THE SINGING-TREE AND THE SPEAKING-BIRD
Once upon a time there was a very inquisitive King who spent all his time eavesdropping at the window. There was also a merchant, who had three daughters, and one day they were talking to their father, and one said: "If only the King's bread-bearer would marry me!" The second one said: "If only the King's valet would cast his eyes upon me! "But the third said: "I want the King himself: I would bear him two sons and one daughter."
Now the King was listening to all this conversation; and after a few days he did exactly as they had wished: the eldest married the King's bread-bearer, the middle one the King's valet, but the youngest married the King himself.
The King married very happily, and after some time his Queen was about to bear him a child. He was sending for the midwife of the town, but the elder sisters asked him why he should; they would act as midwives. As soon as the Queen had born him a son, the midwives took him away and told the King his wife had born a pup; and they put the new-born babe into a box and threw it into a big pond in the King's garden.
At this the King was very angry, and wanted to have his wife blown to bits at the cannon's mouth; but—it so happened—some other princes were on a visit, and persuaded him to forgive a first offence. So the King pardoned her for the nonce, and gave her a second chance.
One year went by, and the Queen bore him another
269
