The bird perched upon
the tree, and had already pecked off an apple, when the young man let
fly an arrow at it. The bird flew away, but the arrow had struck its
plumage, and one of its golden feathers fell to the ground; the young
man picked it up, and taking it next morning to the king, told him what
had happened in the night. The king called his council together, and all
declared that such a feather was worth more than the whole kingdom.
"Since the feather is so valuable," said the king, "one is not enough
for me; I must and will have the whole bird."
So the eldest son set off, and, relying on his own cleverness, he
thought he should soon find the golden bird. When he had gone some
distance he saw a fox sitting at the edge of a wood and he pointed his
gun at him. The fox cried out:
"Do not shoot me and I will give you good counsel. You are on your way
to find the golden bird, and this evening you will come to a village in
which two taverns stand facing each other. One will be brightly lighted
up, and there will be plenty of merriment going on inside; do not mind
about that, but go into the other one, although it will look to you
very uninviting."
"How can a silly beast give anyone rational advice?" thought the king's
son, and let fly at the fox, but he missed him, and he stretched out his
tail and ran quick into the wood. Then the young man went on his way,
and toward evening he came to the village and there stood the two
taverns; in one singing and revelry were going on, the other looked
quite dull and wretched.
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