Next morning the king sent some of his servants to see if the man was still living, and these soon ran back to him, full of wonder, and told him that they had found in the dungeon, instead of a poor man and his donkey, a young man, beautifully dressed, a golden horse, a golden greyhound, and a golden hen, surrounded by golden chickens, which were picking up golden millet-seeds from the ground.
Then the king said, “That must be some powerful prince.” So he ordered the queen, and the princes, his [[157]]sons, to prepare all things for the stranger to wash his hands. Then he went down himself into the dungeon, and led the prince up with much courtesy, desiring thus to make amends for the past ill-treatment.
The king himself took a golden ewer full of water, and poured some over the prince’s hands, whilst the two princes held the basin under them, and the queen held out fine towels to dry them on.
This done, the young prince exclaimed, “Now, my dream is fulfilled”; and they all at once recognised him, and were very glad to see him once again amongst them. [[158]]
THE THREE BROTHERS
I.
There was once upon a time an old man whose family consisted of his wife and three sons. They were exceedingly poor, and finding that they could not possibly all live at home, the three sons went out into the world in different directions to find some means of living. Thus the old man and his wife remained alone.
Having neither horses nor oxen, the old man was obliged to go every day to the forest for fuel, and carry home the firewood on his back.