The Three Golden Hairs

Sham S.Misri

A rich, mighty king once went hunting, and wandered himself in a great forest. In the evening he came to a hut, in which lived a poor man. The king asked the poor man his way to the city. The poor man answered, 'Sir, I cannot go with you as my wife lies sick, and this very night will bring a child into the world. Stay here for the night, and to-morrow I will guide you to the city.'

Sham S. Misri

The king agreed, and stayed there. At midnight, the poor man’s wife delivered a beautiful boy. The king could not sleep. He got up and looked through a hole into the room where the sick woman lay. He saw her sleeping in her bed and her husband was also fast asleep. The baby was in its cradle with three ladies in white standing round it.

The king heard one say, 'I wish this boy a misfortune.' The second said, 'And I grant him a means to turn this misfortune to good.' The third said, 'I will arrange for his marriage with the daughter of the king who is now in the next room. At this very moment king’s wife delivers a girl of marvelous beauty.'

The three ladies then depart. The king thought to kill t he newly born baby. Early next morning the poor man came weeping, to the king, 'My poor wife is dead. What can I do with the little child?'

The king answered, quite rejoiced, 'I am the king, and will take care for the child. Only show me the way to the city, and I will send one of my servants to fetch the child.'

The poor man guided the king to the city. When he reached the palace, the king sent a servant back with secret instructions to throw the boy into the river to drown. When the servant was returning from the forest with the child, he threw the child along with the basket and all, into the river, and told the king, 'Most gracious king, I have done as you commanded me.' The king rewarded him, and went to his wife, who the night before had delivered a girl of marvelous beauty.

The basket with the boy was seen by a fisherman. He drew it out, and took the child home to his wife. They both rejoiced greatly at the sight of this pretty boy. As they had no children they kept him and brought him up. Twenty years passed, the boy, called Nameless, grew up as a pretty lad.

Once the king passed the fisherman's hut, and saw the fair young boy. He entered the hut and asked the fisherman, 'Is this pretty young boy your son?' 'No,' said the fisherman, 'twenty years ago I fished him out of the water.' Then the king was very much terrified and said presently, I will write a letter to the queen, and this lad shall take it to her.'

So he wrote this letter: 'Dear wife, have this lad put forthwith to death, else he will undo us all.'

Nameless set out with the letter for the queen, but on his way to the city lost himself in a forest, and there he met a lady in white who said to him, 'You have lost yourself. Come to my hut, and rest a bit; then I'll take you to the queen.'

She led Nameless to her hut, and there he fell fast asleep. The old lady took the letter from his pocket, burnt it, and put another letter instead. When the lad awoke, to his great amazement he found himself in front of the king's house. He went to the queen and gave her the letter, in which stood written: 'Dear wife, at once call the pope, and let this lad be married to our daughter. I wish him to marry her; else a great ill will befall us.' The queen did as her husband, the king, desired. She called the pope, and, Nameless and the king's fair daughter became boy’s wife. When the king came home and learnt of this wedding, he had the letter brought, and saw it was his own handwriting. Then he asked his son-in-law where he had been and whom he had spoken with. When Nameless told him about the lady in white, the king knew that the fairy had aided him. The king never wanted Nameless to be his son-in-law. The king wanted Nameless to get killed. So, he said, 'Go into the world and fetch me three golden hairs from the head of the Sun-King, then shall you be king along with me.'

Sadly, Nameless set out, for he loved his young wife, and she too loved him dearly. As he wandered on he reached a black lake. He saw a white boat floating on the water. He cried to the old man in it, to ferry me over.' The old man answered, 'I will take you across if you'll promise to bring me word how to escape out of this boat, for only then can I die.'

Nameless promised, and the old man ferried him over the black water. Soon after, Nameless came to a great city, where an old man asked him, 'Which way?'

'To the Sun-King,' said Nameless.

Come, I'll take you to our king, who'll have something to say to you.'

Nameless went to the king. The king said, 'Twenty years ago there was a spring in our city. Anybody who drank water from it, grew young. The spring has vanished. Only the Sun-King knows where it has gone. You are going to him, so ask him where it is and bring us word.'

