love to go up there among the white clouds, everything’s up there.”

“Well, I’m warning you,” said the little man, “there’s nothing up there. But I will send you up there on one condition, if you’ll do something for me.”

“Oh,” Freddy said, “I’ll do anything for you, I’ll do anything if you will send me up there in the sky.”

“Very well,” said the little man, “listen carefully! I want you to find something for me.”

“I’ll find anything for you,” said Freddy, “anything!”

“Well,” he said, “listen: it’s red without, it’s white within, got golden dots upon its skin, it’s sharp sometimes but often sweet – you must travel till you meet! Will you find it for me, Freddy? Say it after me,” said the little man.

And Freddy said, “It’s red without, it’s white within, got
golden dots upon its skin, it’s sharp sometimes but often sweet – we must travel till we meet.”

And the little man said, “Now, Freddy, anywhere you want to go, just ask the little boat and it will take you. But remember, you must find that thing for me before you return.”

So Freddy said, “Little boat, fly me high, take me far into the sky!” And there the little leaf took off. Up and up and up it went, and it flew around the white fleecy clouds floating around the Milky Way, all round the sky among the stars.

And Freddy’s leaning over his little boat and he says, “It’s red without, it’s white within, got golden dots upon its skin, it’s sharp sometimes but often sweet – we must travel till we meet.”

And he travelled the whole sky round and round searching and searching and searching. But he couldn’t find anything, there was nothing up there, till Freddy was so tired, he said, “Little leaf, I don’t want to roam. Please, little leaf, take me home.” And then the little leaf dipped and back it came, down, down, down, right down back into Freddy’s mummy’s garden. And there it landed and there stood the little man.

He came up to the leafy boat and he said, “Well, Freddy, are you happy?”

“Oh,” Freddy said, “I’m very, very happy but I’m sorry I couldn’t find anything for you, I couldn’t find the thing you wanted.”

“Didn’t you,” said the little man, “didn’t you promise you would find it for me?”

“But I searched,” said Freddy, “I could not find it; there’s nothing up there.”

“Didn’t I tell you,” said the little man, “there’s nothing up there?” And he pointed his finger at Freddy once again and Freddy began to grow. Soon he was back to his normal size again. And the little man said, “Freddy, lean over!” And when Freddy leaned over, the little man looked up and said, “Freddy,
do you know why you could not find what you were looking for up there?”

And Freddy said, “No.”

“Because,” he said, “you never look at your feet – just look at your feet.” And Freddy looked at his feet. There in his mummy’s garden, to his amazement, what do you think he saw? A big juicy strawberry. And the little man said, “Pick it up!”

When Freddy picked it up the little man said, “It’s red without, it’s white within, got golden dots upon its skin, it’s sharp sometimes but often sweet – now we must travel till we meet. And remember, Freddy, there’s nothing up there; what’s around your feet is more important.” And then the little man was gone. Freddy sat there and ate his beautiful strawberry.

He looked at all the beautiful strawberries in his mummy’s garden and thought to himself, “It’s more important to look where you’re going in this world.”

And that’s the last of my wee story.

Once upon a time in the middle of this forest there lived a widow who had three sons, Willie, Tom and Jack. Jack was the youngest. And Jack was as lazy as could be. But the other two sons were awful good workers and they helped their mummy every way they could, cutting sticks and doing everything for her. But Jack would do nothing! Just lie about the house, laze and lie in the sunshine, lazy as could be, wouldn’t wash his face or comb his hair or do anything. His mother and his brothers were fed up with him.

So she says to him one day, “Jack, you might rise and go oot, plough that wee bit field! See if we get a wee puckle corn for to keep the animals alive in the wintertime.”

“No me, Mother,” he says, “I’m no gaunna dae that! My brothers will dae it.” Everything that the mother asked him to do... “My brothers’ll dae it!” But he would do nothing. All he would do is walk out in the wood, lie on his back in the sun and gaze into the stars at night.

