Fundevogel

There  was  once  a  forester  who  went  into  the  forest  to  hunt,  and  as  he  entered  it  he  heard  a  sound  of  screaming,  as  if  a  little  child  were  there.  He  followed  the  sound  and  at  last  came  to  a  high  tree.  And  at  the  top  of  this  a  little  child  was  sitting,  for  the  mother  had  fallen  asleep  under  the  tree  with  the  tree  with  the  child.  And  the  bird  of  prey  had  seen  it  in  her  arms,  had  flown  down,  snatched  it  away  and  set  it  on  the  high  tree.  The  forester  climbed  up,  brought  the  child  down,  and  thought  to  himself  you  will  take  him  home  with  you  and  bring  him  up  with  your  lineup.

He  took  it  home,  therefore,  and  the  two  children  grew  up  together.  And  the  one  which  he  had  found  on  a  tree  was  called  Fundivogle  because  a  bird  had  carried  it  away.  Fundivogle  and  Lena  loved  each  other  so  dearly  that  when  they  did  not  see  each  other,  they  were  sad.  Now  the  forester  had  an  old  cook  who  one  evening  took  two  pails  and  began  to  fetch  water  and  did  not  go  once  only,  but  many  times  out  to  the  spring.  Lena  saw  this  and  said  listen,  Old  Sana,  why  are  you  fetching  so  much  water?

If  you  will  never  repeat  it  to  anyone,  I  will  tell  you  why.  Selena  said  no,  she  would  never  repeat  it  to  anyone.  And  then  the  cook  said  early  tomorrow  morning,  when  the  forester  is  out  hunting,  I  will  he  at  the  water,  and  when  it  is  boiling  in  the  kettle,  I  will  throw  in  in  the  kettle  I  will  throw  in  Fundivoxel  and  will  boil  him  in  it.  Early  next  morning  the  forester  got  up  and  went  out  hunting,  and  when  he  was  gone  the  children  were  still  in  bed.  Then  Lena  said  to  Funda  Vogel,  if  you  will  never  leave  me,  I  too  will  never  leave  you.

Funda  Vogel  said,  neither  now  nor  ever  will  I  leave  you.  Then  said  Lena,  then  will  I  tell  you.  Last  night  Old  Santa  carried  so  many  buckets  of  water  into  the  house  that  I  asked  her  why  she  was  doing  that,  and  she  said  that  if  I  would  promise  not  to  tell  anyone.  And  she  said  that  early  tomorrow  morning  when  father  was  out  hunting,  she  would  set  the  kettle  full  of  water,  throw  you  into  it  and  boil  you,  but  we  will  get  up  quickly,  dress  ourselves  and  go  away  together.  The  two  children,  therefore  got  up,  dressed  themselves  quickly,  and  went  away.

When  the  water  in  the  kettle  was  boiling,  the  cook  went  into  the  bedroom  to  fetch  Fund  a  Vogel  and  throw  him  into  it.  But  when  she  came  in  and  went  to  the  beds,  both  the  children  were  gone.  Then  she  was  terribly  alarmed,  and  she  said  to  herself,  what  shall  I  say  now?  When  the  forester  comes  home  and  sees  that  the  children  are  gone,  they  must  be  followed  instantly  to  get  them  back  again.  Then  the  cook  sent  three  servants  after  them  who  were  to  run  and  overtake  the  children.

The  children,  however,  were  sitting  outside  the  forest,  and  when  they  saw  from  afar  the  three  servants  running,  Lena  said  to  Fundevogle,  never  leave  me,  and  I  will  never  leave  you.  Fundevogel  said,  neither  now  nor  ever.  Then  said  Lena,  do  you  become  a  rose  tree,  and  I  the  rose  upon  it?  When  the  three  servants  came  to  the  forest,  nothing  was  there  but  a  rose  tree  and  one  rose  on  it.  But  the  children  were  nowhere.

Then  said  they,  there  is  nothing  to  be  done  here.  And  they  went  home  and  told  the  cook  that  they  had  seen  nothing  in  the  forest  but  a  little  rose  bush  with  one  rose  on  it.  Then  the  old  cook  scolded  and  said,  you  simpletons.  You  should  have  cut  the  rose  bush  in  two  and  have  broken  off  the  rose  and  brought  it  home  with  you.  Go  and  do  it  at  once.

They  had  therefore,  to  go  out  and  look  for  the  second  time.  The  children,  however,  saw  them  coming  from  a  distance.  Then  Lena  said,  Fundevogel,  never  leave  me,  and  I  will  never  leave  you.  Funda  Vogel  said,  neither  now  nor  ever,  said  Lena,  then  do  you  become  a  church,  and  I'll  be  the  chandelier  in  it.  So  when  the  three  servants  came,  nothing  was  there  but  a  church  with  a  chandelier  in  it.

They  said  therefore  to  each  other,  what  can  we  do  here?  Let  us  go  home.  When  they  got  home,  the  cook  asked  if  they  had  not  found  them.  So  they  said  no,  they  had  found  nothing  but  a  church,  and  there  was  a  chandelier  in  it.  And  the  cook  scolded  them  and  said,  you  fools,  why  did  you  not  pull  the  church  to  pieces  and  bring  the  chandelier  home  with  you?

And  now  the  old  cook  herself  got  on  her  legs  and  went  with  the  three  servants  in  pursuit  of  the  children.  The  children,  however,  saw  from  afar  that  the  three  servants  were  coming,  and  the  cook  waddling  after  them.  Then  said  Lena,  Fundevogle,  never  leave  me,  and  I  will  never  leave  you.  Then  said  Funda  Vogel,  neither  now  nor  ever,  said  Lena,  be  a  fish  pond,  and  I  will  be  the  duck  upon  it.  The  cook,  however,  came  up  to  them,  and  when  she  saw  the  pond,  she  lay  down  by  it  and  was  about  to  drink  it  up.

But  the  duck  swam  quickly  to  her,  seized  her  head  in  its  beak  and  drew  her  into  the  water,  and  there  the  old  witch  had  to  drown.  Then  the  children  went  home  together  and  were  heartily  delighted,  and  if  they  have  not  died,  they  are  living  still.