Once upon a time, almost two thousand years ago, there was a rich man and he had a beautiful and devout wife. They loved each other very much, but they didn't have any children although they wanted to, and the woman prayed for it day and night with no effect. In front of their house there was a courtyard where there was a walking pine tree. One winter the woman was standing under it and she was peeling an apple; as she was peeling it with her knife, she cut her finger and her blood fell on the snow. "Ah - said the woman and she sighed deep from her soul and she was watching her blood and her heart was aching with pain - if only I had a child, red as blood and white as snow!" And as she had said it, she started to feel incredible happiness as if her wish had come true. She went back to the house and a month passed by and the snow had melted, two months and the border turned green, three months and flowers started to grow from the soil, four months and all the trees had grown leaves and the leafy branches weaved into each other, and the birds were chirping there and it could be heard all over the forest, and the petals of the flowers fell down from the trees. And the fifth month passed by and the woman was standing under the walking pine tree and the tree smelt so good that the heart of the woman gave a leap from happiness and she fell on her knees and she hardly wanted to go away. After the sixth month the fruits started to get ripe, by then the woman was quiet; and as the seventh month had arrived she gathered berries from the pine tree and she ate them greedily and she became sad and got ill; and the eighth month had arrived and she called over her husband and she said with tears in her eyes: "If I die, bury me under the walking pine tree!" Then her sadness passed away and she was happy until the ninth month had passed by, then she gave birth to a child who was white as snow and red as blood and as she saw it she died from happiness.
Her husband buried her under the walking pine tree and he mourned her with big grief; with time his pain eased, although he sometimes cried, but his sadness passed away soon and after a while he brought home a new wife. From this second wife he had a little daughter and from his previous wife he had a son who was red as blood and white as snow. When the woman looked at her daughter, she was dear to her, but when she looked at the boy, her heart became hard and she felt like the boy was standing in her way. She was always thinking about that, because she wanted her daughter to inherit the whole wealth and this was suggested by the Evil. So she started to loathe the boy and she chased him from one corner to another, and she either slapped him or pinched him. Because of that the boy's life was infinite fear. When he came home from school, he couldn't find a calm place in the house.
Once the woman was in the cellar and her daughter came to her and said: "Mother, give me an apple." - "Here you are, my child." - said the woman and gave her a nice apple from the chest; the chest had a big heavy lid with a big sharp iron latch. "Mother - asked the little girl - doesn't brother get an apple?" The woman became upset, but she said: "Of course he gets when he arrives at home from school." And when she saw the boy approaching from the window, as if the Evil had taken over her and she reached for her daughter and took back the apple saying: "You'll get one when your brother will too." With that she threw the apple into the chest and she closed it; and the boy was already standing at the door and the Evil suggested the woman to talk to him kindly: "My dear son, do you want an apple?" and she was looking at him with hatred. "Mother - said the boy – why are you so angry? Yes, give me an apple." And the woman felt the urge to bait the boy to her. "Come with me - she said to him and lifted the chest's lid - take an apple." And when the boy bent down, the Evil commanded the woman and creech, she shut the lid and it cut down the little child's head and it fell onto the red apples. The woman became mortified and she thought "If only I could brush aside this evil deed!" She went up to her room, she stepped to her wardrobe and she took out a white shawl from the top drawer and she put back the head onto the neck and she tied it with the shawl so that the cut was not visible at all. Then she made him sit on a chair in front of the door and put an apple in his hand.
Then Marlene went to her mother to the kitchen and her mother was standing by the stove and there was a pot full of hot water in front of her and she was stirring it. "Mother - said Marlene - brother is sitting there in front of the door, he is pale as a ghost and he is holding an apple. I asked for an apple, but he didn't answer and now I'm so scared." - "Just go there once again - said her mother - and if he doesn't answer, slap him on the face." Marlene went there and said: "Brother, give me an apple." And he was all quiet and the little girl slapped him on the face. Then his head fell down and the little girl got frightened and she started to cry and scream. She ran to her mother and she exclaimed: "Ah, mother, I have beaten down brother's head!" And she wept and wept and somehow she didn't want to calm down. "Marlene - said her mother - what have you done? But now be quiet or else someone would notice it, we can't undo it; well then we'll cook him in the soup." And Marlene was standing there and she wept and wept and her tears fell into the pot so there was no need of putting salt in the soup.
