THE GOLDEN APPLE.

Once upon a time, there lived a King who owned the most special apple tree in the world. The tree bore apples made of gold. Every day the gardener would count apples And hand them over to the king. One day the gardener went to the king and said: Your Highness! An apple is missing! The king was angry when the gardener informed him about the missing apples. "The thief will not be spared," said the king. That night the gardener put his eldest son on the security of the apple tree. But around midnight the eldest son fell asleep. The next morning again one apple was missing! "I will post my second son on the security duty today," said the gardener to the King. Night fell and the second son of the Gardener fell asleep around midnight. The next morning again one apple was missing. The third and the youngest son of the gardener offered to guard the tree that night. As that night the clock struck twelve he heard a rustling noise in the air, and a bird came flying that was of pure gold, and as it was snapping at one of the apples with its beak the Gardener's son jumped up and shot an arrow at it. But the arrow did the bird no harm only it dropped a golden feather from its tail and flew away. The golden feather was brought to the King in the morning and the council was called. Everyone agreed that it was worth more than all the wealth of the Kingdom.

King: one feather is of no use to me. I must have the whole bird. Who is brave enough to bring me that golden bird?

The gardener"s eldest son took upon this task. "Bravo!!!" said the King. And the eldest son set out to find the Golden bird. And when he came to the wood, and by the side of the wood he saw a fox sitting so he took his bow ready to shoot at it.

Fox: Do not shoot me, for I will give you good counsel. I know what your business is and then you want to find the Golden bird.

Eldest son: So?

Fox: Here me well, you will reach a village in the evening, you will see two inns opposite to each other, one of which is very pleasant and beautiful to look at. The other one is very shabby to look at, chose the shabby one to rest for the night.

But the son thought to himself, What can such a beast as this know about the matter? So he shot his arrow at the fox but he missed it and the fox ran into the wood. Then he went his way and came to the village where the two inns were, and in one of these were people singing, and dancing, and feasting but the other looked very dirty and poor. He thought to himself..." I would be very silly if I went to that shabby house" So he went into the smart house, and ate and drank at his ease, and forget the bird, and hiss country too. Time passed on and as the eldest son did not come back, the second son set out and the same thing happened to him. He met the fox, He gave him advice but when he came to the two inns his eldest brother called to him in the beautiful inn and he went in and forgot the Golden bird and his country in the same manner. Time passed on again and the youngest son too wished to seek for the golden bird. "Please father let me go" Asked the youngest son. But his father was afraid, "I already lost my two sons" said the father. "But you won't lose me, father! Trust me" The youngest son said. At last, the gardener agreed, and as he came to the wood he met the fox, and heard the same good counsel.

Fox: Go to the poor house if you wish to reach the golden bird!

Youngest son: Thank you old wise fox!

Fox: Sit up on my tail and you will travel faster!

Soon they reached the village, the son went to the shabby inn and rested there all night. In the morning came the fox again with another good advice.

Fox: Now go straight forward, till you come to a castle, before which lie a whole troop of soldiers fast asleep, take no notice of them, go into the castle and you will find a room, where the golden bird sits in a wooden cage, close by it stands a beautiful golden cage. But don't try to change the cage, otherwise, you will repent it.

Then the fox stretched out his tail again, and the young man sat himself down and reached before the castle gate, and the son went in and found the chamber just as Fox had told him. "It will be a very droll thing to bring away such a fine bird in this shabby cage" He talked to himself. But as soon as he opened the door to change the cage the bird let out a loud scream alerting the sleeping soldiers. He was taken, prisoner. The next morning the court sat to judge him and when always heard it sentenced him to die.

Youngest son: Oh...Merciful King, please spare my life!

King: You will be spared on one condition, bring me the golden horse which can run as swiftly as the wind and I will spare your life and also give you the golden bird!

