There lived once upon a time a man and wife who had a son. The son arose from his sleep one morning and said to his mother: "Mother dear, I had a dream, but what it was I will not tell you."
The mother said, "Why will you not tell me?"
"I will not, and that settles it," answered the youth, and his mother seized him and cudgelled him well.
Then he went to his father and said to him: "Father dear, I had a dream, but what it was I would not tell mother, nor will I tell you," and his father also gave him a good flogging. He began to sulk and ran away from home. He walked and walked the whole day long and, meeting a traveller, said after greeting him: "I had a dream, but what it was I would tell neither father nor mother and I will not tell you," Then he went on his way till finally he came to the Emir's house and said to the Emir: "Emir, I had a dream, but what it was I would tell neither father nor mother, nor yet the traveller, and I will not tell you."
The Emir had him seized and thrown into the garret, where he began to cut through the floor with a knife he managed to get from some one of the Emir's people. He cut and cut until he made an opening over the chamber of the Emir's daughter, who had just filled a plate with food and gone away. The youth jumped down, emptied the plate, ate what he wanted, and crept back into the garret. The second, third, and fourth days he did this also, and the Emir's daughter could not think who had taken away her meal. The next day she hid herself under the table to watch and find out. Seeing the youth jump down and begin to eat from her plate, she rushed out and said to him, "Who are you?"
"I had a dream, but what it was I would tell neither father nor mother, nor the traveller, nor yet the Emir. The Emir shut me up in the garret. Now everything depends on you; do with me what you will."
The youth looked at the maiden, and they loved each other and saw each other every day.
The King of the West came to the King of the East to court the daughter of the King of the East for his son. He sent an iron bar with both ends shaped alike and asked: "Which is the top and which is the bottom? If you can guess that, good! If not, I will carry your daughter away with me."
The King asked everybody, but nobody could tell. The King's daughter told her lover about it and he said: "Go tell your father the Emir to throw the bar into a brook. The heavy end will sink. Make a hole in that end and send the bar back to the King of the West." And it happened that he was right, and the messengers returned to their King.
The King of the West sent three horses of the same size and color and asked: "Which is the one-year-old, which is the two-year-old, and which the mare? If you can guess that, good. If not, then I will carry off your daughter."
The King of the East collected all the clever people, but no one could guess. He was helpless and knew not what to do. Then his daughter went to her lover and said, "They are going to take me away," and she told him when and how.
The youth said: "Go and say to your father, 'Dip a bundle of hay in water, strew it with salt, and put it near the horses' stall. In the morning the mare will come first, the two-year-old second, the one-year-old last.'"
They did this and sent the King of the West his answer.
He waited a little and sent a steel spear and a steel shield, and said: "If you pierce the shield with the spear, I will give my daughter to your son. If not, send your daughter to my son."
Many people tried, and among them the King himself, but they could find no way of piercing the shield. The King's daughter told him of her beloved prisoner, and the King sent for him. The youth thrust the spear into the ground, and, striking the shield against it, pierced it through.
As the King had no son, he sent the youth in place of a son to the King of the West to demand his daughter, according to agreement.
He went on and on--how long it is not known--and saw someone with his ear to the ground listening.
"Who are you?" the youth asked.
"I am he who hears everything that is said in the whole world."
"This is a brave fellow," said the youth. "He knows everything that is said in the world."
"I am no brave fellow. He who has pierced a steel shield with a steel spear is a brave fellow," was the answer.
"I am he," said the youth. "Let us be brothers."
They journeyed on together and saw a man with a millstone on each foot, and one leg stepped toward Chisan and the other toward Stambul.
"That seems to me a brave fellow! One leg steps toward Chisan and the other toward Stambul."
"I am no brave fellow. He who has pierced a steel shield with a steel spear is a brave fellow," said the man with the millstones.
"I am he. Let us be brothers."
They were three and they journeyed on together.
They went on and on and saw a mill with seven millstones grinding corn. And one man ate all and was not satisfied, but grumbled and said, "O little father, I die of hunger."
"That is a brave fellow," said the youth. "Seven millstones grind for him and yet he has not enough, but cries, 'I die of hunger.'"
"I am no brave fellow. He who pierced a steel shield with a steel spear is a brave fellow," said the hungry man.
"I am he. Let us be brothers," said the youth and the four journeyed on together. They went on and on and saw a man who had loaded the whole world on his back and even wished to lift it up.
