A king searched for a cure for his blindness. An old medicine woman was summoned. She declared that the king must find a magical bird in a gilded cage and use its feathers to sweep across his eyes.
The king had three sons. The oldest set out to find this bird. While traveling, the prince noticed a dead man and people crowded around the body. No one would pay for the burial.
The oldest prince rode on.
The second prince gathered his things and set out to find this bird. As he left not long after the oldest prince, the people still crowded around the dead man. No one would pay for the burial.
The second prince rode on.
The youngest prince had taken his time to prepare, knowing the importance of his quest. He set out to find this bird. He left not long after the second prince, and the people still crowded around the dead man. No one would pay for the burial.
"I will cover the costs," stated the youngest prince. He even paid extra so that special prayers could be spoken over the body. Then the youngest prince continued on his journey.
Night came. Upon the wind, the youngest prince heard whispered, "I am grateful to you!"
This made the prince crouch and cower, fearing what was happening. He saw a light float towards him and realized it was the spirit of the man he helped to bury.
The prince sighed relief. The prince and the spirit traveled together, and the spirit pointed out the best path to find the magical bird.
The magical bird was in a gilded cage surrounded by guards at an emperor's palace. The bird sang when it saw the prince. This only alerted those guards who threw him in the dungeon.
The emperor, curious as to why this young man had come, spoke with him through the prison bars. The emperor, upon learning of the quest, said, "You can have the bird if you can get my magical horse."
That night, the spirit returned and led the prince to where a giant had caught and tied the horse to a tree.
The prince untied the rope and jumped on top of this black horse with a white star on its forehead. Yet, the horse called out, "I am being stolen!"
The giant was too tired, swatted his hands with eyes closed, and snored on.
Thus, the horse stayed quiet for the rest of time. The spirit pointed out the knot in the rope to the prince. "You need to untie that knot."
The prince fumbled with the knot. When the knot was no more, the horse flew in the sky!
The emperor was reunited with his horse but did not want to give up his magical bird. He told the prince to go away.
Yet, the spirit told the prince to take the bird and twist the gilded cage.
The prince did all this without question.
The bird was set free. The prince, horse, and bird escaped the emperor.
But...the two older princes met up with the youngest prince before reaching the palace. They were jealous that their brother got an amazing horse and the magical bird. While resting together, the two older princes slipped a sleeping potion in the youngest prince's cup. They tossed him over a cliff, took the bird and horse, and rushed back home.
When they brushed the feathers on the king's eyes, nothing happened. The king asked about the youngest prince. The two older ones claimed that he must have run away. The king was surprised and vowed that the youngest would not inherit anything from him.
At this exact moment, some mules plodded into the courtyard with youngest prince on their backs. Some villagers were led to the prince's body--snagged on a tree branch--by the grateful spirit.
When the youngest prince arrived, the bird sang.
The king, learning of his son's return, accused the prince of running away. The prince denied the claim. To prove it, the youngest prince took the bird and brushed its feathers on the king's eyes.
Fluttering his eyes open and seeing once again, the king smiled at his faithful son.
Then the king glared as his two oldest sons, realizing their treachery.
Before the king could pronounce punishment, the youngest prince said that he forgave them.
The grateful spirit saw that the youngest prince was finely rewarded and inheritance restored. Now, the spirit could rest.
