A long time ago, there once lived a father who had three daughters. One day, before he left for a long journey, he said to his daughters, "When I come back what gifts should I bring back for you?" The eldest¹ daughter wanted pearls² and the second daughter wanted diamonds. However the youngest daughter wanted a singing lark³.

The Singing Lark

Father promised to bring back the gifts and left for his journey. Several months later, Father had finished his journey and returned. He brought back the eldest and the second daughter's presents, but he was not able to get his youngest daughter's gift. And because he loved his youngest daughter the most, he felt very sad.

One day as he was resting in the forest, there up on the big tree he saw a singing lark. He went up the tree to get the singing lark. All of a sudden⁴, a lion came and said, "Who came to take away my singing lark?"

"If you wish to take this bird, when I go to your house, give me the first thing that comes running out. Can you promise me?" Father was worried that his youngest daughter would come out, but because he was afraid of the lion he gave his word to the lion.

When he arrived, as expected, the youngest daughter came running out without even putting on her shoes. Father told the youngest daughter the whole truth. The youngest daughter consoled her father and said, she would try to persuade the lion.

As soon as she arrived, the lion turned into a prince. The prince was cast⁵ upon a spell, during the day he was a lion and at night he lived as a prince.

She married the prince. They also had children. Soon afterward⁶, a few days later, a message came that her second sister was getting married. The youngest wanted to go to the wedding with her prince. However, if the prince saw daylight he would be turned into a pigeon⁷ and fly around for seven years.

But, because his wife wanted to go together, he started for his journey. The wife was good at blocking away the sunlight⁸. However, inside the church there was a hole in the window and one stream of sunlight came in.

So the prince turned into a pigeon and flew away. The wife for seven years searched for the pigeon.

She prayed to god to help her. "Dear god, please show me where he is." God replied that he was about to marry a princess from another country.

She then went into the castle secretly and whispered⁹ to the prince. "Prince, you are my husband. You must leave with me." All of a sudden the prince's spell was broken. The prince was under the terrible princess spell, and was just about to marry her.

The prince and his wife left for their own country. When they arrived home, their child had grown up quite a bit too. And they lived happily ever after for a long time.