Join us at the campfire for tales from around the world, told by storytellers of all backgrounds and creeds. From the heros and heroines of old, let us relearn and rediscover the wisdom of our ancestors. Shhh..the story begins..

There was once a man who was about to depart on a very long journey. Before leaving, he asked his three daughters what he should bring back with him as presents for them. The eldest wished for pearls, the second for diamonds, but the third said, "Dear father, I should like a singing, soaring lark." The man hoped he would be able to find it and promised that, if it were in his power, she should have her wish. Then he kissed all three of them and set out on his travels.

When the time came for him to be on his way back home, he had bought pearls and diamonds for the two eldest, but had searched everywhere in vain for a singing, soaring lark. This made him very unhappy, for his youngest daughter was his favorite child.

His road lay through a forest and in the midst of the forest was a magnificent castle. Near the castle stood a tree and, perched on the topmost branch of the tree, he spied a singing, soaring lark. "Aha," said the delighted man. "You have arrived just at the right moment!"

He ordered his servant to climb up and capture the little bird but, as the servant approached the tree, a lion leapt out from behind it, shook himself, and roared until the leaves on the tree trembled. "He who tries to steal my singing, soaring lark," he bellowed, "I shall devour."

The father said, "I did not know it belonged to you. I will make amends for the wrong I have done and ransom myself with a large sum of money, if only you will spare my life."

"Nothing can save you," growled the lion, "unless you will promise to give to me whatever first meets you upon your return home. If you will do that, I will grant you your life and, into the bargain, you shall have the bird for your daughter."

The father hesitated, saying, "That might be my youngest child. She loves me best and always runs to meet me whenever I arrive." The servant, terrified and shaking in his boots, said, "Why should your daughter be the very one to meet you? It might just as easily be a cat or a dog." The father allowed himself to be persuaded, took the singing, soaring lark, and promised to deliver to the lion whatever should first meet him when he returned home.

When he arrived and entered his house, the first to greet him was none other than his youngest and dearest daughter. She ran to him, kissed and embraced him, and when she saw that he had brought with him a singing, soaring lark, was beside herself with joy. The father, however, could not rejoice. Weeping, he told her tearfully, "My cherished child, the price I had to pay for this little bird was indeed dear. In return for it, I have been obliged to promise you to a savage lion. When he has you, he will surely tear you to pieces and devour you."

He then told her the entire story, as it had happened, and begged her not to go, regardless of the consequences. She consoled him and said softly, "Beloved father, your promise must be fulfilled. I will go to the lion and try to soften his heart, so that I may return safely to you."

The next morning, she made her father give her directions to the lion's whereabouts, took her leave, and went fearlessly into the forest. The lion, however, was an enchanted prince. By day, he and all of his subjects were lions but during the night, they resumed their natural human shapes. The girl was received kindly into the castle upon her arrival and welcomed into the castle. When the moon rose, the lion turned into a handsome young man and when he proposed marriage, she found herself unable to refuse. Their glorious wedding was celebrated with much gaiety, and they found happiness with each other...remaining awake at night and sleeping during the daylight hours.

One day, the prince came to his bride and said, "Tomorrow, there is a feast in your father's house. Your eldest sister is about to be married. If you desire to go, sweetheart, I will instruct my lions to conduct you there."

She was thrilled at the prospect. "I would very much like to see my family again," she told him. "Especially my dear father." So, accompanied by a guard of lions, she was escorted to her former home. There was much gladness when she arrived. Everyone believed she must have been torn to pieces by the lion and long ceased to live. She hastened to assure them that her husband was a very handsome man who kept her in the lap of luxury. When the wedding feast was over, she returned to the forest.

In time, it was the turn of the second daughter to be married, and the youngest daughter was, of course, invited to the ceremonies. "This time," she told the lion, "I would have you come with me." The lion, however, maintained that it was too dangerous for him because while he was there, if a ray from a burning candle fell on him, then he would be changed into a dove and for seven long years would have to fly about with others of that kind. "But I will take great care of you," she insisted. "I will guard you from all light. Please do come with me," she begged and he could deny her nothing. So, they set out for her father's house, taking with them their small child.

Once there, the prince's wife had a chamber built...so strong and so thick that no ray could pierce through it. In this room, he was to shut himself away when the candles were lit for the wedding feast. But the door was made of green wood which warped and left a small crack that no one noticed. The wedding was celebrated with great resplendence, but when the procession with all its candles and torches came back from the church and passed by the prince's apartment, a ray about the breadth of a hair fell on the prince. Instantly, he was transformed. When the prince's wife entered the chamber, she looked but could not see her husband...only a white dove. "For seven years," the dove told her sadly, "I must fly about the world but, at every seventh step you take, I will let fall a drop of red blood and a white feather, and I will show you the way. If you follow the trail, you can release me." With that, the dove flew out the door and she followed him. At every seventh step, a droplet of red blood and a tiny white feather descended to show her the way.

