“God speed him!” said the wolf and the lamb; “he gave the meat to the wolf, and the grass to the lamb.”
“Grove, catch the thief!” exclaimed the Queen.
“God speed him!” said the grove; “you made me thorns and thistles; he made me a flower of Paradise.”
“River, catch the thief!” exclaimed the Queen.
“God speed him!” said the river; “you made me a stream of poison; he made me the water of immortality.”
When the Queen saw that all her charms were unavailing, she mounted her horse and started in pursuit of the lad.
But let us return to the lad. He passed all the dangerous places and came to the square where the road divided into the three branches. He saw the monk waiting for him.
“Here is the Fairy Nightingale, holy father,” said the lad, and seeing that his brothers had not yet come back, he give the cage to the monk and he himself started in search of his brothers. He went first along the broad road, until he came to the inn where his brother was serving. He secretly made himself known to him, and taking him away brought him to the monk. He then took the next road, and went as far as the green meadow and sat down upon one of the benches. Soon the giant appeared with his iron rod and tried to strike the lad. But the lad cleverly avoided the blow, and snatching the rod from the giant’s hand, struck him. Immediately the giant fell down and was changed into a huge round black stone.
“My brother must have been lost somewhere in this place,” thought the lad, and began to strike with the iron rod the stones scattered here and there upon the meadow, and lo! the stones were changed into men, who began to run away; but his brother was not among them. He saw a stone under the bench, and struck it. It was changed into his brother, and began to run.