Anyway, it wore round near the wintertime. And they had a wee puckle corn, a wee field of corn getting ready for cutting. The harvest was nearly ready. So, in case deer would come down and eat it, the two brothers would go out at night and watch it. There was no fence in these days. But the brothers were too tired after working hard all day and the mother coaxed Jack.

She says, “Look, Jack, your brothers are working hard and you’re lying about the hoose doing nothing. Would you go out to that wee corn field and watch it? You know what happened last year. Naebody watched it and the deer came from the forest and
the corn was all gone! Every year we sow that wee field of corn it’s gone in the morning whenever it’s ready – gone!” But Jack hemmed and hawed and carried on.

At last he said, “Okay, Mother, I’ll go tae the field. I’ll watch it!”

And beside the field was a big tree. Just about seven or eight o’clock as it began to get dark Jack laid his back against the tree and fell sound asleep! Then he heard crump, crump, crump – as if it was a beast eating corn – crump, crump, crump. He looked and it was a horse, a great big black horse.

“Oh,” he said, “that’s no gaunna eat my mother’s corn!” He went up and caught this big black horse. There was a bridle on it, saddle on it and a suit of armour. Common iron armour tied on to the back of the saddle. He looked at it.

“Aye, that’s a guid horse,” he said, “but if I tak that back my two brothers will take it fae me. I’ll take it into the forest and hide it.” He took it and hid it in the forest. “I’ll come back every day,” he says, “and watch it so that naebody can steal it fae me.”

He went back to his tree, laid against it and watched the corn till morning.

Here he comes early in the morning. Mother asks him how he got on.

“Okay, Mother,” he says, “I watched your corn all nicht. Nobody touched it. But I’m no cutting it for you! Your sons Willie and Tom can cut it.”

But she says, “They’ll no be able to cut it because it’ll no be right ready for another two-three days. You’ll have to watch it for another two nights.”

Ah, he hemmed and he hawed but she got him coaxed anyway. Second night came.

“I’ll go, Mother,” he said, “and watch it; for your sake, no for theirs!”

He was lazy, would do nothing!

Away he goes. Gets his back against the tree again. Just as
it’s getting dark he hears the same thing again: crump-crunch, crump-crunch, crump-crunch. He looks. Here’s another horse, but this time it’s a white one. Snow white, saddle, bridle, and on its back a silver suit of armour! Pure solid silver suit of armour tied to the saddle.

Well, he scratched his head.

He said, “I don’t know what I’m gaun do with all these horses. Where they’re coming from I don’t know. But anyway, I’m no taking it hame. My brothers’ll steal it fae me, and I’ll never get it. But it’s mine! I got it. It was eating our corn. It’s mine and I’m keeping it!”

He takes it into the forest, hides it. He checks on the first one; it’s still there. Takes all his armour, hides it, hides all the harness and tethers the horse in the forest. He has two horses now. So, he goes back to the field of corn again, lies back against his tree, sleeps till morning. Home he comes to his mother, gets his breakfast.

“Well, Jack,” she says, “son, how did you get on?”

“Oh, Mother,” he said, “I got on fine. I had a good night. The stars were up and nobody bothered me. I was lying against the tree. I had a good sleep. But your corn’s safe enough. No touched.”

Anyway, he goes back to his bed and has a sleep all day. It comes near night again. His two brothers are busy working cutting timber and trees, firewood and everything. They are too tired.

Mother says, “Jack, the corn’ll be ready soon for cutting and you’ll have to watch it tonight again.”

“Oh, well, Mother,” he says, “I’ll watch it for another night.” So he’s thinking to his ownself, “Maybe I’ll get another horse!”

