Golden Bird in English _ Stories for Teenagers _ @EnglishFairyTales

English Aqsa's Stories

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00:00Once upon a time, there lived a king who owned the most special apple tree in the world.

00:06The tree bore apples made of gold.

00:09Every day, the gardener would count apples and hand it over to the king.

00:14An apple is missing!

00:16The king was angry when the gardener informed him about the missing apples.

00:21The thief will not get away with this!

00:24The king was angry when the gardener informed him about the missing apples.

00:28The thief will not be spared!

00:32That night, the gardener put his eldest son on the security of the apple tree.

00:37But around midnight, the eldest son fell asleep.

00:43Next morning, again, one apple was missing.

00:46I will post my second son on the security duty today!

00:52Night fell, and the second son of the gardener too fell asleep around midnight.

00:58Next morning, again, one apple was missing.

01:02The third and the youngest son of the gardener offered to guard the tree that night.

01:09Come on, apple thief! Show yourself!

01:13As the clock struck twelve, he heard a rustling noise in the air.

01:18And a bird came flying that was of pure gold.

01:22And, as it was snapping at one of the apples with its beak,

01:26the gardener's son jumped up and shot an arrow at it.

01:31But the arrow did the bird no harm.

01:33Only, it dropped a golden feather from its tail, and then flew away.

01:40The golden feather was brought to the king in the morning, and the council was called.

01:46Everyone agreed that it was worth more than all the wealth of the kingdom.

01:51One feather is of no use to me! I must have the whole bird!

01:56Who is brave enough to bring me that golden bird?

02:01The gardener's eldest son took upon this task.

02:05Bravo!

02:07And the eldest son set out to find the golden bird.

02:11And when he came to a wood, and by the side of the woods he saw a fox sitting,

02:16so he took his bow ready to shoot at it.

02:21Do not shoot me, for I will give you good counsel.

02:25I know what your business is, and that you want to find the golden bird.

02:33So, hear me well.

02:36You will reach a village in the evening.

02:38You will see two inns opposite to each other,

02:42one of which is very pleasant and beautiful to look at,

02:46the other one is very shabby to look at.

02:49Choose the shabby one to rest for the night.

02:54But the son thought to himself,

02:56what can such a beast as this know about the matter?

03:00So he shot his arrow at the fox,

03:03but he missed it and the fox ran into the woods.

03:07Then he went his way and came to the village where the two inns were.

03:12And in one of these were people singing and dancing and feasting,

03:17but the other looked very dirty and poor.

03:20He thought to himself,

03:22I would be very silly if I went to that shabby house.

03:27So he went into the smart house and ate and drank at his ease.

03:33And forgot the bird and his country too.

03:37Time passed on and as the eldest son did not come back,

03:42the second son set out and the same thing happened to him.

03:47He met the fox, he gave him the advice,

03:50but when he came to the two inns,

03:52his eldest brother called to him in the beautiful inn

03:56and he went in and forgot the golden bird and his country in the same manner.

04:02Time passed on again and the youngest son too wished to seek for the golden bird.

04:10Please father, let me go.

04:13But his father was afraid.

04:15I already lost my two sons.

04:19But you won't lose me father, trust me.

04:23At last the gardener agreed.

04:26And as he came to the wood,

04:28he met the fox and heard the same good counsel.

04:32Go to the boar house if you wish to reach the golden bird.

04:39Thank you old wise fox.

04:41Sit upon my tail and you will travel faster.

04:46Soon they reached the village.

04:49The son went to the shabby inn and rested there all night.

04:53In the morning came the fox again with another good advice.

04:58Now go straight forward till you come to a castle.

05:02Before which lies a whole troop of soldiers fast asleep.

05:07Take no notice of them.

05:09Go into the castle and you will find a room

05:13where the golden bird sits in a wooden cage.

05:16Close by it stands a beautiful golden cage.

05:20But don't try to change the cage, otherwise you will repent it.

05:26Then the fox stretched out his tail again.

05:29And the young man sat himself down and reached before the castle gate.

05:34And the son went in and found the chamber just as fox had told him.

05:41It would be a very droll thing to bring away such a fine bird in this shabby cage.

05:48But as soon as he opened the door to change the cage,

05:52the bird let out a loud scream alerting the sleeping soldiers.

05:57He was taken prisoner.

06:00The next morning the court sat to judge him.

06:03And when all was heard, it sentenced him to die.

06:08Oh merciful king, please spare my life.

06:13You will be spared on one condition.

06:16Bring me the golden horse which could run as swiftly as the wind.

06:20And I will spare your life and also give you the golden bird.

06:26He set out on his journey when his friend the fox met him.

06:31You see now what has happened on account of your not listening to my counsel?

06:36But you are a good lad.

06:38Hence I will still help you to find the golden horse.

06:43You must go straight on till you come to the castle where the horse stands in his stall.

