FromthePolish。Kletke。
Therewasonceuponatimeawitch，whointheshapeofahawkusedeverynighttobreakthewindowsofacertainvillagechurch。Inthesamevillagetherelivedthreebrothers，whowerealldeterminedtokillthemischievoushawk。Butinvaindidthetwoeldestmountguardinthechurchwiththeirguns；assoonasthebirdappearedhighabovetheirheads，sleepoverpoweredthem，andtheyonlyawoketohearthewindowscrashingin。
Thentheyoungestbrothertookhisturnofguardingthewindows，andtopreventhisbeingovercomebysleepheplacedalotofthornsunderhischin，sothatifhefeltdrowsyandnoddedhishead，theywouldprickhimandkeephimawake。
Themoonwasalreadyrisen，anditwasaslightasday，whensuddenlyheheardafearfulnoise，andatthesametimeaterribledesiretosleepoverpoweredhim。
Hiseyelidsclosed，andhisheadsankonhisshoulders，butthethornsranintohimandweresopainfulthatheawokeatonce。
Hesawthehawkswoopingdownuponthechurch，andinamomenthehadseizedhisgunandshotatthebird。Thehawkfellheavilyunderabigstone，severelywoundedinitsrightwing。Theyouthrantolookatit，andsawthatahugeabysshadopenedbelowthestone。Hewentatoncetofetchhisbrothers，andwiththeirhelpdraggedalotofpine-woodandropestothespot。Theyfastenedsomeoftheburningpine-woodtotheendoftherope，andletitslowlydowntothebottomoftheabyss。Atfirstitwasquitedark，andtheflamingtorchonlylitupdirtygreystonewalls。Buttheyoungestbrotherdeterminedtoexploretheabyss，andlettinghimselfdownbytheropehesoonreachedthebottom。Herehefoundalovelymeadowfullofgreentreesandexquisiteflowers。
Inthemiddleofthemeadowstoodahugestonecastle，withanirongateleadingtoit，whichwaswideopen。Everythinginthecastleseemedtobemadeofcopper，andtheonlyinhabitanthecoulddiscoverwasalovelygirl，whowascombinghergoldenhair；andhenoticedthatwheneveroneofherhairsfellonthegrounditrangoutlikepuremetal。Theyouthlookedathermoreclosely，andsawthatherskinwassmoothandfair，herblueeyesbrightandsparkling，andherhairasgoldenasthesun。Hefellinlovewithheronthespot，andkneelingatherfeet，heimploredhertobecomehiswife。
Thelovelygirlacceptedhisproposalgladly；butatthesametimeshewarnedhimthatshecouldnevercomeuptotheworldabovetillhermother，theoldwitch，wasdead。Andshewentontotellhimthattheonlywayinwhichtheoldcreaturecouldbekilledwaswiththeswordthathungupinthecastle；buttheswordwassoheavythatnoonecouldliftit。
Thentheyouthwentintoaroominthecastlewhereeverythingwasmadeofsilver，andherehefoundanotherbeautifulgirl，thesisterofhisbride。Shewascombinghersilverhair，andeveryhairthatfellonthegroundrangoutlikepuremetal。Thesecondgirlhandedhimthesword，butthoughhetriedwithallhisstrengthhecouldnotliftit。Atlastathirdsistercametohimandgavehimadropofsomethingtodrink，whichshesaidwouldgivehimtheneedfulstrength。Hedrankonedrop，butstillhecouldnotliftthesword；thenhedrankasecond，andtheswordbegantomove；butonlyafterhehaddrunkathirddropwasheabletoswingtheswordoverhishead。
Thenhehidhimselfinthecastleandawaitedtheoldwitch’sarrival。Atlastasitwasbeginningtogrowdarksheappeared。
Sheswoopeddownuponabigapple-tree，andaftershakingsomegoldenapplesfromit，shepounceddownupontheearth。Assoonasherfeettouchedthegroundshebecametransformedfromahawkintoawoman。Thiswasthemomenttheyouthwaswaitingfor，andheswunghismightyswordintheairwithallhisstrengthandthewitch’sheadfelloff，andherbloodspurteduponthewalls。
Withoutfearofanyfurtherdanger，hepackedupallthetreasuresofthecastleintogreatchests，andgavehisbrothersasignaltopullthemupoutoftheabyss。Firstthetreasureswereattachedtotheropeandthenthethreelovelygirls。Andnoweverythingwasupaboveandonlyhehimselfremainedbelow。
Butashewasalittlesuspiciousofhisbrothers，hefastenedaheavystoneontotheropeandletthempullitup。Atfirsttheyheavedwithawill，butwhenthestonewashalfwayuptheyletitdropsuddenly，anditfelltothebottombrokenintoahundredpieces。
’Sothat’swhatwouldhavehappenedtomyboneshadItrustedmyselftothem，’saidtheyouthsadly；andhebegantocrybitterly，notbecauseofthetreasures，butbecauseofthelovelygirlwithherswanlikeneckandgoldenhair。
Foralongtimehewanderedsadlyallthroughthebeautifulunderworld，andonedayhemetamagicianwhoaskedhimthecauseofhistears。Theyouthtoldhimallthathadbefallenhim，andthemagiciansaid:
’Donotgrieve，youngman！Ifyouwillguardthechildrenwhoarehiddeninthegoldenapple-tree，Iwillbringyouatonceuptotheearth。Anothermagicianwholivesinthislandalwayseatsmychildrenup。ItisinvainthatIhavehiddenthemundertheearthandlockedthemintothecastle。NowIhavehiddenthemintheapple-tree；hideyourselftheretoo，andatmidnightyouwillseemyenemy。’