"That is a brave fellow. He has loaded himself with the whole world and wishes to lift it up," said the youth.
"I am no brave fellow. He who has pierced a steel shield with a steel spear is a brave fellow," said the burdened man.
"I am he. Let us be brothers."
The five journeyed on together. They went on and on and saw a man lying in a brook and he sipped up all its waters and yet cried, "O little father, I am parched with thirst."
"That is a brave fellow. He drinks up the whole brook and still says he is thirsty," said the youth.
"I am no brave fellow. He who has pierced a steel shield with a steel spear is a brave fellow," said the thirsty man.
"I am he. Let us be brothers."
The six journeyed on together. They went on and on and saw a shepherd who was playing the pipes, and mountains and valleys, fields and forests, men and animals, danced to the music.
"That seems to me to be a brave fellow. He makes mountains and valleys dance," said the youth.
"I am no brave fellow. He who has pierced a steel shield with a steel spear is a brave fellow," said the musical man.
"I am he. Let us be brothers," said the youth.
The seven journeyed on together.
"Brother who hast pierced a steel shield with a steel spear, whither is God leading us?"
"We are going to get the daughter of the King of the West," said the youth.
"Only you can marry her," said they all.
They went on till they came to the King's castle, but when they asked for the daughter the King would not let her go, but called his people together and said: "They have come after the bride. They are not very hungry, perhaps they will eat only a bite or two. Let one-and-twenty ovens be filled with bread and make one-and-twenty kettles of soup. If they eat all this I will give them my daughter; otherwise, I will not."
The seven brothers were in a distant room. He who listened with his ear to the ground heard what the King commanded, and said:
"Brother who hast pierced a steel shield with a steel spear, do you understand what the King said?"
"Rascal! how can I know what he says when I am not in the same room with him? What did he say?"
"He has commanded them to bake bread in one-and-twenty ovens and to make one-and-twenty kettles of soup. If we eat it all, we can take his daughter; otherwise, not."
The brother who devoured all the meal that seven millstones, ground said: "Fear not, I will eat everything that comes to hand, and then cry, 'Little father, I die of hunger.'"
When the King saw the hungry man eat he screamed: "May he perish! I shall certainly meet defeat at his hands."
Again he called his people to him and said, "Kindle a great fire, strew it with ashes and cover it with blankets. When they come in in the evening they will be consumed, all seven of them."
The brother with the sharp ears said: "Brother who hast pierced a steel shield with a steel spear, do you understand what the King said?"
"No; how can I know what he said?"
"He said, 'Kindle a fire, strew it with ashes, and cover it with blankets, and when they come in in the evening they will be consumed, all seven of them.'"
Then said the brother who drank up the brook: "I will drink all I can and go in before you. I will spit it all out and turn the whole house into a sea."
In the evening they begged the King to allow them to rest in the room set apart for them. The water-drinker filled the whole room with water, and they went into another.
The King lost his wits and knew not what to do. He called his people together, and they said in one voice, "Let what will happen, we will not let our princess go!"
The man with the sharp ears heard them, and said, "Brother who hast pierced a steel shield with a steel spear, do you understand what the King said?"
"How should I know what he said?"
"He said, 'Let what will happen, I will not let my daughter go.'"
The brother who had loaded himself with the whole world said: "Wait, I will take his castle and all his land on my back and carry it away."
He took the castle on his back and started off. The shepherd played on his pipes, and mountains and valleys danced to the music. He who had fastened millstones to his feet led the march, and they all went joyously forward, making a great noise.
The King began to weep, and begged them to leave him his castle. "Take my daughter with you. You have earned her."
They put the castle back in its place, the shepherd stopped playing, and mountain and valley stood still. They took the King's daughter and departed, and each hero returned to his dwelling-place, and he who had pierced the steel shield with the steel spear took the maiden and came again to the King of the East. And the King of the East gave him his own daughter, whom the youth had long loved, for his wife. So he had two wives--one was the daughter of the King of the East, the other the daughter of the King of the West.
At night, when they lay down to sleep, he said: "Now, I have one sun on one side and another sun on the other side, and a bright star plays on my breast."
In the morning he sent for his parents and called also the King to him, and said, "Now, I will tell my dream." "What was it, then?" they all said. He answered: "I saw in my dream one sun on one side of me and another sun on the other, and a bright star played on my breast."
"Had you such a dream?" they asked.
"I swear I had such a dream."
And three apples fell from heaven: one for the story-teller, one for him who made him tell it, and one for the hearer.