In another Finnish tale, "The Golden Bird," the third son is the only one who can watch all night, and so finds out what it is that steals fruit from his father's favourite tree.
The Lapp story, "Ruobba,[69] Jætten og Fanden," Friis, p. 67, tells of tools of all sorts, axes and planes, &c. coming and asking the sons to give them some food; the eldest refuse, but the youngest gives them food, and so succeeds in finding out the robber.
Another tale, "Solkongens Datter," Friis, p. 152, relates how a man has a barn full of corn from which some one steals every night. The man's two elder sons try to watch and fail; but Gudnavirũs (i.e. Ashiepattle) succeeds in finding the robbers—three swan-maidens—and securing one of them.
Cf. also Rink, Eskimo Legends, "Kagsagsuk," and "The Child Monster," where ill treated ones suddenly develope vast power. Dasent, Tales from the Norse, "The Princess on the glass hill." Old Deccan Days, "The Raksha's Palace," p. 205. Stokes' Indian Fairy Tales, "The boy who had a moon on his forehead," p. 126, &c. and p. 280. Mitford, Tales of Old Japan, "The story of the Old Man who made withered trees to blossom." Vernaleken, In the Land of Marvels, "Hondiddledo and his Fiddle," and "Mr. Chick," p. 228. Roumanian Fairy Tales, "The Hermit's Foundling." Geldart, Folk-Lore of Modern Greece, "The Scab Pate." Steere, Swahili Tales, "Sultan Majnún." Ralston, Russian Folk Tales, "The Norka," p. 73. Denton, Serbian Folk-Lore, "The Golden Apple Tree and the nine Peahens." "Who asks much gets little." Grimm, vol. i. "The Golden Bird," "The Three feathers." Ibidem, vol. ii. "Iron John," and notes, p. 434. Gubernatis, vol. i. pp. 25, 177, and 293, &c. where Russian variants are given. Thorpe, Yule-Tide Stories "The Millet Thief." Polnische Volkssagen und Märchen, Aus dem Polnischen des K. B. Woycicki von F. H. Levestam, "Der Glasberg." Deutches Märchenbuch, von L. Bechstein, "Hirsedieb." Sagen Märchen und Gebräuche aus Sachsen und Thüringen, Gesammelt von Emil Sommer, "Der Dumme Wirrschopf." Svenska Folk Sagor, Hyltén-Cavallius och G. Steffens, "Prinsessan uppå Glasberget."
[THE THREE BROTHERS. Erdélyi, ii. 8.]
The beginning of the tale reminds us of "[The travels of Truth and Falsehood]," p. [36] in this collection.
Healing Mud, p. [152]. Cf. pp. [36], [53], [323], and [336], in this collection. Also, "Right is always right," a Wendish story, quoted in the Dublin Magazine, 1868, p. 356, and Vernaleken, "The Accursed Garden," p. 308.
In Tuscany, the peasants believe that whoever washes his face in the dew before the sun rises on St. John's Day will have no illness all the year following. See Gubernatis, vol. i. p. 219. Cf. also Payne, Arabian Nights, vol. v. pp. 279, 281. A magic whistle appears in the Finnish story, e.g. "The ship that can sail on land and sea," S. ja T. ii. p. 22. See also in this collection, p. [192], and Gubernatis, vol. i. p. 289.
The envious brothers (or fellow-servants) appear in numerous stories, such as "Kulta-orit, Kulta-nuotta, wasta ja pilli (the golden stallion, golden drag net, broom and flute)," S. ja T. i. p. 187, and Dasent, "Boots and the Troll."