Theyouthclimbedupthetree，andpickedsomeofthebeautifulgoldenapples，whichheateforhissupper。
Atmidnightthewindbegantorise，andarustlingsoundwasheardatthefootofthetree。Theyouthlookeddownandbeheldalongthickserpentbeginningtocrawlupthetree。Itwounditselfroundthestemandgraduallygothigherandhigher。Itstretcheditshugehead，inwhichtheeyesglitteredfiercely，amongthebranches，searchingforthenestinwhichthelittlechildrenlay。Theytrembledwithterrorwhentheysawthehideouscreature，andhidthemselvesbeneaththeleaves。
Thentheyouthswunghismightyswordintheair，andwithoneblowcutofftheserpent’shead。Hecutuptherestofthebodyintolittlebitsandstrewedthemtothefourwinds。
Thefatheroftherescuedchildrenwassodelightedoverthedeathofhisenemythathetoldtheyouthtogetonhisback，andinthiswayhecarriedhimuptotheworldabove。
Withwhatjoydidhehurrynowtohisbrothers’house！Heburstintoaroomwheretheywereallassembled，butnooneknewwhohewas。Onlyhisbride，whowasservingascooktohersisters，recognisedherloveratonce。
Hisbrothers，whohadquitebelievedhewasdead，yieldedhimuphistreasuresatonce，andflewintothewoodsinterror。Butthegoodyouthforgavethemalltheyhaddone，anddividedhistreasureswiththem。Thenhebuilthimselfabigcastlewithgoldenwindows，andtherehelivedhappilywithhisgolden-hairedwifetilltheendoftheirlives。
ANorthAmericanIndianstory。
OnceuponatimeanIndianhunterbuilthimselfahouseinthemiddleofagreatforest，farawayfromallhistribe；forhisheartwasgentleandkind，andhewaswearyofthetreacheryandcrueldeedsofthosewhohadbeenhisfriends。Soheleftthem，andtookhiswifeandthreechildren，andtheyjourneyedonuntiltheyfoundaspotneartoaclearstream，wheretheybegantocutdowntrees，andtomakereadytheirwigwam。Formanyyearstheylivedpeacefullyandhappilyinthisshelteredplace，neverleavingitexcepttohuntthewildanimals，whichservedthembothforfoodandclothes。Atlast，however，thestrongmanfeltsick，andbeforelongheknewhemustdie。
Sohegatheredhisfamilyroundhim，andsaidhislastwordstothem。’You，mywife，thecompanionofmydays，willfollowmeeremanymoonshavewanedtotheislandoftheblest。Butforyou，Omychildren，whoselivesarebutnewlybegun，thewickedness，unkindness，andingratitudefromwhichIfledarebeforeyou。YetIshallgohenceinpeace，mychildren，ifyouwillpromisealwaystoloveeachother，andnevertoforsakeyouryoungestbrother。
’Never！’theyreplied，holdingouttheirhands。Andthehunterdiedcontent。
Scarcelyeightmoonshadpassedwhen，justashehadsaid，thewifewentforth，andfollowedherhusband；butbeforeleavingherchildrenshebadethetwoelderonesthinkoftheirpromisenevertoforsaketheyounger，forhewasachild，andweak。Andwhilethesnowlaythickupontheground，theytendedhimandcherishedhim；butwhentheearthshowedgreenagain，theheartoftheyoungmanstirredwithinhim，andhelongedtoseethewigwamsofthevillagewherehisfather’syouthwasspent。
Thereforeheopenedallhishearttohissister，whoanswered:
’Mybrother，Iunderstandyourlongingforourfellow-men，whomherewecannotsee。Butrememberourfather’swords。Shallwenotseekourownpleasures，andforgetthelittleone？’
Buthewouldnotlisten，and，makingnoreply，hetookhisbowandarrowsandleftthehut。Thesnowsfellandmelted，yetheneverreturned；andatlasttheheartofthegirlgrewcoldandhard，andherlittleboybecameaburdeninhereyes，tillonedayshespokethustohim:’See，thereisfoodformanydaystocome。Stayherewithintheshelterofthehut。Igotoseekourbrother，andwhenIhavefoundhimIshallreturnhither。’
Butwhen，afterhardjourneying，shereachedthevillagewhereherbrotherdwelt，andsawthathehadawifeandwashappy，andwhenshe，too，wassoughtbyayoungbrave，thenshealsoforgottheboyaloneintheforest，andthoughtonlyofherhusband。
Nowassoonasthelittleboyhadeatenallthefoodwhichhissisterhadlefthim，hewentoutintothewoods，andgatheredberriesandduguproots，andwhilethesunshonehewascontentedandhadhisfill。Butwhenthesnowsbeganandthewindhowled，thenhisstomachfeltemptyandhislimbscold，andhehidintreesallthenight，andonlycreptouttoeatwhatthewolveshadleftbehind。Andby-and-by，havingnootherfriends，hesoughttheircompany，andsatbywhiletheydevouredtheirprey，andtheygrewtoknowhim，andgavehimfood。Andwithoutthemhewouldhavediedinthesnow。
Butatlastthesnowsmelted，andtheiceuponthegreatlake，andasthewolveswentdowntotheshore，theboywentafterthem。Andithappenedonedaythathisbigbrotherwasfishinginhiscanoeneartheshore，andheheardthevoiceofachildsingingintheIndiantone——
’Mybrother，mybrother！
Iambecomingawolf，Iambecomingawolf！’
