As a merry young huntsman was once going briskly along through a wood, there came up a little old woman, and said to him, \\u0027Good day,good day; you seem merry enough, but I am hungry and thirsty; do pray give me something to eat.\\u0027 The huntsman took pity on her, and put his hand in his pocket and gave her what he had. Then he wanted to go his way; but she took hold of him, and said, \\u0027Listen,my friend, to what I am going to tell you; I will reward you for your kindness; go your way, and after a little time you will come to a tree where you will see nine birds sitting on a cloak. Shoot into the midst of them,and one will fall down dead: the cloak will fall too;take it, it is a wishing-cloak, and when you wear it you will find yourself at any place where you may wish to be. Cut open the dead bird, take out its heart and keep it, and you will find a piece of gold under your pillow every morning when you rise. It is the bird\\u0027s heart that will bring you this good luck.\\u0027
The huntsman thanked her, and thought to himself,\\u0027If all this does happen, it will be a fine thing for me.\\u0027When he had gone a hundred steps or so, he heard a screaming and chirping in the branches over him, and looked up and saw a flock of birds pulling a cloak with their bills and feet; screaming, fighting, and tugging at each other as if each wished to have it himself. \\u0027Well,\\u0027said the huntsman, \\u0027this is wonderful; this happens just as the old woman said\\u0027; then he shot into the midst of them so that their feathers flew all about. Off went the flock chattering away; but one fell down dead, and the cloak with it. Then the huntsman did as the old woman told him, cut open the bird, took out the heart, and carried the cloak home with him.
The next morning when he awoke he lifted up his pillow, and there lay the piece of gold glittering underneath; the same happened next day, and indeed every day when he arose. He heaped up a great deal of gold, and at last thought to himself, \\u0027Of what use is this gold to me whilst I am at home? I will go out into the world and look about me.\\u0027
Then he took leave of his friends, and hung his bag and bow about his neck, and went his way. It so happened that his road one day led through a thick wood, at the end of which was a large castle in a green meadow, and at one of the windows stood an old woman with a very beautiful young lady by her side looking about them. Now the old woman was a witch,and said to the young lady, \\u0027There is a young man coming out of the wood who carries a wonderful prize;we must get it away from him, my dear child, for it is more fit for us than for him. He has a bird\\u0027s heart that brings a piece of gold under his pillow every morning.\\u0027Meantime the huntsman came nearer and looked at the lady, and said to himself, \\u0027I have been travelling so long that I should like to go into this castle and rest myself, for I have money enough to pay for anything I want\\u0027; but the real reason was, that he wanted to see more of the beautiful lady. Then he went into the house, and was welcomed kindly; and it was not long before he was so much in love that he thought of nothing else but looking at the lady\\u0027s eyes, and doing everything that she wished. Then the old woman said,\\u0027Now is the time for getting the bird\\u0027s heart.\\u0027 So the lady stole it away, and he never found any more gold under his pillow, for it lay now under the young lady\\u0027s,and the old woman took it away every morning; but he was so much in love that he never missed his prize.
\\u0027Well,\\u0027 said the old witch, \\u0027we have got the bird\\u0027s heart, but not the wishing-cloak yet, and that we must also get.\\u0027 \\u0027Let us leave him that,\\u0027 said the young lady;\\u0027he has already lost his wealth.\\u0027 Then the witch was very angry, and said, \\u0027Such a cloak is a very rare and wonderful thing, and I must and will have it.\\u0027 So she did as the old woman told her, and set herself at the window, and looked about the country and seemed very sorrowful; then the huntsman said, \\u0027What makes you so sad?\\u0027 \\u0027Alas! dear sir,\\u0027 said she, \\u0027yonder lies the granite rock where all the costly diamonds grow, and I want so much to go there, that whenever I think of it I cannot help being sorrowful, for who can reach it?only the birds and the flies—man cannot.\\u0027 \\u0027If that\\u0027s all your grief,\\u0027 said the huntsman, \\u0027I\\u0027ll take you there with all my heart\\u0027; so he drew her under his cloak, and the moment he wished to be on the granite mountain they were both there. The diamonds glittered so on all sides that they were delighted with the sight and picked up the finest. But the old witch made a deep sleep come upon him, and he said to the young lady, \\u0027Let us sit down and rest ourselves a little, I am so tired that I cannot stand any longer.\\u0027 So they sat down, and he laid his head in her lap and fell asleep; and whilst he was sleeping on she took the cloak from his shoulders,hung it on her own, picked up the diamonds, and wished herself home again.