At daybreak the imperial Prince arose and carried the apples to his father, who was overjoyed at the sight, and heaped praises upon his son.
When evening came again the imperial Prince made ready his resting-place, as on the former evening, in order to watch the apple-tree. Having had the same experiences as on the preceding night, he again brought two golden apples to his father.
When this had gone on for several nights the brothers became envious, because they had not succeeded in guarding the apples. So they went to an old hag, who promised to spy upon the Prince and discover how he managed to guard the apple-tree so successfully. When evening came on, the old woman stole out to the tree, crept under the bed, and there hid herself.
Presently the youngest imperial Prince came out and betook himself, as usual, to rest. About midnight the nine Peahens came, and eight settled down upon the tree while the ninth flew down to the bed and transformed herself into a maiden. The old hag slyly seized the long braid of the maiden’s hair, which hung down below the edge of the bed, and cut it off. But the maiden sprang up quickly, transformed herself again into a Peahen and flew away, with all her companions following her, and so vanished.
The imperial Prince sprang up and cried out, “What is this?” He searched around and perceived the old hag under the bed, seized her, dragged her out, and the next day commanded that she should be put to death.
But the Peahens never returned to the apple-tree, and the imperial Prince mourned and bewailed himself without ceasing. At last he resolved to search for his little Peahen throughout the whole world, and never return home until he had found her. He told his resolution to his father, who tried to turn him from it, advising him to put the idea out of his head, and promising to find him another maiden, though he should have to search through his whole empire. But he spoke to deaf ears; the prince was firm, and set out with his servant to seek for his Peahen.
For a long time he wandered up and down the world, and one day he came to a lake, beside which he saw a magnificent great castle. In the castle he found an ancient dame, the Empress, and a little girl, her daughter. He asked the dame, “In Heaven’s name, little mother, can you give me any news about nine golden Peahens?”
And the dame answered, “To be sure I can, my son! They come every midnight to bathe in this lake. But leave those Peahens in peace. You shall have my little daughter, a splendid girl, and all my treasures shall be yours as well.”
But he had no ear for the old dame’s offer and no eye for the daughter, being filled with longing to see the Peahens. He arose early in the morning and went out to watch for the Peahens on the border of the lake.
But the old dame had bribed the Prince’s servant and given him a pair of bellows such as one blows the fire with, adding these directions: