Chasethatduckoutofthecourtyard。’Butthoughtheservantschasedandchevied，theycouldnotgetridoftheduck；forshecircledroundandround，andalwayscamebacktothespotwhereherchildrenlay，crying:
　　’Quack，quack——mylittleloves！
　　Quack，quack——myturtle-doves！
　　Thewickedwitchyourlivesdidtake——
　　Thewickedwitch，thecunningsnake。
　　FirstshestolemyKingaway，Thenmychildrendidsheslay。
　　Changedme，fromahappywife，Toaduckforallmylife。
　　WouldIweretheQueenagain；
　　Wouldthatyouhadneverbeenslain。’
　　AndastheKingheardherwordshebegantosuspectthathehadbeendeceived，andhecalledouttotheservants，’Catchthatduck，andbringithere。’But，thoughtheyrantoandfro，theduckalwaysfledpastthem，andwouldnotletherselfbecaught。
　　SotheKinghimselfsteppeddownamongstthem，andinstantlytheduckfluttereddownintohishands。Andashestrokedherwingsshewaschangedintoabeautifulwoman，andherecognisedhisdearwife。Andshetoldhimthatabottlewouldbefoundinhernestinthegarden，containingsomedropsfromthespringofhealing。Anditwasbroughttoher；andtheducklingsandlittledrakeweresprinkledwiththewater，andfromthelittledeadbodiesthreelovelychildrenarose。AndtheKingandQueenwereoverjoyedwhentheysawtheirchildren，andtheyalllivedhappilytogetherinthebeautifulpalace。ButthewickedwitchwastakenbytheKing’scommand，andshecametonogoodend。
　　FromtheRussian。Kletke。
　　LongtimeagotherelivedaKingwhohadthreesons；theeldestwascalledSzabo，thesecondWarza，andtheyoungestIwanich。
　　OnebeautifulspringmorningtheKingwaswalkingthroughhisgardenswiththesethreesons，gazingwithadmirationatthevariousfruit-trees，someofwhichwereamassofblossom，whilstotherswerebowedtothegroundladenwithrichfruit。Duringtheirwanderingstheycameunperceivedonapieceofwastelandwherethreesplendidtreesgrew。TheKinglookedonthemforamoment，andthen，shakinghisheadsadly，hepassedoninsilence。
　　Thesons，whocouldnotunderstandwhyhedidthis，askedhimthereasonofhisdejection，andtheKingtoldthemasfollows:
　　’Thesethreetrees，whichIcannotseewithoutsorrow，wereplantedbymeonthisspotwhenIwasayouthoftwenty。A
　　celebratedmagician，whohadgiventheseedtomyfather，promisedhimthattheywouldgrowintothethreefinesttreestheworldhadeverseen。Myfatherdidnotlivetoseehiswordscometrue；butonhisdeath-bedhebademetransplantthemhere，andtolookafterthemwiththegreatestcare，whichI
　　accordinglydid。Atlast，afterthelapseoffivelongyears，I
　　noticedsomeblossomsonthebranches，andafewdayslaterthemostexquisitefruitmyeyeshadeverseen。
　　’Igavemyhead-gardenerthestrictestorderstowatchthetreescarefully，forthemagicianhadwarnedmyfatherthatifoneunripefruitwerepluckedfromthetree，alltherestwouldbecomerottenatonce。Whenitwasquiteripethefruitwouldbecomeagoldenyellow。
　　’EverydayIgazedonthelovelyfruit，whichbecamegraduallymoreandmoretempting-looking，anditwasallIcoulddonottobreakthemagician’scommands。
　　’OnenightIdreamtthatthefruitwasperfectlyripe；Iatesomeofit，anditwasmoredeliciousthananythingIhadevertastedinreallife。AssoonasIawokeIsentforthegardenerandaskedhimifthefruitonthethreetreeshadnotripenedinthenighttoperfection。
　　’Butinsteadofreplying，thegardenerthrewhimselfatmyfeetandsworethathewasinnocent。Hesaidthathehadwatchedbythetreesallnight，butinspiteofit，andasifbymagic，thebeautifultreeshadbeenrobbedofalltheirfruit。
　　’GrievedasIwasoverthetheft，Ididnotpunishthegardener，ofwhosefidelityIwaswellassured，butIdeterminedtopluckoffallthefruitinthefollowingyearbeforeitwasripe，asI
　　hadnotmuchbeliefinthemagician’swarning。
　　’Icarriedoutmyintention，andhadallthefruitpickedoffthetree，butwhenItastedoneoftheapplesitwasbitterandunpleasant，andthenextmorningtherestofthefruithadallrottedaway。
　　’AfterthisIhadthebeautifulfruitofthesetreescarefullyguardedbymymostfaithfulservants；buteveryyear，onthisverynight，thefruitwaspluckedandstolenbyaninvisiblehand，andnextmorningnotasingleappleremainedonthetrees。
　　ForsometimepastIhavegivenupevenhavingthetreeswatched。’
　　WhentheKinghadfinishedhisstory，Szabo，hiseldestson，saidtohim:’Forgiveme，father，ifIsayIthinkyouaremistaken。
