There was once a young huntsman who went into the forest to lie in
wait.  He had a fresh and joyous heart, and as he was going thither,
whistling upon a leaf, an ugly old crone came up, who spoke to him
and said, "Good-day, dear huntsman, truly you are merry and contented,
but I am suffering from hunger and thirst, do give me an alms."  The
huntsman had compassion on the poor old creature, felt in his pocket, and
gave her what he could afford.  He was then about to go further, but the
old woman stopped him and said, "Listen, dear huntsman, to what I tell you; 
I will make you a present in return for your kindness.  Go on your way now,
but in a little while you will come to a tree, whereon nine birds are sitting
which have a cloak in their claws, and are plucking at it; take your
gun and shoot into the midst of them, they will let the cloak fall
down to you, but one of the birds will be hurt, and will drop down
dead.  Carry away the cloak, it is a wishing-cloak; when you throw
it over your shoulders, you only have to wish to be in a certain
place, and you will be there in the twinkling of an eye.  Take out
the heart of the dead bird and swallow it whole, and every morning
early, when you get up, you will find a gold piece under your pillow."
The huntsman thanked the wise woman, and thought to himself,
"Those are fine things that she has promised me, if all does but come
true."  And verily when he had walked about a hundred paces, he heard
in the branches above him such a screaming and twittering that he
looked up and saw there a crowd of birds who were tearing a piece of
cloth about with their beaks and claws, and tugging and fighting as
if each wanted to have it all to himself.  "Well," said the huntsman,
"this is wonderful, it has really come to pass just as the old wife
foretold!" and he took the gun from his shoulder, aimed and fired
right into the midst of them, so that the feathers flew about.  The
birds instantly took to flight with loud outcries, but one dropped
down dead, and the cloak fell at the same time.  Then the huntsman
did as the old woman had directed him, cut open the bird, sought the
heart, swallowed it down, and took the cloak home with him.

Next morning, when he awoke, the promise occurred to him, and he
wished to see if it also had been fulfilled.  When he lifted up the
pillow, the gold piece shone in his eyes, and next day he found
another, and so it went on, every time he got up.  He gathered
together a heap of gold, but at last he thought, "Of what use is all
my gold to me if I stay at home?  I will go forth and see the world."

He then took leave of his parents, buckled on his huntsman's pouch
and gun, and went out into the world.  It came to pass, that one day
he travelled through a dense forest, and when he came to the end of
it, in the plain before him stood a fine castle.  An old woman was
standing with a wonderfully beautiful maiden, looking out of one of
the windows.  The old woman, however, was a witch and said to the
maiden, "There comes one out of the forest, who has a wonderful
treasure in his body, we must filch it from him, my dear daughter, it is
more suitable for us than for him.  He has a bird's heart about him, by
means of which a gold piece lies every morning under his pillow."  She
told her what she was to do to get it, and what part she had to play, and
finally threatened her, and said with angry eyes, "And if you do not attend
to what I say, it will be the worse for you."  Now when the huntsman came
nearer he descried the maiden, and said to himself, "I have travelled about for
such a long time, I will take a rest for once, and enter that beautiful castle.
I have certainly money enough."  Nevertheless, the real reason was that he
had caught sight of the pretty girl.

He entered the house, and was well received and courteously
entertained.  Before long he was so much in love with the young
witch that he no longer thought of anything else, and only saw things
as she saw them, and did what she desired.  The old woman then
said, "Now we must have the bird's heart, he will never miss it."  She
prepared a drink, and when it was ready, poured it into a cup and
gave it to the maiden, who was to present it to the huntsman.  She
did so, saying, "Now, my dearest, drink to me."  So he took the cup, and
when he had swallowed the draught, he brought up the heart of the bird.  The
girl had to take it away secretly and swallow it herself, for the old woman
would have it so.  Thenceforward he found no more gold under his pillow, but
it lay instead under that of the maiden, from whence the old woman

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