The father came home and he sat down by the table and asked: "Where is my son?" And the mother brought in a huge bowl and there was black soup in it. And Marlene was crying and she couldn't be consoled. Her father asked again: "Where is my son?" - "Ah - said the mother - he went far-far away, to his grandmother, he wants to stay there." - "What is he doing there? And he didn't even say adieu to me!" - "Oh, he was really eager to leave and he wants to stay there for six weeks; he'll be fine there." - "Ah - said the man - I'm so sad, it's not good, at least he could have said an adieu." With that he started to eat and said: "Marlene, why are you crying? Your brother will certainly come back." - "Ah, woman - said later - from what does this food taste so good? Give me more." And the more he ate the more he craved saying: "Give me more, no one else can eat it, because it's like it was my own flesh." And he ate and ate and he threw all the bones under the table until he ate it all. Marlene went to her wardrobe and she took out her most beautiful silk shawl from the lowest drawer. She collected all the bones and put them in her shawl and she carried them out in front of the door and she was crying bloody tears. Then he put them under the walking pine tree, on the green grass and as she put them there suddenly she cheered up and she wasn't crying anymore. Then the walking tree made a move and it outstretched and then closed its branches. And mist was coming down from the tree and in the mist fire was burning. And a beautiful bird rose from the fire and as it had disappeared, the walking pine tree became quiet as it was before and the shawl full of bones wasn't there anymore. Marlene cheered up and she was happy as if her brother was still alive. She went back to the house in a good mood and she sat by the table and started to eat.
And the little bird flew away and landed on the house of a goldsmith and there he sang a song:
“My mother slaughtered me
My father ate me,
My little sister, Marlene
collected my bones,
wrapped them in a silk shawl,
put them under the walking pine tree,
chirp, chirp,
how beautiful the bird here is!”
The goldsmith was sitting in his workshop and was working on a gold chain as he heard the bird which was sitting on the roof and singing, the song took his fancy. He stood up and as he stepped over the door-step he left one his slippers. Yet he continued his path and he went to the middle of the street, on one of his feet he wore a slipper and stockings on the other and he had his apron on him, holding the chain in one hand and a clam in the other and the sun was shining so bright. The goldsmith stopped and glanced at the bird. “You bird – he said – how beautiful you sing! Sing that song once more.” – “No – the bird responded – the second time is not for free. Give me the gold chain and I’ll sing it once more.” – “Here you are – the goldsmith said – I give you the gold chain, now sing it once more.” The bird came and grabbed the gold chain with his left foot and sat down in front of the goldsmith and sang:
“My mother slaughtered me
My father ate me,
My little sister, Marlene
collected my bones,
wrapped them in a silk shawl,
put them under the walking pine tree,
chirp, chirp,
how beautiful the bird here is!”
Then he flew to a cobbler and sat on the roof of his house and sang:
“My mother slaughtered me
My father ate me,
My little sister, Marlene
collected my bones,
wrapped them in a silk shawl,
put them under the walking pine tree,
chirp, chirp,
how beautiful the bird here is!”
As the cobbler heard it, he ran out wearing only a shirt and looked at the roof and he had to cover his eyes with his hands otherwise the sun would have made him blind.”You bird – he said – how beautiful you sing.” And he shouted through the door: “Woman, come out, there’s a bird here, listen to the bird, how beautiful it sings!” After that he called over his daughter and his apprentices and his servant and his maid, and they all went out on the street and they watched the bird, how beautiful he was and he had red and green feathers and golden ones around his neck, his eyes were shining like stars. “You bird – the cobbler said – sing that song once again.” – “No – the bird said – the second time is not for free, give me something.” – “Woman – said the man – go to the attic and on the top shelf there is a pair of red shoes, bring them down.” The woman came with the shoes. “Here you are, bird – said the man – now sing that song once again.” The bird came and he grabbed the shoes with the claws of his left foot then he flew back to the roof and sang:
“My mother slaughtered me
My father ate me,
My little sister, Marlene
collected my bones,
wrapped them in a silk shawl,
put them under the walking pine tree,
chirp, cbirp,
how beautiful the bird here is!”
And as he sang it he flew awav; holding the chain with his right foot and the shoes with his left foot and he flew far away, to a mill and the mill was running, clip-clap, clip-clap, clip-clap. And twenty millers were sitting in front of the mill's door and they were carving a millstone and they were forging, knock-knock, knock-knock, knock-knock, and the mill was running, clip-clap, clip-clap, clip-clap. The bird flew on a lime tree which was in front of the mill and sang:
“My mother slaughtered me"
then he caught the attention of one of the millers,
"My father ate me",
two other millers started to listen to him,
"My little sister, Marlene"
then he caught the attention of four other's
"collected my bones,
wrapped them in a silk shawl",
only eight millers were forging,
"put them under the walking pine tree",
only five,
"chirp, cbirp",
just one last,
how beautiful the bird here is!”
Then the last one had finished working too and he heard the last notes. "You bird - he said - how beautiful you sing! Let me hear it, sing it once more!" - "No - responded the bird - the second time is not for free, give me the millstone annd I'll sing it once more." - "Yes sir - said the lad - if everyone agrees, you'll get it." - "Yes - the others said - if he sings it once more, we'll give it to him." Then the bird descended and all the twenty millers tryed to lift the millstone with a crow-bar, whoa-whoop, whoa-whoop, whoa-whoop. Then the bird sticked out his head through the hole and with the stone on his shoulders he flew back to the tree and sang:
“My mother slaughtered me
My father ate me,
My little sister, Marlene
collected my bones,
wrapped them in a silk shawl,
put them under the walking pine tree,
chirp, chirp,
how beautiful the bird here is!”
And as he had sung it, he outstretched his wings, and with the chain in his right claws and with the shoes in his left, with the millstone around his neck he flew far-far away, to the house of his father.
The father, the mother and Marlene were sitting by the table inside the house and the father said: “Ah, what’s this brightness; I feel so good!” – “No way – the mother said – I’m rather terrified as if some bad storm was coming.” And Marlene was just sitting and wept and wept. Then the bird flew there and as he flew on the roof, the father said: “Ah, my heart is full of happiness, outside the sun is shining so bright as if I was about to see again some old friend.” – “Naw – the woman said – I’m so afraid that my teeth are clenching together and the blood in my veins runs cold.” And she unbuttoned her vest. Marlene was just sitting in the corner and wept and wept and her handkerchief got soaking wet from her tears. The bird flew on the walking pine tree and sang:
“My mother slaughtered me”,
The mother covered her ears with her hands, closed her eyes so that she could see and hear nothing, but the song was so loud in her ears as the wildest storm and her eyes were burning as if she had to see the apocalypse itself,
“My father ate me”,
“Ah woman – said the man – how lovely this bird is and it sings so beautiful, the sun is shining so bright and there’s such a sweet scent, similar to the scent of cinnamon.
“My little sister, Marlene”,
Marlene raised her head and she wasn’t crying anymore. And the man said: “I must go out, I want to take a closer look at this bird.” – “Ah, don’t go – said the woman – I feel as if the house was shaking and if it was about to be set on fire!” However the man went out and watched the bird.
“collected my bones,
wrapped them in a silk shawl,
put them under the walking pine tree,
chirp, chirp,
how beautiful the bird here is!”
With that the bird dropped the chain and it fell exactly on the man’s neck and it just fitted him perfectly. He went inside the house and said: “Look, what a nice bird, he gifted me this beautiful gold chain, he himself is beautiful too!” But the woman was still trembling with fear and she lied prone in the room and her bonnet slipped from her head. The bird continued singing:
“My mother slaughtered me”,
“Ah, if only I were thousand feet below the ground so that I didn’t have to hear it!”
“My father ate me”,
and the woman collapsed and almost died,
“My little sister, Marlene”,
“Ah – said Marlene – I’ll go out too, perhaps the bird has something for me too.” And with that she went out.
“collected my bones,
wrapped them in a silk shawl”,
And he dropped Marlene the shoes.
