Chasethatduckoutofthecourtyard。’Butthoughtheservantschasedandchevied，theycouldnotgetridoftheduck；forshecircledroundandround，andalwayscamebacktothespotwhereherchildrenlay，crying:
’Quack，quack——mylittleloves！
Quack，quack——myturtle-doves！
Thewickedwitchyourlivesdidtake——
Thewickedwitch，thecunningsnake。
FirstshestolemyKingaway，Thenmychildrendidsheslay。
Changedme，fromahappywife，Toaduckforallmylife。
WouldIweretheQueenagain；
Wouldthatyouhadneverbeenslain。’
AndastheKingheardherwordshebegantosuspectthathehadbeendeceived，andhecalledouttotheservants，’Catchthatduck，andbringithere。’But，thoughtheyrantoandfro，theduckalwaysfledpastthem，andwouldnotletherselfbecaught。
SotheKinghimselfsteppeddownamongstthem，andinstantlytheduckfluttereddownintohishands。Andashestrokedherwingsshewaschangedintoabeautifulwoman，andherecognisedhisdearwife。Andshetoldhimthatabottlewouldbefoundinhernestinthegarden，containingsomedropsfromthespringofhealing。Anditwasbroughttoher；andtheducklingsandlittledrakeweresprinkledwiththewater，andfromthelittledeadbodiesthreelovelychildrenarose。AndtheKingandQueenwereoverjoyedwhentheysawtheirchildren，andtheyalllivedhappilytogetherinthebeautifulpalace。ButthewickedwitchwastakenbytheKing’scommand，andshecametonogoodend。
FromtheRussian。Kletke。
LongtimeagotherelivedaKingwhohadthreesons；theeldestwascalledSzabo，thesecondWarza，andtheyoungestIwanich。
OnebeautifulspringmorningtheKingwaswalkingthroughhisgardenswiththesethreesons，gazingwithadmirationatthevariousfruit-trees，someofwhichwereamassofblossom，whilstotherswerebowedtothegroundladenwithrichfruit。Duringtheirwanderingstheycameunperceivedonapieceofwastelandwherethreesplendidtreesgrew。TheKinglookedonthemforamoment，andthen，shakinghisheadsadly，hepassedoninsilence。
Thesons，whocouldnotunderstandwhyhedidthis，askedhimthereasonofhisdejection，andtheKingtoldthemasfollows:
’Thesethreetrees，whichIcannotseewithoutsorrow，wereplantedbymeonthisspotwhenIwasayouthoftwenty。A
celebratedmagician，whohadgiventheseedtomyfather，promisedhimthattheywouldgrowintothethreefinesttreestheworldhadeverseen。Myfatherdidnotlivetoseehiswordscometrue；butonhisdeath-bedhebademetransplantthemhere，andtolookafterthemwiththegreatestcare，whichI
accordinglydid。Atlast，afterthelapseoffivelongyears，I
noticedsomeblossomsonthebranches，andafewdayslaterthemostexquisitefruitmyeyeshadeverseen。
’Igavemyhead-gardenerthestrictestorderstowatchthetreescarefully，forthemagicianhadwarnedmyfatherthatifoneunripefruitwerepluckedfromthetree，alltherestwouldbecomerottenatonce。Whenitwasquiteripethefruitwouldbecomeagoldenyellow。
’EverydayIgazedonthelovelyfruit，whichbecamegraduallymoreandmoretempting-looking，anditwasallIcoulddonottobreakthemagician’scommands。
’OnenightIdreamtthatthefruitwasperfectlyripe；Iatesomeofit，anditwasmoredeliciousthananythingIhadevertastedinreallife。AssoonasIawokeIsentforthegardenerandaskedhimifthefruitonthethreetreeshadnotripenedinthenighttoperfection。
’Butinsteadofreplying，thegardenerthrewhimselfatmyfeetandsworethathewasinnocent。Hesaidthathehadwatchedbythetreesallnight，butinspiteofit，andasifbymagic，thebeautifultreeshadbeenrobbedofalltheirfruit。
’GrievedasIwasoverthetheft，Ididnotpunishthegardener，ofwhosefidelityIwaswellassured，butIdeterminedtopluckoffallthefruitinthefollowingyearbeforeitwasripe，asI
hadnotmuchbeliefinthemagician’swarning。
’Icarriedoutmyintention，andhadallthefruitpickedoffthetree，butwhenItastedoneoftheapplesitwasbitterandunpleasant，andthenextmorningtherestofthefruithadallrottedaway。
’AfterthisIhadthebeautifulfruitofthesetreescarefullyguardedbymymostfaithfulservants；buteveryyear，onthisverynight，thefruitwaspluckedandstolenbyaninvisiblehand，andnextmorningnotasingleappleremainedonthetrees。
ForsometimepastIhavegivenupevenhavingthetreeswatched。’
WhentheKinghadfinishedhisstory，Szabo，hiseldestson，saidtohim:’Forgiveme，father，ifIsayIthinkyouaremistaken。