She went continually further and further into the wide world, never looking about her or resting, and the seven years were almost past. Then, she gave thanks, believing they would soon be delivered...but they were far from it! For suddenly, as she was moving onward, no little feather appeared and no tiny drop of red blood fell. When she raised her eyes, the dove had vanished. "In this," she cried, "no man can help me." So she climbed up to the sun and asked him, "You shine into every crevice and over every peak. Have you seen a white dove flying?"

"No," replied the sun. "I have seen none, but I present you with this casket. Open it only when you are in sorest need." Gratefully, she took the gift and went on until evening came and the moon shimmered in the sky.

"You shine the whole night through and on every field and forest," the prince's wife said to the moon. "Have you seen a white dove flying?" Regretfully, the moon said she had not, adding, "But I will give you this egg. Break it only when you are in great need." She thanked the moon and went on until the north wind came up and blew on her. Then she said to it, "You blow over every tree and under every leaf. Have you seen a white dove flying?"

"No," answered the north wind. "I have seen none, but I will ask the other three winds. Perhaps they have seen it." The east wind and the west wind came but reported they had seen nothing. But the south wind said, "I have seen the white dove. It has flown to the Red Sea and has become a lion again for the seven years are over. He is there fighting with a dragon. The dragon is an enchanted princess."

The north wind then said to the prince's wife, "I will advise you. Go to the Red Sea. On the right bank are some tall reeds. Count them, break off the eleventh one and strike the dragon with it. The lion will then be able to subdue it, and both will regain their human form. After that, look around and you will see a griffin by the shore. Climb onto his back with your husband and the bird will carry you over the sea to your own home." The north wind then gave the prince's wife a nut. "When you are above the center of the sea," he advised her, "let the nut fall. It will immediately shoot up, and out of the water will grow a tall nut tree upon which the griffin may rest. If he cannot rest, he will not be strong enough to carry you all the way across, and if you forget to throw down the nut, he will let you drop into the sea."

Then the prince's wife went hither and thither and found everything to be as the north wind has told her. She counted the reeds, cut off the eleventh and struck the dragon, whereupon the lion overpowered it and both of them immediately regained their human shapes. But when the princess who had been the dragon was delivered from her enchantment, she took the prince by the arm, seated herself on the griffin, and carried him away with her. The poor prince's wife, who had wandered so far and searched so diligently, was again forsaken. She sat down and wept bitter tears but at last took courage and said, "Still I will go as far as the wind blows and as long as the cock crows until I find him." And she went forth by long, long roads until, at last, she came to the castle where both of them were living together.

Once there, she heard that a feast would soon be held to celebrate their wedding, but she said, "God helps me yet," and opened the casket given to her by the sun. A dress lay inside, brilliant as the sun himself. So, she took it out and put it on and went up to the castle. Everyone, even the bride herself, stared with astonishment. The bride was so taken with the gown, that she thought it might be suitable for a wedding dress, so she asked if it was for sale. "Not for money or for land," declared the prince's true wife, "but for flesh and blood." The bride asked what she meant by that and received the answer, "Let me sleep a night in the chamber where the bridegroom sleeps."

The bride at first refused but still wanted very much to have the dress. At last, she consented but told one of the pages to give the prince a sleeping potion. When it was night, therefore, the prince was already asleep when his wife was led into the chamber. She sat on the bed and told his slumbering figure, "I have followed you for seven years. I have been to the sun and the moon and the four winds and have inquired for you and have helped you against the dragon. Will you then quite forget me?" But the prince slept so soundly that it only seemed to him as though the wind were whistling outside in the fir trees. When day broke, she was led out again and had to give up the golden dress, all to no avail. Sadly, she went out to a meadow and cried.

While there, she thought about the egg given to her by the moon. She opened it and out came a clucking hen with twelve chicks, each one of them with gold feathers. They ran about, chirping and creeping under the old hen's wings. The prince's wife had never seen anything so beautiful. She drove them before her through the meadow until the bride-to-be saw them from her casement window. The little chickens were so delightful that she came down at once to ask if they were for sale. "Not for money or land," said the prince's wife again, "but for flesh and blood. Let me sleep another night in the chamber where the bridegroom sleeps." The bride agreed, intending to cheat her as she had the former evening.

When the prince retired, he asked the page what the murmuring and rustling in the night had been. The page then told what he knew...that he had been forced to administer a sleeping potion because a poor lady had slept secretly in the chamber, adding that he had been instructed to do the same that night. Then the prince said, "Pour out the potion by the bedside for I will not drink it."

Later, when the prince's wife was led in and began to relate how badly she had fared, he immediately recognized his beloved wife by her voice. Springing up, he cried, "Now I am truly released! I have been as if in a dream, for the strange princess had bewitched me so that I was compelled to forget you. Thank God I have been delivered from the spell in time." They both secretly left the castle under cover of night, for they feared the father of the princess, who was a powerful sorcerer.

Seating themselves upon the griffin, they flew across the Red Sea and when they were in the midst of the waters, the prince's wife let fall the nut. A tall nut tree grew up in an instant. The bird rested and then carried them home, where they were reunited with their child, who had grown to be a tall and beautiful maiden during their absence. There they did dwell in happiness together for the rest of their lives.