Now he’s keen to get back to watch this field. But just about four or five o’clock away he goes, gets his back against the tree again. Lies down sleeping. But he must have slept for about half an hour when he wakens up. It’s dark. And he hears crunch-crump,
crunch-crump. He looks. Here’s a big horse, a big brown horse, a bigger one this time! Oh, about sixteen hands, highest you could get. Great big lovely brown horse. He walks up to it. It’s quite quiet and he pets it. There’s a saddle on it, bridle on it and hanging to the saddle is a golden set of harness. Pure gold – it’s dazzling! He can hardly look at it, made of pure beaten gold.

“Man,” he says, “I’ve never seen anything like that before in my life!” He scratches his head. “Where could that come from? Somebody’s doing this on me. I don’t know what to do. But I’ll tell you one thing, I’m no taking it home to my mother and my brothers; I’m gaunna take it to the forest!” He takes it to the forest, hides his saddle, hides his golden armour. He says, “I’ll come back through the day today when naebody’s aboot and I’ll polish it all up.”

Back to his tree, sits there and watches his mother’s corn till morning again. She has his breakfast for him.

She said, “How did you get on, Jack?”

“Oh,” he said, “I got on fine, Mother.”

“Did you see anything in the field?” she said, “disturbing the wee puckle corn?”

“No,” he said, “nothing, Mother. It’s safe enough. Nobody ever touched it.”

“Well, it’ll be ready for cutting in the morning,” she said. “And I’ll get your two brothers to go oot and cut it. You’ll no need to go back nae mair. But will ye do me one favour?”

“What’s that, Mother?”

“Would ye go and wash yourself?” she says. “You’re getting dirtier and uglier looking every day. Your hair’s needing combed. Your face is needing washed. You’re a disgrace. And tomorrow’s the market day in the village. They’re holding a big parade in the market tomorrow. And your brothers are going. You might go with them!”

“No,” he said, “I’m no gaun to nae market. I’ve got something else. I’m gaun away for a walk to the forest.”

Away he goes to the forest and he feeds his horses. Tethers them, shifts them and polishes up his three suits of armour. And he hides them in a big rocky cave.

“They’ll come in handy to me some day,” he said. “But I’ll no sell them!” Oh, and he groomed his horses. They were shining, you know! A black one, a white one and a big brown one.

The next day his brothers came back from the market. Willie and Tom said to him, “You missed yersel today. It was great! You want to see the carnival and the fair we were at in the market, they’re great! And I’ll tell ye another thing: the king’s coming tomorrow. He’s coming to the carnival, the king! There was a messenger gaun round today reporting right round the village. The king’s got an important message for anybody that wants to hear.”

“Oh, well,” Jack said, “if it’s going to be as good as that, I might take a wander wi’ yese and see what’s gaun on.”

“But you cannae go like that,” Tom says, “in the state you’re in! Look at you – you’re in rags! Your hair’s no combed and your face is no washed. You’re an awful mess.”

Now underneath all this dirt Jack was a good-looking young man. Beautiful young man! He had blue eyes, fair hair. But he wouldn’t keep himself tidy. Had not time, never bothered.

“Anyway,” he said, “I’ll go wi’ yese.”

So the next day Willie and Tom spruced themselves up and dressed themselves the best way they could. Away they went. Bade their mother good morning and away they walked to the market. Jack trudged away behind them, oh, trailing his feet wandering after them.

“Fairs,” he said, “and markets! What am I wanting wi’ fairs and markets? They’re no use to me. But to please them and keep them civil I’ll go wi’ them.”

On he goes. Trudges into the village.

And you want to see this market, great big market and a great big fair! Everybody was dressed in their best clothes. And there were children playing with balloons and all these kinds of stalls. You could get anything to eat. Drinks and wine and places where you get plenty fruit. Everybody had brought eggs and there were animals for sale. Everybody was enjoying themselves. Once a year this market came in the village square.

The first thing they heard was the bugle and the hunting horn coming sounding through the village. And everybody became quiet.

