Then Joringel was freed. He fell on his knees
before the woman and begged that she would give him back his
Jorinda, but she said that he should never have her again, and
went away. He called, he wept, he lamented, but all in vain, hooh,
what is to become of me. Joringel went away, and at last came to a
strange village, where he kept sheep for a long time. He often
walked round and round the castle, but not too near to it. At last
he dreamt one night that he found a blood-red flower, in the
middle of which was a beautiful large pearl. That he picked the
flower and went with it to the castle, and that everything he
touched with the flower was freed from enchantment. He also dreamt
that by means of it he recovered his Jorinda. In the morning, when
he awoke, he began to seek over hill and dale for such a flower.
He sought until the ninth day, and then, early in
the morning, he found the blood-red flower. In the middle of it
there was a large dew-drop, as big as the finest pearl. Day and
night he journeyed with this flower to the castle. When he was
within a hundred paces of it he was not held fast, but walked on
to the door. Joringel was full of joy. He touched the door with
the flower, and it sprang open. He walked in through the
courtyard, and listened for the sound of the birds. At last he
heard it. He went on and found the room from whence it came, and
there the witch was feeding the birds in the seven thousand cages.
When she saw Joringel she was angry, very angry,
and scolded and spat poison and gall at him, but she could not
come within two paces of him. He did not take any notice of her,
but went and looked at the cages with the birds. But there were
many hundred nightingales, how was he to find his Jorinda again.
Just then he saw the old woman quietly take away a cage with a
bird in it, and go towards the door. Swiftly he sprang towards
her, touched the cage with the flower, and also the old woman. She
could now no longer bewitch anyone. And Jorinda was standing
there, clasping him round the neck, and she was as beautiful as
ever. Then all the other birds were turned into maidens again, and
he went home with his Jorinda, and they lived happily together for
a long time. |