The Old Woman in the Wood 森林里的老太婆

A poor servant-girl was once travelling with the family with which she
was in service, through a great forest, and when they were in the
midst of it, robbers came out of the thicket, and murdered all they
found. All perished together except the girl, who had jumped out of
the carriage in a fright, and hidden herself behind a tree. When the
robbers had gone away with their booty, she came out and beheld the
great disaster. Then she began to weep bitterly, and said, "What can
a poor girl like me do now? I do not know how to get out of the forest,
no human being lives in it, so I must certainly starve." She walked about
and looked for a road, but could find none. When it was evening she seated
herself under a tree, gave herself into God's keeping, and resolved to sit
waiting there and not go away, let what might happen. When, however, she had
sat there for a while, a white dove came flying to her with a little golden key in
its mouth. It put the little key in her hand, and said, "Dost thou see that great tree,
therein is a little lock, it opens with the tiny key, and there thou wilt find food enough,
and suffer no more hunger." Then she went to the tree and opened it, and found
milk in a little dish, and white bread to break into it, so that she could eat her
fill. When she was satisfied, she said, "It is now the time when the hens at home
go to roost, I am so tired I could go to bed too." Then the dove flew to her
again, and brought another golden key in its bill, and said, "Open that tree there,
and thou willt find a bed." So she opened it, and found a beautiful white bed, and
she prayed God to protect her during the night, and lay down and slept. In the morning
the dove came for the third time, and again brought a little key, and said, "Open
that tree there, and thou wilt find clothes." And when she opened it, she found
garments beset with gold and with jewels, more splendid than those of any king's
daughter. So she lived there for some time, and the dove came every day and
provided her with all she needed, and it was a quiet good life.
Once, however, the dove came and said, "Wilt thou do something for my
sake?" "With all my heart," said the girl. Then said the little
dove, "I will guide thee to a small house; enter it, and inside it, an
old woman will be sitting by the fire and will say, 'Good-day.' But
on thy life give her no answer, let her do what she will, but pass
by her on the right side; further on, there is a door, which open,
and thou wilt enter into a room where a quantity of rings of all kinds
are lying, amongst which are some magnificent ones with shining
stones; leave them, however, where they are, and seek out a plain
one, which must likewise be amongst them, and bring it here to me as
quickly as thou canst." The girl went to the little house, and came to the door.
There sat an old woman who stared when she saw her, and said, "Good-day my
child." The girl gave her no answer, and opened the door. "Whither away,"
cried the old woman, and seized her by the gown, and wanted to hold her fast,
saying, "That is my house; no one can go in there if I choose not to allow it."
But the girl was silent, got away from her, and went straight into the room.
Now there lay on the table an enormous quantity of rings, which gleamed
and glittered before her eyes. She turned them over and looked for the plain
one, but could not find it. While she was seeking, she saw the old woman and
how she was stealing away, and wanting to get off with a bird-cage which she
had in her hand. So she went after her and took the cage out of her hand, and
when she raised it up and looked into it, a bird was inside which had the plain
ring in its bill. Then she took the ring, and ran quite joyously home with it,
and thought the little white dove would come and get the ring, but it did
not. Then she leant against a tree and determined to wait for the dove,
and, as she thus stood, it seemed just as if the tree was soft and pliant,
and was letting its branches down. And suddenly the branches twined
around her, and were two arms, and when she looked round, the tree
was a handsome man, who embraced and kissed her heartily, and said,
"Thou hast delivered me from the power of the old woman, who is a
wicked witch. She had changed me into a tree, and every day for two
hours I was a white dove, and so long as she possessed the ring I
could not regain my human form." Then his servants and his horses,
who had likewise been changed into trees, were freed from the
enchantment also, and stood beside him. And he led them forth to his
kingdom, for he was a King's son, and they married, and lived happily.