Atlastayoungman，withagoodheartandplentyofcourage，setouttosearchforthering。Hetookhiswaytowardsthesunrising，becauseheknewthatallthewisdomofoldtimecomesfromtheEast。AftersomeyearshemetwithafamousEasternmagician，andaskedforhisadviceinthematter。Themagiciananswered:
　　’Mortalmenhavebutlittlewisdom，andcangiveyounohelp，butthebirdsoftheairwouldbebetterguidestoyouifyoucouldlearntheirlanguage。Icanhelpyoutounderstanditifyouwillstaywithmeafewdays。’
　　Theyouththankfullyacceptedthemagician’soffer，andsaid，’I
　　cannotnowofferyouanyrewardforyourkindness，butshouldmyundertakingsucceedyourtroubleshallberichlyrepaid。’
　　Thenthemagicianbrewedapowerfulpotionoutofninesortsofherbswhichhehadgatheredhimselfallalonebymoonlight，andhegavetheyouthninespoonfulsofitdailyforthreedays，whichmadehimabletounderstandthelanguageofbirds。
　　Atpartingthemagiciansaidtohim。’IfyoueverfindSolomon’sringandgetpossessionofit，thencomebacktome，thatImayexplaintheinscriptionontheringtoyou，forthereisnooneelseintheworldwhocandothis。’
　　Fromthattimetheyouthneverfeltlonelyashewalkedalong；healwayshadcompany，becauseheunderstoodthelanguageofbirds；
　　andinthiswayhelearnedmanythingswhichmerehumanknowledgecouldneverhavetaughthim。Buttimewenton，andheheardnothingaboutthering。Ithappenedoneevening，whenhewashotandtiredwithwalking，andhadsatdownunderatreeinaforesttoeathissupper，thathesawtwogaily-plumagedbirds，thatwerestrangetohim，sittingatthetopofthetreetalkingtooneanotherabouthim。Thefirstbirdsaid:
　　’Iknowthatwanderingfoolunderthetreethere，whohascomesofarwithoutfindingwhatheseeks。HeistryingtofindKingSolomon’slostring。’
　　Theotherbirdanswered，’HewillhavetoseekhelpfromtheWitch-maiden，[3]whowilldoubtlessbeabletoputhimontherighttrack。Ifshehasnotgottheringherself，sheknowswellenoughwhohasit。’
　　[3]Hollenmadchen。
　　’ButwhereishetofindtheWitch-maiden？’saidthefirstbird。
　　’Shehasnosettleddwelling，butishereto-dayandgoneto-morrow。Hemightaswelltrytocatchthewind。’
　　Theotherreplied，’Idonotknow，certainly，wheresheisatpresent，butinthreenightsfromnowshewillcometothespringtowashherface，asshedoeseverymonthwhenthemoonisfull，inorderthatshemaynevergrowoldnorwrinkled，butmayalwayskeepthebloomofyouth。’
　　’Well，’saidthefirstbird，’thespringisnotfarfromhere。
　　Shallwegoandseehowitisshedoesit？’
　　’Willingly，ifyoulike，’saidtheother。
　　Theyouthimmediatelyresolvedtofollowthebirdstothespring，onlytwothingsmadehimuneasy:first，lesthemightbeasleepwhenthebirdswent，andsecondly，lesthemightlosesightofthem，sincehehadnotwingstocarryhimalongsoswiftly。Hewastootiredtokeepawakeallnight，yethisanxietypreventedhimfromsleepingsoundly，andwhenwiththeearliestdawnhelookeduptothetree-top，hewasgladtoseehisfeatheredcompanionsstillasleepwiththeirheadsundertheirwings。Heatehisbreakfast，andwaiteduntilthebirdsshouldstart，buttheydidnotleavetheplaceallday。Theyhoppedaboutfromonetreetoanotherlookingforfood，alldaylonguntiltheevening，whentheywentbacktotheiroldperchtosleep。Thenextdaythesamethinghappened，butonthethirdmorningonebirdsaidtotheother，’To-daywemustgotothespringtoseetheWitch-maidenwashherface。’Theyremainedonthetreetillnoon；thentheyflewawayandwenttowardsthesouth。Theyoungman’sheartbeatwithanxietylestheshouldlosesightofhisguides，buthemanagedtokeepthebirdsinviewuntiltheyagainpercheduponatree。Theyoungmanranafterthemuntilhewasquiteexhaustedandoutofbreath，andafterthreeshortreststhebirdsatlengthreachedasmallopenspaceintheforest，ontheedgeofwhichtheyplacedthemselvesonthetopofahightree。Whentheyouthhadovertakenthem，hesawthattherewasaclearspringinthemiddleofthespace。Hesatdownatthefootofthetreeuponwhichthebirdswereperched，andlistenedattentivelytowhattheyweresayingtoeachother。
　　’Thesunisnotdownyet，’saidthefirstbird；’wemustwaityetawhiletillthemoonrisesandthemaidencomestothespring。
　　Doyouthinkshewillseethatyoungmansittingunderthetree？’
　　’Nothingislikelytoescapehereyes，certainlynotayoungman，saidtheotherbird。’Willtheyouthhavethesensenottolethimselfbecaughtinhertoils？’
　　’Wewillwait，’saidthefirstbird，’andseehowtheygetontogether。’
