He heard a rustling among the branches, and a golden apple fell into his hand. At the same time three Ravens flew down and perched on his knee, and said: 'We are the young Ravens you saved from death. When we grew big, and heard that you were looking for the golden apple, we flew across the sea to the end of the world, where the tree of life stands, and brought you the apple.' The Youth, delighted, started on his homeward journey, and took the golden apple to the beautiful Princess, who had now no further excuse to offer. They divided the apple of life, and ate it together, and then her heart was filled with love for him, and they lived happily to a great age. The Wolf and the Seven Kids There was once an old Nanny-goat who had seven Kids, and she was just as fond of them as a mother of her children. One day she was going into the woods to fetch some food for them, so she called them all up to her, and said-- 'My dear children, I am going out into the woods. Beware of the Wolf! If once he gets into the house, he will eat you up, skin, and hair, and all. The rascal often disguises himself, but you will know him by his rough voice and his black feet.' The Kids said, 'Oh, we will be very careful, dear mother. You may be quite happy about us.' Bleating tenderly, the old Goat went off to her work. Before long, some one knocked at the door, and cried-- 'Open the door, dear children! Your mother has come back and brought something for each of you.' But the Kids knew quite well by the voice that it was the Wolf. 'We won't open the door,' they cried. 'You are not our mother. She has a soft gentle voice; but yours is rough, and we are quite sure that you are the Wolf.' So he went away to a shop and bought a lump of chalk, which he ate, and it made his voice quite soft. He went back, knocked at the door again, and cried-- 'Open the door, dear children. Your mother has come back and brought something for each of you.' But the Wolf had put one of his paws on the window sill, where the Kids saw it, and cried-- 'We won't open the door. Our mother has not got a black foot as you have; you are the Wolf.' Then the Wolf ran to a Baker, and said, 'I have bruised my foot; please put some dough on it.' And when the Baker had put some dough on his foot, he ran to the Miller and said, 'Strew some flour on my foot.' The Miller thought, 'The old Wolf is going to take somebody in,' and refused. But the Wolf said, 'If you don't do it, I will eat you up.' So the Miller was frightened, and whitened his paws. People are like that, you know. Now the wretch went for the third time to the door, and knocked, and said-- 'Open the door, children. Your dear mother has come home, and has brought something for each of you out of the wood.' The Kids cried, 'Show us your feet first, that we may be sure you are our mother.' He put his paws on the window sill, and when they saw that they were white, they believed all he said, and opened the door.