06:49By his side will lie the groom fast asleep and snoring.

06:54Take away the horse quietly.

06:57But be sure to put the old leathern saddle upon him

07:01and not the golden one that is close by it.

07:05All went right, but when the son looked at the horse he thought.

07:10I will give him the golden saddle.

07:12I am sure he deserves it.

07:15But as he took up the golden saddle the groom awoke and cried out loud

07:21that all the guards ran in and took him prisoner and was sentenced to die.

07:27But he pleaded again.

07:30If you manage to bring the beautiful princess to me, I will spare your life.

07:35And you can also have the bird and the horse.

07:40Then he went his way and again met the old fox.

07:45If you had listened to me, you would have carried away both the bird and the horse.

07:51Yet I will help you once more.

07:54Go straight on and you will arrive at a castle.

07:58Go up to her and give her a kiss.

08:01At midnight the princess goes to the bathing house

08:04and she will let you lead her away.

08:06But take care, you do not suffer her to go and take leave of her father and mother.

08:14As they came to the castle all was as the fox had said.

08:19And midnight the young man met the princess and gave her the kiss.

08:24And the princess agreed to run away with him.

08:27But she begged with many tears that he would let her take leave of her father.

08:32At last he consented.

08:34But the moment she came to her father's house, he was taken prisoner again.

08:39You shall never have my daughter,

08:42unless in eight days you dig away the hill that stops the view from my window.

08:51Now this hill was so big that the whole world could not take it away.

08:56And after seven days and had done very little,

08:59he sat there hopeless when his friend the fox comes there to help him again.

09:05Go to sleep, I will work for you.

09:11And in the morning the hill was gone.

09:14The happy king gave his daughter to him and away went the young man and the princess.

09:20And again he met the fox.

09:23You can have all three, the princess, the horse and the bird.

09:29Really? But how?

09:31Listen carefully. Go to the king and give him the princess.

09:36Then he will be very joyful and you will mount the golden horse

09:42and put out your hand to take leave of them.

09:45Shake hands with the princess last.

09:49Then lift her quickly onto the horse and gallop away as fast as you can.

09:55Then go to the castle where the bird is.

09:58I will stay with the princess at the door.

10:01Show the horse to the kind horse and he will bring out the bird

10:06and say that you want to look at it to see whether it is the true golden bird.

10:12And when you get it into your hand, ride away.

10:18Everything happened as the fox said.

10:21Thank you dear friend for your good counsel. I am indebted to you.

10:27If so, then pray kill me.

10:33What? I will do no such thing. You are my friend.

10:39Okay, it is your wish but I will give you good counsel.

10:45Beware of two things on your way back.

10:48Ransom no one from the gallows and don't sit down by the side of the river.

10:56He rode on with the princess till at last he came to the village

11:00where he had left his two brothers.

11:03And there he heard a great noise and uproar.

11:06He saw two men are going to be hanged.

11:11Curious, he went nearer and saw that the two men were his brothers

11:16who had turned into robbers.

11:19Take away all my money but spare my brothers.

11:25After rescuing his brothers, they all came to the woods

11:29where the fox first met them.

11:31And the two brothers said,

11:33Let us sit down by the side of the river and rest a while to eat and drink.

11:39So agreed, forgetting the fox's counsel,

11:42sat down on the side of the river.

11:45And while he suspected nothing,

11:47they came behind and threw him down the bank,

11:50took the princess, the horse, the bird,

11:53and went home to the king, their master.

11:58O great lord, we are back with the golden bird and more.

12:02All this we have won by our labor.

12:06Then there was great rejoicing made,

12:09but the horse would not eat, the bird would not sing,

12:13and the princess wept.

12:15The youngest son fell to the bottom of the river's bed.

12:19Luckily it was nearly dry,

12:21but the bank was so steep that he could find no way to get out.

12:26Then the old fox came once more to his rescue.

12:31If you just listen to me, no evil would have befallen him.

12:36Yet you are my friend. I cannot leave you here.

12:40So lay hold of my tail and hold fast.

12:44He pulled him out of the river.

12:48Your brothers have set watch to kill you if they find you in the kingdom.

12:54So he dressed himself as a poor man

12:57and came secretly to the king's court

12:59and was scarcely within the doors when the horse began to eat

13:04and the bird began to sing and princess left off weeping.

13:09Then he went to the king and told him all his brothers' roguery.

13:15They were seized and punished,

13:17and he had the princess given to him again.

13:22And after the king's death, he was heir to his kingdom.

13:26A long while after, he went to walk one day in the woods,

13:31and the old fox met him,

13:33and he besought him with tears in his eyes to kill him.

13:38Please, my friend, I ask you this one favor. Please do it.

13:46And the youngest son sadly agrees.

13:49As soon as the fox was killed, it was chained into a man.

13:54And as it turned out, the fox was the brother of the princess

13:59who had been lost a great many years.

14:24The End

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