Nameless promised him to bring word on his return. Some days after, he came to another city. There an old man met him and asked, 'Where you have to go?'

'To the Sun-King,' said Nameless.

'That's capital. Come, meet our king. He may have something to tell you.'

Nameless met the king. The king said, 'Twenty years ago a tree in this city bore golden apples. Anyone who ate of those apples grew strong and healthy, and did not die. But now for twenty years this tree does not give any fruit. Only the Sun-King knows the reason why. So when you go to him, ask him about it, and bring us word.' Nameless promised him to bring word on his return.

Some days after, he reached a great mountain, and there saw an old lady in white sitting in front of a beautiful house. She asked him, 'Whither away?'

'I try to find the Sun-King,' said Nameless. 'Come in then,' said the old lady. 'I am the mother of the Sun-King. I daily fly out of this house as a little child, at mid-day become a man, and return in the evening as an old man.'

She brought Nameless into the house, and made him tell her his story. He told her of the man on the black lake, of the spring, and of the tree that used to bear golden apples.

Then, the old lady said, 'I will ask my son all about that. But come; let me hide you; for if my son finds you here he'll burn you up.' She hid Nameless in a great vessel of water. At evening the Sun-King came home, a feeble old man with golden hair on his head. When he had eaten and drunk, he laid his golden head in his mother's lap and fell fast asleep. Then the old lady took out a golden hair, and he cried, 'Mother, why won't you let me sleep?'

The old lady answered, 'I saw a dream. I saw a city with a tree which used to bear golden apples. Anyone who ate them grew well, healthy, and did not die. For twenty years now the tree has not borne any fruit. The people do not know what they ought to do.'

The Sun-King said, 'They should kill the serpent that eats the root of the tree.'

Again he slept, and after a while his mother took out a second hair. The Sun-King cried, 'Mother, what's the meaning of this? Why can't you let me sleep?'

The old lady answered, 'My dear son, I dreamed of a city with a spring. Anyone who drank of it grew young again. For twenty years the spring has stopped to flow. The people know not what they should do.'

The Sun-King said, 'A great toad is blocking the source of the spring. They should kill the toad, and then the spring will flow as before.'

Again he slept, and after a while the old lady in white took out a third hair. The Sun-King cried, Mother, let me sleep.' The old lady answered, 'I saw in a dream a great black lake with an old man rowing about it in a boat, and he doesn't know how to escape from the boat, for only then can he die.'

The Sun-King said, 'Next time he takes any one over, let him hand him the oars and jump ashore himself; then the other must stop in the boat, and the old man can die.'

Again he slept. Early next morning the Sun-King arose as a lovely child, and flew out of the window. The old lady gave Nameless the three hairs and said, 'Now go to your wife, and give the king the three hairs. I had done well for you at your birth as I promised my sisters. Farewell to you.'

She kissed Nameless, and led him go, and he started off homewards. When he came to the city where the spring had ceased to flow, he told the people to kill the great toad that blocked up the source. They found the toad, and killed it; then the spring flowed again. When Nameless came to the city where for twenty years the tree had ceased to bear golden apples, he told the people to kill the serpent that was gnawing the roots of the tree. The people dug and found the serpent, and killed it. Then the tree again bore golden fruit. When Nameless reached the black lake, the old man would not take him across. But Nameless said if he would, he would tell him the secret then. The old man took him across the black water. When he was out of the boat he told the old man to hand his oars to the next passenger and then jump ashore himself; so he would be free and at last could die, but the other would have to go rowing about on the lake.

Nameless soon got back home, and gave the king the three golden hairs. His wife rejoiced greatly. Then Nameless told of the spring and the golden apples to the king. He was delighted and cried, 'I too must drink of this spring; I too must eat of these golden apples.' He set out quickly, but when he reached the black lake, the old man handed him the oars and jumped ashore. And the king could not leave the boat, and had to stop there on the water. As he never came home, Nameless became king of the country, and lived with his beautiful bride in peace and prosperity.