　　Theeveninglighthadquitefaded，andthefullmoonwasalreadyshiningdownupontheforest，whentheyoungmanheardaslightrustlingsound。Afterafewmomentstherecameoutoftheforestamaiden，glidingoverthegrasssolightlythatherfeetseemedscarcelytotouchtheground，andstoodbesidethespring。Theyouthcouldnotturnawayhiseyesfromthemaiden，forhehadneverinhislifeseenawomansobeautiful。Withoutseemingtonoticeanything，shewenttothespring，lookeduptothefullmoon，thenkneltdownandbathedherfaceninetimes，thenlookeduptothemoonagainandwalkedninetimesroundthewell，andasshewalkedshesangthissong:
　　’Full-facedmoonwithlightunshaded，Letmybeautyne’erbefaded。
　　Neverletmycheekgrowpale！
　　Whilethemooniswaningnightly，Maythemaidenbloommorebrightly，Mayherfreshnessneverfail！’
　　Thenshedriedherfacewithherlonghair，andwasabouttogoaway，whenhereyesuddenlyfelluponthespotwheretheyoungmanwassitting，andsheturnedtowardsthetree。Theyouthroseandstoodwaiting。Thenthemaidensaid，’Yououghttohaveaheavypunishmentbecauseyouhavepresumedtowatchmysecretdoingsinthemoonlight。ButIwillforgiveyouthistime，becauseyouareastrangerandknewnobetter。Butyoumusttellmetrulywhoyouareandhowyoucametothisplace，wherenomortalhaseversetfootbefore。’
　　Theyouthansweredhumbly:’Forgiveme，beautifulmaiden，ifI
　　haveunintentionallyoffendedyou。Ichancedtocomehereafterlongwandering，andfoundagoodplacetosleepunderthistree。
　　AtyourcomingIdidnotknowwhattodo，butstayedwhereIwas，becauseIthoughtmysilentwatchingcouldnotoffendyou。’
　　Themaidenansweredkindly，’Comeandspendthisnightwithus。
　　Youwillsleepbetteronapillowthanondampmoss。’
　　Theyouthhesitatedforalittle，butpresentlyheheardthebirdssayingfromthetopofthetree，’Gowhereshecallsyou，buttakecaretogivenoblood，oryouwillsellyoursoul。’Sotheyouthwentwithher，andsoontheyreachedabeautifulgarden，wherestoodasplendidhouse，whichglitteredinthemoonlightasifitwasallbuiltoutofgoldandsilver。Whentheyouthenteredhefoundmanysplendidchambers，eachonefinerthanthelast。Hundredsoftapersburntupongoldencandlesticks，andshedalightlikethebrightestday。Atlengththeyreachedachamberwhereatablewasspreadwiththemostcostlydishes。Atthetablewereplacedtwochairs，oneofsilver，theotherofgold。Themaidenseatedherselfuponthegoldenchair，andofferedthesilveronetohercompanion。Theywereservedbymaidensdressedinwhite，whosefeetmadenosoundastheymovedabout，andnotawordwasspokenduringthemeal。
　　AfterwardstheyouthandtheWitch-maidenconversedpleasantlytogether，untilawoman，dressedinred，cameintoremindthemthatitwasbedtime。Theyouthwasnowshownintoanotherroom，containingasilkenbedwithdowncushions，wherehesleptdelightfully，yetheseemedtohearavoicenearhisbedwhichrepeatedtohim，’Remembertogivenoblood！’
　　Thenextmorningthemaidenaskedhimwhetherhewouldnotliketostaywithheralwaysinthisbeautifulplace，andashedidnotanswerimmediately，shecontinued:’YouseehowIalwaysremainyoungandbeautiful，andIamundernoone’sorders，butcandojustwhatIlike，sothatIhaveneverthoughtofmarryingbefore。ButfromthemomentIsawyouItookafancytoyou，soifyouagree，wemightbemarriedandmightlivetogetherlikeprinces，becauseIhavegreatriches。’
　　Theyouthcouldnotbutbetemptedwiththebeautifulmaiden’soffer，butherememberedhowthebirdshadcalledherthewitch，andtheirwarningalwayssoundedinhisears。Thereforeheansweredcautiously，’Donotbeangry，dearmaiden，ifIdonotdecideimmediatelyonthisimportantmatter。Givemeafewdaystoconsiderbeforewecometoanunderstanding。’
　　’Whynot？’answeredthemaiden。’Takesomeweekstoconsiderifyoulike，andtakecounselwithyourownheart。’Andtomakethetimepasspleasantly，shetooktheyouthovereverypartofherbeautifuldwelling，andshowedhimallhersplendidtreasures。
　　Butthesetreasureswereallproducedbyenchantment，forthemaidencouldmakeanythingshewishedappearbythehelpofKingSolomon’ssignetring；onlynoneofthesethingsremainedfixed；
　　theypassedawaylikethewindwithoutleavingatracebehind。
　　Buttheyouthdidnotknowthis；hethoughttheywereallreal。
　　Onedaythemaidentookhimintoasecretchamber，wherealittlegoldboxwasstandingonasilvertable。Pointingtothebox，shesaid，’Hereismygreatesttreasure，whoselikeisnottobefoundinthewholeworld。Itisapreciousgoldring。Whenyoumarryme，Iwillgiveyouthisringasamarriagegift，anditwillmakeyouthehappiestofmortalmen。Butinorderthatourlovemaylastforever，youmustgivemefortheringthreedropsofbloodfromthelittlefingerofyourlefthand。’
　　Whentheyouthheardthesewordsacoldshudderranoverhim，forherememberedthathissoulwasatstake。Hewascunningenough，however，toconcealhisfeelingsandtomakenodirectanswer，butheonlyaskedthemaiden，asifcarelessly，whatwasremarkableaboutthering？