He set out on his journey when his friend the fox met him. "You see now what happened on account of you are not listening to my counsel. But you are a good lad, hence, I will still help you to find the golden horse, You must go straight on till you come to the castle where the horse stands in his stall by his side will lie the groom fast asleep and snoring, take away the horse quietly, but be sure to put the old leathern saddle upon him, and not the golden one that is close by it". said the fox. All went right, but when the son looked at the horse, he thought, I will give him the golden saddle, I am sure he deserves it. But as he took up the golden saddle the groom awoke and cried out loud, that all the guards ran in and took him prisoner and was sentenced to die. But he pleaded again. "If you manage to bring the beautiful princess to me I will spare your life and you can also have the bird and the horse!" said the King of that palace. Then he went his way and again met the old fox.

Fox: If you had listened to me, you would have carried away both the bird and the horse, yet I will help you once more. Go straight on and you will arrive at a castle. Go up to her and give her a hug, At midnight the princess goes to the bathing-house and she will let you lead her away but take care you do not suffer her to go and take leave of her father and mother.

As they came to the castle all was as the fox said, and midnight the young man met the princess and gave her a hug and the princess agreed to run away with him but she begged with many tears that he would let her take leave of her father. At last, he consented, but the moment she came to her father's house, he was taken prisoner again. "You shall never have my daughter unless in eight days you dig away the hill that stops the view from my window," said the king of that palace. Now this hill was so big that the whole world could not take it away, and after seven days and had done very little he sat there hopeless when his friend, the fox comes there to help him again. "Go to sleep, I will work for you," said the fox. And in the morning the hill was gone, the happy king gave his daughter to him, and away went the young man and the princess and again he met the fox. "You can have all three The princess, The horse, and the bird," said the fox. "Really, but how?" asked the youngest son. "Listen carefully, Go to the King and give him the princess. Then he will be very joyful and you will mount the golden horse and put out your hand to take leave of them, shake hands with the princess last. Then lift her quickly onto the horse and gallop away as fast you can. Then go to the castle where the bird is. I will stay with the princess at the door, show the horse to the kind horse and he will bring out the bird and say that you want to look at it, to see whether it is the true golden bird, and when you get it into your hand ride away" replied the fox. Everything happened as the fox said.

Young son: Thank you dear friend for your good counsel. I am indebted to you.

Fox: If so then pray to kill me'

Young son: What. I will do no such thing, you are my friend.

Fox: Ok, it is your wish but I will give you good counsel, beware of two things on your way back ransom no one from the gallows, and don't sit down by the side of the river.

He rode on with the princess till at last, he came to the village where he had left his two brothers. And there he heard a great noise and uproar he saw two-man are going to be hanged. Curious he went nearer and saw that the two men were his brothers who had turned into robbers. "Take away all my money, But spare my brothers," the youngest son said to the villagers. After rescuing his brothers they all came to the wood where the fox first met them, and the two brothers said: Let us sit down by the side of the river, and rest awhile, to eat and drink. So agreed to forget the fox's counsel and sat down on the side of the river and while he suspected nothing they came behind, and threw him down the bank and took the princess, the horse, the bird, and went home to the king their master.

Eldest brother: Oh...Great Lord! We are back with the golden bird and more. All this have we won by our labor.

Then there was great rejoicing made, but the horse would not eat, the bird would not sing and the princess wept. The youngest son fell to the bottom of the river's bed, luckily it was nearly dry, but the bank was so steep that he could find no way to get out. Then the old fox came once more to his rescue.

Fox: If you just listened to me, no evil would have befallen him. Yet, you are my friend, I cannot leave you here, so lay hold of my tail and hold fast.

He pulled him out of the river and said: "Your brothers have set the watch to kill you if they find you in the kingdom". So he dressed as a poor man and came secretly to the king's court, and was scarcely within the doors when the horse began to eat, and the bird began to sing, and the princess left off weeping. Then he went to the king and told him all his brother's roguery, they were seized and punished, and he ha princess was given to him again and after the king's death, he was heir to his kingdom. A long while after, he went to walk one day in the wood, and the old fox met him and besought him with tears in his eyes to kill him.

Fox: Please my friend, I ask you this one favor please do it.

And the youngest son sadly agrees. As soon as the fox was killed, it was changed into a man! And as it turned out the fox was the brother of the princess who had been lost a great many years.

THE END.

Thank you!!!!