“put them under the walking pine tree,
chirp, chirp,
how beautiful is the bird here!”
And Marlene brightened and cheered up. She put on the shoes and started to dance and jump. “Ah – she said – I was so sad when I came out, now I’m so happy, this is a sublime bird, he gave me a pair of red shoes.” – “No way – the woman shouted and she jumped up and her locks were like flames – for me it feels as if it was the world’s end, I’ll go out too, perhaps it will get better outside.” And as she stepped out from the door, creech, the bird dropped the millstone on her head and she mouldered totally. The father and Marlene had heard it and they went out; then steam was coming from that place with flame and fire and as it ended, the little boy was standing there and he took his father’s and Marlene’s hand and they were all happy. Then they went inside the house and started to eat.
Her husband buried her under the walking pine tree and he mourned her with big grief; with time his pain eased, although he sometimes cried, but his sadness passed away soon and after a while he brought home a new wife. From this second wife he had a little daughter and from his previous wife he had a son who was red as blood and white as snow. When the woman looked at her daughter, she was dear to her, but when she looked at the boy, her heart became hard and she felt like the boy was standing in her way. She was always thinking about that, because she wanted her daughter to inherit the whole wealth and this was suggested by the Evil. So she started to loathe the boy and she chased him from one corner to another, and she either slapped him or pinched him. Because of that the boy's life was infinite fear. When he came home from school, he couldn't find a calm place in the house.
Once the woman was in the cellar and her daughter came to her and said: "Mother, give me an apple." - "Here you are, my child." - said the woman and gave her a nice apple from the chest; the chest had a big heavy lid with a big sharp iron latch. "Mother - asked the little girl - doesn't brother get an apple?" The woman became upset, but she said: "Of course he gets when he arrives at home from school." And when she saw the boy approaching from the window, as if the Evil had taken over her and she reached for her daughter and took back the apple saying: "You'll get one when your brother will too." With that she threw the apple into the chest and she closed it; and the boy was already standing at the door and the Evil suggested the woman to talk to him kindly: "My dear son, do you want an apple?" and she was looking at him with hatred. "Mother - said the boy – why are you so angry? Yes, give me an apple." And the woman felt the urge to bait the boy to her. "Come with me - she said to him and lifted the chest's lid - take an apple." And when the boy bent down, the Evil commanded the woman and creech, she shut the lid and it cut down the little child's head and it fell onto the red apples. The woman became mortified and she thought "If only I could brush aside this evil deed!" She went up to her room, she stepped to her wardrobe and she took out a white shawl from the top drawer and she put back the head onto the neck and she tied it with the shawl so that the cut was not visible at all. Then she made him sit on a chair in front of the door and put an apple in his hand.
Then Marlene went to her mother to the kitchen and her mother was standing by the stove and there was a pot full of hot water in front of her and she was stirring it. "Mother - said Marlene - brother is sitting there in front of the door, he is pale as a ghost and he is holding an apple. I asked for an apple, but he didn't answer and now I'm so scared." - "Just go there once again - said her mother - and if he doesn't answer, slap him on the face." Marlene went there and said: "Brother, give me an apple." And he was all quiet and the little girl slapped him on the face. Then his head fell down and the little girl got frightened and she started to cry and scream. She ran to her mother and she exclaimed: "Ah, mother, I have beaten down brother's head!" And she wept and wept and somehow she didn't want to calm down. "Marlene - said her mother - what have you done? But now be quiet or else someone would notice it, we can't undo it; well then we'll cook him in the soup." And Marlene was standing there and she wept and wept and her tears fell into the pot so there was no need of putting salt in the soup.