Iamsuretherearemanymeninyourkingdomwhocouldprotectthesetreesfromthecunningartsofathievingmagician；I
myself，whoasyoureldestsonclaimthefirstrighttodoso，willmountguardoverthefruitthisverynight。’
TheKingconsented，andassoonaseveningdrewonSzaboclimbedupontooneofthetrees，determinedtoprotectthefruitevenifitcosthimhislife。Sohekeptwatchhalfthenight；butalittleaftermidnighthewasovercomebyanirresistibledrowsiness，andfellfastasleep。Hedidnotawaketillitwasbrightdaylight，andallthefruitonthetreeshadvanished。
ThefollowingyearWarza，thesecondbrother，triedhisluck，butwiththesameresult。Thenitcametotheturnofthethirdandyoungestson。
Iwanichwasnottheleastdiscouragedbythefailureofhiselderbrothers，thoughtheywerebothmucholderandstrongerthanhewas，andwhennightcameclimbedupthetreeastheyhaddone，Themoonhadrisen，andwithhersoftlightlitupthewholeneighbourhood，sothattheobservantPrincecoulddistinguishthesmallestobjectdistinctly。
Atmidnightagentlewestwindshookthetree，andatthesamemomentasnow-whiteswan-likebirdsankdowngentlyonhisbreast。ThePrincehastilyseizedthebird’swingsinhishands，when，lo！tohisastonishmenthefoundhewasholdinginhisarmsnotabirdbutthemostbeautifulgirlhehadeverseen。
’YouneednotfearMilitza，’saidthebeautifulgirl，lookingatthePrincewithfriendlyeyes。’Anevilmagicianhasnotrobbedyouofyourfruit，buthestoletheseedfrommymother，andtherebycausedherdeath。Whenshewasdyingshebademetakethefruit，whichyouhavenorighttopossess，fromthetreeseveryyearassoonasitwasripe。ThisIwouldhavedoneto-nighttoo，ifyouhadnotseizedmewithsuchforce，andsobrokenthespellIwasunder。’
Iwanich，whohadbeenpreparedtomeetaterriblemagicianandnotalovelygirl，felldesperatelyinlovewithher。Theyspenttherestofthenightinpleasantconversation，andwhenMilitzawishedtogoawayhebeggedhernottoleavehim。
’Iwouldgladlystaywithyoulonger，’saidMilitza，’butawickedwitchoncecutoffalockofmyhairwhenIwasasleep，whichhasputmeinherpower，andifmorningwerestilltofindmehereshewoulddomesomeharm，andyou，too，perhaps。’
Havingsaidthesewords，shedrewasparklingdiamondringfromherfinger，whichshehandedtothePrince，saying:’KeepthisringinmemoryofMilitza，andthinkofhersometimesifyouneverseeheragain。Butifyourloveisreallytrue，comeandfindmeinmyownkingdom。Imaynotshowyouthewaythere，butthisringwillguideyou。
’Ifyouhaveloveandcourageenoughtoundertakethisjourney，wheneveryoucometoacross-roadalwayslookatthisdiamondbeforeyousettlewhichwayyouaregoingtotake。Ifitsparklesasbrightlyasevergostraighton，butifitslustreisdimmedchooseanotherpath。’
ThenMilitzabentoverthePrinceandkissedhimonhisforehead，andbeforehehadtimetosayawordshevanishedthroughthebranchesofthetreeinalittlewhitecloud。
Morningbroke，andthePrince，stillfullofthewonderfulapparition，lefthisperchandreturnedtothepalacelikeoneinadream，withoutevenknowingifthefruithadbeentakenornot；
forhiswholemindwasabsorbedbythoughtsofMilitzaandhowhewastofindher。
Assoonasthehead-gardenersawthePrincegoingtowardsthepalaceherantothetrees，andwhenhesawthemladenwithripefruithehastenedtotelltheKingthejoyfulnews。TheKingwasbesidehimselfforjoy，andhurriedatoncetothegardenandmadethegardenerpickhimsomeofthefruit。Hetastedit，andfoundtheapplequiteaslusciousasithadbeeninhisdream。
HewentatoncetohissonIwanich，andafterembracinghimtenderlyandheapingpraisesonhim，heaskedhimhowhehadsucceededinprotectingthecostlyfruitfromthepowerofthemagician。
ThisquestionplacedIwanichinadilemma。Butashedidnotwanttherealstorytobeknown，hesaidthataboutmidnightahugewasphadflownthroughthebranches，andbuzzedincessantlyroundhim。Hehadwardeditoffwithhissword，andatdawn，whenhewasbecomingquitewornout，thewasphadvanishedassuddenlyasithadappeared。
TheKing，whoneverdoubtedthetruthofthistale，badehissongotorestatonceandrecoverfromthefatiguesofthenight；
buthehimselfwentandorderedmanyfeaststobeheldinhonourofthepreservationofthewonderfulfruit。
Thewholecapitalwasinastir，andeveryonesharedintheKing’sjoy；thePrincealonetooknopartinthefestivities。