First came a line of soldiers. And after the soldiers came this carriage, two white horses. And the king was sitting in it, the king of the country. He stopped right in the market square! And he sat in his carriage. This soldier stood up... The king wants to speak to his villagers. This is the fourth village he’s been in and he’s telling everybody:

“Tomorrow, and for the next three days to come, he’s got a task for any young man who is able to do it. His daughter the princess has got her daddy to build her a glass hill and she’s got to sit on this hill, right on the top. Any man that can go up on horseback and catch a golden apple as she throws it will marry the princess! One, and one only, has got to climb the glass hill. Everybody is welcome to try, to come round from all the country over, far and wide in the kingdom, to come and try their luck.”

Well, everybody was keen to do this, marry the princess. That was her request. That’s what she wanted, nothing else; any man that could climb to the top of the glass hill on horseback would marry the princess and have half of the king’s kingdom. So, the three brothers dandered home and they told their mother about this.

Willie and Tom say, “We’ll go. We’ve a couple o’ good horses. We’ll have a shot.” Willie says to Jack the youngest, “You gaun? You cannae go in that state! You’ll be killed. The king’ll shoot
you if you go in that state of filth you’re in! You’ll shame us. We’re gaun to try this. Everybody’s entitled to go.”

So, Willie and Tom picked the two best horses they had. Dressed themselves in their finery and away they went. They had a long road to go. And when they landed at the king’s palace there was a bigger market still! There were knights and warriors from all over the kingdom all lined up. Right in the front of the palace was a big hill made of solid glass. And on the top was a chair. Sitting in the chair was a lovely young princess. She had three golden apples in her hand. Now this hill was steep. It was about half a mile up made of solid glass. And there was no way whichever to get up the face of it!

So, at twelve o’clock in the day everybody started. This was going on for three days. And if nobody could climb the glass hill in three days the princess would never marry. So, everybody’s trying! There were knights on black horses and piebald horses and brown horses. They’re riding up! A wee bit up and the horse’s feet were slipping on the glass and falling back down. Slipping again, falling down. The two brothers Willie and Tom tried it; nah, hopeless, never got anywhere. Horses couldn’t face it. But wait! Everybody was gathered round; the king came down.

He said, “Is there not a man among youse can climb that hill and satisfy my daughter?”

They look. And they see this knight coming on this black horse and a suit of armour on him. He’s coming like the wind! And he rides right to the foot of the glass hill. He goes fweezht, a wee bit up! The princess is so excited she throws an apple. He catches it and rides back down and away, disappears!

So everybody went daft clapping their hands, shouting and carrying on to see this knight climbing a wee bit o’ this glass hill. He was the only one that went up a wee bit and got the first apple. But this was Jack with his black horse!

When his two brothers had left he had walked into the wood, got his black horse, dressed himself up, put on his suit of armour and followed them to the market. He tried with his big black horse. Now this horse that he’d got could go up the hill. Because this was a fairy horse, you see! And Jack got the apple, put it in his pocket, went back to the forest and hid it along with his black horse. Put on his rags again and walked home to his mother’s house. And he was sitting there when his two brothers came back.

His mother said to them, “How’d you get on, sons? What was it like?

“Oh, Mother,” they said. “You should have been there! You want to have seen it! There were thousands of people from all over the world. Horses in the millions. And everybody tried. The beautiful princess sitting up on the top of that glass hill and not a soul could get near her. But one knight, one knight with the most beautiful horse I ever saw, he went up a quarter of the way and catcht a golden apple. The king’s going raving mad wondering where he went. He disappeared! Nobody knows where he is. And the same thing’s on tomorrow again. We’re going back to have another try.”

And Jack, he’s lying in the corner of his mother’s house beside the fire. He says, “Was it as good as that?”

“Oh,” Willie and Tom said, “you missed yersel, man, you should have come! You want to see this knight! You want to see the horse he had. It was the greatest horse ever I saw. I’ve seen many’s a horse. But that was the greatest ever I saw in my life. I don’t think I’ll ever see another one. And nobody knows where he comes fae.”

“Ach well,” he said, “I’m no worried. It’ll no bother me. I’m no interested in these kinds of things.”