The father came home and he sat down by the table and asked: "Where is my son?" And the mother brought in a huge bowl and there was black soup in it. And Marlene was crying and she couldn't be consoled. Her father asked again: "Where is my son?" - "Ah - said the mother - he went far-far away, to his grandmother, he wants to stay there." - "What is he doing there? And he didn't even say adieu to me!" - "Oh, he was really eager to leave and he wants to stay there for six weeks; he'll be fine there." - "Ah - said the man - I'm so sad, it's not good, at least he could have said an adieu." With that he started to eat and said: "Marlene, why are you crying? Your brother will certainly come back." - "Ah, woman - said later - from what does this food taste so good? Give me more." And the more he ate the more he craved saying: "Give me more, no one else can eat it, because it's like it was my own flesh." And he ate and ate and he threw all the bones under the table until he ate it all. Marlene went to her wardrobe and she took out her most beautiful silk shawl from the lowest drawer. She collected all the bones and put them in her shawl and she carried them out in front of the door and she was crying bloody tears. Then he put them under the walking pine tree, on the green grass and as she put them there suddenly she cheered up and she wasn't crying anymore. Then the walking tree made a move and it outstretched and then closed its branches. And mist was coming down from the tree and in the mist fire was burning. And a beautiful bird rose from the fire and as it had disappeared, the walking pine tree became quiet as it was before and the shawl full of bones wasn't there anymore. Marlene cheered up and she was happy as if her brother was still alive. She went back to the house in a good mood and she sat by the table and started to eat.
And the little bird flew away and landed on the house of a goldsmith and there he sang a song:
“My mother slaughtered me
My father ate me,
My little sister, Marlene
collected my bones,
wrapped them in a silk shawl,
put them under the walking pine tree,
chirp, chirp,
how beautiful the bird here is!”
The goldsmith was sitting in his workshop and was working on a gold chain as he heard the bird which was sitting on the roof and singing, the song took his fancy. He stood up and as he stepped over the door-step he left one his slippers. Yet he continued his path and he went to the middle of the street, on one of his feet he wore a slipper and stockings on the other and he had his apron on him, holding the chain in one hand and a clam in the other and the sun was shining so bright. The goldsmith stopped and glanced at the bird. “You bird – he said – how beautiful you sing! Sing that song once more.” – “No – the bird responded – the second time is not for free. Give me the gold chain and I’ll sing it once more.” – “Here you are – the goldsmith said – I give you the gold chain, now sing it once more.” The bird came and grabbed the gold chain with his left foot and sat down in front of the goldsmith and sang:
“My mother slaughtered me
My father ate me,
My little sister, Marlene
collected my bones,
wrapped them in a silk shawl,
put them under the walking pine tree,
chirp, chirp,
how beautiful the bird here is!”
Then he flew to a cobbler and sat on the roof of his house and sang:
“My mother slaughtered me
My father ate me,
My little sister, Marlene
collected my bones,
wrapped them in a silk shawl,
put them under the walking pine tree,
chirp, chirp,
how beautiful the bird here is!”
As the cobbler heard it, he ran out wearing only a shirt and looked at the roof and he had to cover his eyes with his hands otherwise the sun would have made him blind.”You bird – he said – how beautiful you sing.” And he shouted through the door: “Woman, come out, there’s a bird here, listen to the bird, how beautiful it sings!” After that he called over his daughter and his apprentices and his servant and his maid, and they all went out on the street and they watched the bird, how beautiful he was and he had red and green feathers and golden ones around his neck, his eyes were shining like stars. “You bird – the cobbler said – sing that song once again.” – “No – the bird said – the second time is not for free, give me something.” – “Woman – said the man – go to the attic and on the top shelf there is a pair of red shoes, bring them down.” The woman came with the shoes. “Here you are, bird – said the man – now sing that song once again.” The bird came and he grabbed the shoes with the claws of his left foot then he flew back to the roof and sang:
“My mother slaughtered me
My father ate me,
My little sister, Marlene
collected my bones,
wrapped them in a silk shawl,
put them under the walking pine tree,
chirp, cbirp,
how beautiful the bird here is!”
And as he sang it he flew awav; holding the chain with his right foot and the shoes with his left foot and he flew far away, to a mill and the mill was running, clip-clap, clip-clap, clip-clap. And twenty millers were sitting in front of the mill's door and they were carving a millstone and they were forging, knock-knock, knock-knock, knock-knock, and the mill was running, clip-clap, clip-clap, clip-clap. The bird flew on a lime tree which was in front of the mill and sang:
“My mother slaughtered me"
then he caught the attention of one of the millers,
"My father ate me",
two other millers started to listen to him,
"My little sister, Marlene"
then he caught the attention of four other's
"collected my bones,
wrapped them in a silk shawl",
only eight millers were forging,
"put them under the walking pine tree",
only five,
"chirp, cbirp",
just one last,
how beautiful the bird here is!”
