Fairy tales -- Germany -- Translations into English
Said had managed to secure a floating spar, and by using his feet
as oars he had kept himself afloat for some time, when suddenly the
little magic whistle on the golden chain slipped from his vest and he
thought he would try it once more. This time it gave forth a clear
silvery tone, and in a moment the storm had subsided as though oil had
been poured upon the waves. He was about to gaze around him to see if
land were in sight, when he noticed a peculiar movement in the spar
upon which he sat astride, and in some alarm he saw that it had turned
into an enormous dolphin and was carrying him along as swiftly as an
arrow. He guessed he had his good fairy to thank for this and called
out his thanks to her.
His extraordinary steed went at such speed that before evening fell he
sighted land and became aware that he was in a wide river. As they
were going against the stream the pace slowed down a little. By this
time Said was very hungry, so he blew his whistle and wished for a
meal. Immediately the huge fish stopped, a table rose up from the
water, as dry as though it had been a week in the broad sunshine; it
was set out with the most delicious food and drink imaginable, and
Said set to and made a hearty meal, for since his imprisonment his
food had been scanty and unappetising. When he had at length satisfied
his hunger he uttered his thanks and the table disappeared, he dug his
heels into the dolphin’s sides and it began to swim on again.
As the sun began to sink Said saw a town in the distance, the towers
of which seemed to him to resemble those of Bagdad. He had no great
wish to land in Bagdad, but his faith in the good fairy was so strong
that he was sure she would not allow him to fall into the hands of the
wicked Kalum-Bek.
About a mile distant from the town Said noticed a fine country
mansion, and to his surprise the dolphin began to steer towards it.
Upon the roof of the house were several well-dressed men, and on the
shore were a number of servants, all of whom were staring at him in
astonishment. A flight of marble steps led from the water to the
mansion, and here the dolphin stopped, and Said had scarcely set foot
upon the steps when the fish disappeared.
At once some servants hurried towards him and begged him, in their
master’s name, to go up to him after he had changed his wet clothing.
They brought a suit of clothes to him and, having dressed hastily, he
followed the servants to the roof, where he found three men, the
tallest and handsomest of whom came towards him with a friendly smile.
“Who are you, wonderful stranger,” he asked, “who can tame the fishes
of the sea so that you can guide them to the right or left as a good
horseman guides his charger? Are you a magician or a man like
ourselves?”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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