　　Iamsuretherearemanymeninyourkingdomwhocouldprotectthesetreesfromthecunningartsofathievingmagician；I
　　myself，whoasyoureldestsonclaimthefirstrighttodoso，willmountguardoverthefruitthisverynight。’
　　TheKingconsented，andassoonaseveningdrewonSzaboclimbedupontooneofthetrees，determinedtoprotectthefruitevenifitcosthimhislife。Sohekeptwatchhalfthenight；butalittleaftermidnighthewasovercomebyanirresistibledrowsiness，andfellfastasleep。Hedidnotawaketillitwasbrightdaylight，andallthefruitonthetreeshadvanished。
　　ThefollowingyearWarza，thesecondbrother，triedhisluck，butwiththesameresult。Thenitcametotheturnofthethirdandyoungestson。
　　Iwanichwasnottheleastdiscouragedbythefailureofhiselderbrothers，thoughtheywerebothmucholderandstrongerthanhewas，andwhennightcameclimbedupthetreeastheyhaddone，Themoonhadrisen，andwithhersoftlightlitupthewholeneighbourhood，sothattheobservantPrincecoulddistinguishthesmallestobjectdistinctly。
　　Atmidnightagentlewestwindshookthetree，andatthesamemomentasnow-whiteswan-likebirdsankdowngentlyonhisbreast。ThePrincehastilyseizedthebird’swingsinhishands，when，lo！tohisastonishmenthefoundhewasholdinginhisarmsnotabirdbutthemostbeautifulgirlhehadeverseen。
　　’YouneednotfearMilitza，’saidthebeautifulgirl，lookingatthePrincewithfriendlyeyes。’Anevilmagicianhasnotrobbedyouofyourfruit，buthestoletheseedfrommymother，andtherebycausedherdeath。Whenshewasdyingshebademetakethefruit，whichyouhavenorighttopossess，fromthetreeseveryyearassoonasitwasripe。ThisIwouldhavedoneto-nighttoo，ifyouhadnotseizedmewithsuchforce，andsobrokenthespellIwasunder。’
　　Iwanich，whohadbeenpreparedtomeetaterriblemagicianandnotalovelygirl，felldesperatelyinlovewithher。Theyspenttherestofthenightinpleasantconversation，andwhenMilitzawishedtogoawayhebeggedhernottoleavehim。
　　’Iwouldgladlystaywithyoulonger，’saidMilitza，’butawickedwitchoncecutoffalockofmyhairwhenIwasasleep，whichhasputmeinherpower，andifmorningwerestilltofindmehereshewoulddomesomeharm，andyou，too，perhaps。’
　　Havingsaidthesewords，shedrewasparklingdiamondringfromherfinger，whichshehandedtothePrince，saying:’KeepthisringinmemoryofMilitza，andthinkofhersometimesifyouneverseeheragain。Butifyourloveisreallytrue，comeandfindmeinmyownkingdom。Imaynotshowyouthewaythere，butthisringwillguideyou。
　　’Ifyouhaveloveandcourageenoughtoundertakethisjourney，wheneveryoucometoacross-roadalwayslookatthisdiamondbeforeyousettlewhichwayyouaregoingtotake。Ifitsparklesasbrightlyasevergostraighton，butifitslustreisdimmedchooseanotherpath。’
　　ThenMilitzabentoverthePrinceandkissedhimonhisforehead，andbeforehehadtimetosayawordshevanishedthroughthebranchesofthetreeinalittlewhitecloud。
　　Morningbroke，andthePrince，stillfullofthewonderfulapparition，lefthisperchandreturnedtothepalacelikeoneinadream，withoutevenknowingifthefruithadbeentakenornot；
　　forhiswholemindwasabsorbedbythoughtsofMilitzaandhowhewastofindher。
　　Assoonasthehead-gardenersawthePrincegoingtowardsthepalaceherantothetrees，andwhenhesawthemladenwithripefruithehastenedtotelltheKingthejoyfulnews。TheKingwasbesidehimselfforjoy，andhurriedatoncetothegardenandmadethegardenerpickhimsomeofthefruit。Hetastedit，andfoundtheapplequiteaslusciousasithadbeeninhisdream。
　　HewentatoncetohissonIwanich，andafterembracinghimtenderlyandheapingpraisesonhim，heaskedhimhowhehadsucceededinprotectingthecostlyfruitfromthepowerofthemagician。
　　ThisquestionplacedIwanichinadilemma。Butashedidnotwanttherealstorytobeknown，hesaidthataboutmidnightahugewasphadflownthroughthebranches，andbuzzedincessantlyroundhim。Hehadwardeditoffwithhissword，andatdawn，whenhewasbecomingquitewornout，thewasphadvanishedassuddenlyasithadappeared。
　　TheKing，whoneverdoubtedthetruthofthistale，badehissongotorestatonceandrecoverfromthefatiguesofthenight；
　　buthehimselfwentandorderedmanyfeaststobeheldinhonourofthepreservationofthewonderfulfruit。
　　Thewholecapitalwasinastir，andeveryonesharedintheKing’sjoy；thePrincealonetooknopartinthefestivities。