Then the last one had finished working too and he heard the last notes. "You bird - he said - how beautiful you sing! Let me hear it, sing it once more!" - "No - responded the bird - the second time is not for free, give me the millstone annd I'll sing it once more." - "Yes sir - said the lad - if everyone agrees, you'll get it." - "Yes - the others said - if he sings it once more, we'll give it to him." Then the bird descended and all the twenty millers tryed to lift the millstone with a crow-bar, whoa-whoop, whoa-whoop, whoa-whoop. Then the bird sticked out his head through the hole and with the stone on his shoulders he flew back to the tree and sang:
“My mother slaughtered me
My father ate me,
My little sister, Marlene
collected my bones,
wrapped them in a silk shawl,
put them under the walking pine tree,
chirp, chirp,
how beautiful the bird here is!”
And as he had sung it, he outstretched his wings, and with the chain in his right claws and with the shoes in his left, with the millstone around his neck he flew far-far away, to the house of his father.
The father, the mother and Marlene were sitting by the table inside the house and the father said: “Ah, what’s this brightness; I feel so good!” – “No way – the mother said – I’m rather terrified as if some bad storm was coming.” And Marlene was just sitting and wept and wept. Then the bird flew there and as he flew on the roof, the father said: “Ah, my heart is full of happiness, outside the sun is shining so bright as if I was about to see again some old friend.” – “Naw – the woman said – I’m so afraid that my teeth are clenching together and the blood in my veins runs cold.” And she unbuttoned her vest. Marlene was just sitting in the corner and wept and wept and her handkerchief got soaking wet from her tears. The bird flew on the walking pine tree and sang:
“My mother slaughtered me”,
The mother covered her ears with her hands, closed her eyes so that she could see and hear nothing, but the song was so loud in her ears as the wildest storm and her eyes were burning as if she had to see the apocalypse itself,
“My father ate me”,
“Ah woman – said the man – how lovely this bird is and it sings so beautiful, the sun is shining so bright and there’s such a sweet scent, similar to the scent of cinnamon.
“My little sister, Marlene”,
Marlene raised her head and she wasn’t crying anymore. And the man said: “I must go out, I want to take a closer look at this bird.” – “Ah, don’t go – said the woman – I feel as if the house was shaking and if it was about to be set on fire!” However the man went out and watched the bird.
“collected my bones,
wrapped them in a silk shawl,
put them under the walking pine tree,
chirp, chirp,
how beautiful the bird here is!”
With that the bird dropped the chain and it fell exactly on the man’s neck and it just fitted him perfectly. He went inside the house and said: “Look, what a nice bird, he gifted me this beautiful gold chain, he himself is beautiful too!” But the woman was still trembling with fear and she lied prone in the room and her bonnet slipped from her head. The bird continued singing:
“My mother slaughtered me”,
“Ah, if only I were thousand feet below the ground so that I didn’t have to hear it!”
“My father ate me”,
and the woman collapsed and almost died,
“My little sister, Marlene”,
“Ah – said Marlene – I’ll go out too, perhaps the bird has something for me too.” And with that she went out.
“collected my bones,
wrapped them in a silk shawl”,
And he dropped Marlene the shoes.
“put them under the walking pine tree,
chirp, chirp,
how beautiful is the bird here!”
And Marlene brightened and cheered up. She put on the shoes and started to dance and jump. “Ah – she said – I was so sad when I came out, now I’m so happy, this is a sublime bird, he gave me a pair of red shoes.” – “No way – the woman shouted and she jumped up and her locks were like flames – for me it feels as if it was the world’s end, I’ll go out too, perhaps it will get better outside.” And as she stepped out from the door, creech, the bird dropped the millstone on her head and she mouldered totally. The father and Marlene had heard it and they went out; then steam was coming from that place with flame and fire and as it ended, the little boy was standing there and he took his father’s and Marlene’s hand and they were all happy. Then they went inside the house and started to eat.
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