The Giant’s Three Golden Hairs
Once upon a time, a son was born to a woodcutter and his wife. Soon after his birth, an old witch passed by and saw the baby. She said, “That baby will grow into a fine young man. He will marry the King’s daughter and rule the kingdom.”
The woodcutter’s wife was so delighted that she told everyone she met, and soon the news reached the king. He was so furious that he decided the baby must die immediately and, along with his soldiers, went to the woodcutter’s cottage. He took the baby, placed him in a box, and tossed it into the river. “No woodcutter’s son shall rule my kingdom, witch or no witch,” he declared as he rode back to the palace.
A Miller’s Kindness
Fortunately for the baby, a miller happened to pass by and heard the baby’s cries from the box. He pulled it to the shore, took the baby home, and raised him as his own son, naming him Tom.
Many years later, when Tom had grown into a handsome young man, the king rode by on a hunting trip. He stopped at the miller’s house to rest and saw Tom at work. The miller told the king how he had rescued the boy from the river as a baby, and the king instantly remembered the woodcutter’s son he believed to be dead. The king turned pale, sat down, and wrote a letter to the queen, sealing it and asking Tom to take it to the palace. The letter instructed the queen to have Tom executed as soon as he arrived.
A Twist of Fate
Tom set out with the letter, and part of his journey took him through a dark forest. As evening approached, he became very tired and came to a cottage, seeking a place to sleep for the night.
The cottage belonged to a band of outlaws who allowed Tom to spend the night. While Tom slept, the outlaws searched his pockets and found the king’s letter. Moved by Tom’s situation, the outlaw chief wrote another letter advising the queen to marry Tom immediately to her daughter. He sealed it in the king’s envelope and put it back in Tom’s pocket.
Arriving at the Palace
The next morning, Tom continued on his way and soon arrived at the palace. He was thrilled when the queen informed him that he was to be married immediately to her daughter. His joy multiplied when he saw the beautiful princess, who was equally delighted to marry the handsome Tom.
When the king returned, the wedding had already taken place, and the celebrations were over. Furious, the king could not execute his own son-in-law, so he devised a plan to eliminate Tom. “If you wish to be the next ruler of the kingdom,” he said to Tom, “you must prove you are brave and wise. Find the Giant of the Black Mountain and bring me back three golden hairs from his head.” Tom bravely set off while the king comfortably settled back on his throne, confident he would never see Tom again.
Tom’s Quest
Tom traveled until he arrived at a town where the people looked miserable. He asked an old man what was wrong. “In our town,” the man replied, “there is a fountain that flows with wine. It has suddenly dried up, and no one knows why. If you can discover the cause, everyone will be happy again.” Tom promised to help and continued on his journey.
In the next town, Tom found more sadness and inquired again. “Here, there is a tree that bears golden fruit, but this year it hasn’t even produced any leaves. If you can find out what’s wrong, please tell us.” Tom pledged to help and moved on.
Soon, he came to a wide river. On the other side lay the cave of the giant. A ferryman approached in his boat and rowed Tom across. “Why do you look so unhappy?” Tom asked. The ferryman replied, “You would be unhappy too if you were cursed to be a ferryman for all eternity. If you can tell me how to break the spell, I will reward you well.” Tom promised he would help and made his way to the giant’s castle.
Inside the Giant’s Castle
Only the giant’s wife was there, and she pleaded with Tom to leave, fearing that her husband would eat him if he found him. Tom explained his mission, and she promised to help him. She hid Tom in an empty cider barrel to prevent the giant from smelling him.
When the giant returned, his wife offered him a large meal, waiting for him to fall asleep. Once he was snoring, she crept up and pulled a hair from his head.
The giant awoke with a yelp. “I’m sorry to have disturbed you,” his wife said, “but I wanted to know why the fountain that produces wine has dried up.”
<p“Easy,” said the giant. “There is a large toad underneath it. Kill the toad, and the wine will flow again.”
Revealing Secrets
His wife listened closely and, when the giant returned to sleep, pulled out another hair. “I meant no disturbance,” she said, “but why is the tree that bears golden fruit dying?”
<p“Because there is a rat gnawing at the roots,” answered the giant. “Kill the rat, and the tree will bear fruit.”
For a third time, she pulled a hair from the sleeping giant. He awoke, furious. “Calm down,” she said. “I was wondering why the ferryman can never leave his boat.”
<p“He simply needs to hand his oar to the next passenger, and he will be free,” the giant replied before drifting off to sleep again. Once she confirmed he was snoring loudly, she let Tom out of the cider barrel, gave him the golden hairs, and sent him quickly on his way.
A Happy Reunion
The ferryman expertly rowed Tom back across the river. When they reached the other side, Tom instructed him to hand his oar to the next passenger to free himself. The ferryman was overjoyed and rewarded Tom with a bag of gold. Upon reaching the first town, Tom advised the residents to kill the rat gnawing at the roots of their tree, and they, too, rewarded him with another bag of gold.
In the next town, he told the townsfolk to kill the toad under their fountain to restore the wine flow, and they gladly gave him yet another bag of gold. Finally, when Tom returned to the palace, he presented the king with the three golden hairs and displayed the bags of gold.
The King’s Fate
The king was amazed. “Where did you acquire all this gold?” he inquired.
<p“There’s plenty on the other side of the river, but I could carry no more,” Tom replied. The greedy king hurried away to find the gold, and when he reached the river, he called to the ferryman, “Hurry, fellow! Row me across at once!”
The ferryman did so, but once they arrived on the opposite shore, he handed the king his oar and jumped ashore. The king was left to spend the rest of his days as a ferryman while Tom inherited the kingdom in his stead.
