Page:Researches respecting the Book of Sindibad and Portuguese Folk-Tales.djvu/123

man succeed in securing it once more, he was then at liberty to keep it. The fisherman did so that day, and he took such a large haul of fish that he did not know what he should do with all the fish he had caught in his net. Several days after this the fisherman again let down his nets at the same place, and again caught the beautiful fish. The fish then said to the man: "Take me to your house and cut me into twelve slices, and three slices you will give your wife, three to your mare, three to your bitch, and the remaining three you must bury in your garden." The fisherman did as he was told, and when another year had passed his wife gave birth to three boys, the mare had three colts, the bitch three lions; and in the garden three lances had risen up. When these boys grew up to manhood they asked their father to give them each a horse, a lion, and a lance, for they wished to go travelling. The father and mother, much against their inclination, gave them leave to go, and the boys left home and proceeded all three along a road until they came to a part of the highway where three roads met. They separated, each taking a different road; the eldest brother went to the left, the second to the right, and the youngest took the middle road. But before parting they agreed to meet in that same spot in a year's time, and then each went his own way. The eldest brother after journeying for many days without arriving at any country, at last came to one where there was a very high tower. He remained at a house, where at the end of a week he married the owner of it; and when he was already married he asked his wife what tower that might be, and she informed him that it was the "Tower of Death," for whosoever went into it never returned alive. But the young man said: "Well, I shall go there, and I shall return." At night when he lay down to sleep he placed his lance between himself and his wife on the bed, and on the following day he went straight to the tower with his lion. He knocked at the gate and an old woman appeared, who asked him what he