Author: Brothers Grimm

About a thousand years ago, there were only small kings in this land, and one of them who lived on Keuterberg loved hunting. One day, while he was riding out from his castle with his huntsmen, three girls were watching their cows on the mountain. When they saw the King with all his followers, the eldest girl pointed to him and called to the other two, "Hey! If I don't get that one, I will have none." Then the second girl pointed to the one on the King's right and said, "Hey! If I don't get that one, I will have none." The youngest pointed to the one on the left and said, "Hey! If I don't get him, I will have no one." These were the two ministers. The King heard all this, and when he returned from the hunt, he had the three girls brought to him and asked what they had said on the mountain. They wouldn't tell him, so the King asked the eldest if she really would take him for her husband. She said, "Yes," and the two ministers married the two sisters, for they were all three beautiful, especially the Queen, who had hair like flax. But the two sisters had no children, and once when the King had to leave home, he invited them to visit the Queen to cheer her, for she was about to have a child. She had a little boy who was born with a bright red star. Then the two sisters said to each other they would throw the beautiful boy into the water. When they threw him in (I believe it was the Weser), a little bird flew up and sang, "To your death you are sped, Until God's word is said. In the white lily bloom, Brave boy, is your tomb." When they heard that, they were terrified and ran away quickly. When the King came home, they told him the Queen had given birth to a dog. The King said, "What God does is well done!" But a fisherman who lived near the water found the boy alive and, as his wife had no children, they raised him. A year later, the King went away again, and the Queen had another boy, whom the sisters also threw into the water. Again, a little bird flew up and sang, "To your death you are sped, Until God's word is said. In the white lily bloom, Brave boy, is your tomb." When the King returned, they told him the Queen had given birth to a dog again, and he said, "What God does is well done." The fisherman found this boy too and raised him.

The King went away once more, and the Queen had a little girl, whom the sisters also threw into the water. Again, a little bird flew up and sang, "To your death you are sped, Until God's word is said. In the white lily bloom, Bonny girl, is your tomb." When the King came home, they told him the Queen had given birth to a cat. The King became angry and ordered his wife to be imprisoned, where she stayed for many years.

Meanwhile, the children grew up. The eldest once went fishing with other boys, but they wouldn't let him join and said, "Go away, foundling." This troubled him, and he asked the old fisherman if it was true. The fisherman told him he had found him in the water while fishing. So the boy decided to find his father. The fisherman begged him to stay, but he insisted, and finally, the fisherman agreed. The boy traveled for many days until he reached a large body of water where an old woman was fishing. "Good day, mother," said the boy. "Thank you," she replied. "You'll fish for a long time before you catch anything." "And you'll search for a long time before you find your father. How will you get across the water?" she asked. "God knows." The old woman carried him across on her back, and he searched for a long time but couldn't find his father.