The Rose Maiden
473 Another tale from Transylvania, «The Rose Maiden;» also has the horses take on decisive actions and can be useful to amplify the earlier tales.
474 Once there was a woman who lived in the forest. One day she came upon a poor orphan boy who had lost his way. She took pity on him and invited him into her home and cared for him like a true mother. When he had grown up he said one day, “Mother, I must go look for the Rose Maiden!”
475 «Oh, but she is far away, my son, and if you should go that way you will meet with great difficulties because she is guarded by a fierce dragon.» But the boy had made up his mind and could not be held back. His forest mother gave him a bell and said, “If you ever want something, then ring this bell!”
Then he went off and traveled a long, long way. One day he unexpectedly came upon a large swarm of bees. He asked the queen bee if she knew where the Rose Maiden lived. She did not know and she sent out her bees to collect information.
Upon their return they reported that they had found no news but when the queen bee counted her bees one was missing. Finally, the missing bee returned. She had been lamed on the way but she brought the desired message that she had been in the neighborhood of the Rose Maiden.
476 She offered to show the boy the way. He readily accepted, and she led him across a huge, wide meadow until they came to a forest. At the other side of the forest, the Rose Maiden lived in a big castle. The boy went there and asked for employment and promptly got a job as geese herder. The boy pastured his flock in the vicinity of the garden. Here he saw the Rose Maiden every day as she walked among the flowers. She was exceedingly beautiful.
477 One day he overheard some courtiers saying that the Rose Maiden went every night to a ball in the city. That evening, he took his bell and rang it. Suddenly there stood before him a copper horse, and beside it lay a copper jacket. He donned the cloak, jumped on the horse, and rode to the ball where he danced with the Rose Maiden, who seemed to like the handsome boy.
Before the ball was over, however, he stole away, mounted his horse and rode home. The Rose Maiden told her mother about the handsome boy in the copper jacket. The boy had, however, gone back to herding the geese and only furtively glanced into the flower garden.
The next night the Rose Maiden again went to the ball. The geese herder again rang his bell, and immediately a silver horse stood ready, and a silver jacket lay next to it. He threw on the jacket and rode into the city to the ball where he again entertained the Rose Maiden, who enjoyed his company. Before the ball was over, however, he hurried away, mounted his horse, and rode off.
478 The following morning the Rose Maiden told her mother about the handsome boy she had spoken with who was dressed in a silver coat. The boy was looking after his geese and only cast sidelong looks to the flower garden. The girl’s mother wanted to get behind the secret of the handsome boy, and advised her daughter to take some pitch with her to the ball and when she danced with the handsome boy, to rub it into his hair.
479 The next evening she again went to the ball and this time took the little piece of pitch with her. This time when the geese herder rang his bell a golden horse appeared along with a golden cloak. At the ball, he went right up to the Rose Maiden and danced with her. As her mother had advised, the girl rubbed the pitch into his hair as they danced. The boy did not notice and as usual left the ball before it was over and rode back to his sleeping hut.
480 In the morning, the girl rose again and told her mother of the handsome boy who had come to the dance in a golden cloak, and how she had put some pitch in his hair. On the day, the geese herder went right up to the wall and peeked into the garden. The girl was on the lookout, however, and when she saw him, she noticed the pitch in his hair disheveled. “You are our savior,” she cried out joyfully. And when the boy answered, “That I would happily be!”
481 Then the girl’s mother spoke and said, «Let us escape while the dragon is asleep! If he awakens, we will be lost.» The boy went out and rang his bell three times. At once the copper, silver and golden horses were ready. He sat the Rose Maiden on the golden steed and wrapped her in his golden coat, the mother he mounted on the silver horse and gave her the silver coat. He himself jumped up on the copper horse and put on the copper jacket. Then they all sprang off in haste.
482 In the castle there was a mighty barrel with three iron hoops. The dragon had been hibernating in that cask but was just then waking up. Suddenly one of the hoops sprang apart, then the second, and then the third. Each time a crack resounded as powerful as a thunderbolt. Now the dragon rubbed his eyes and looked around. “Where is my Rose Maiden?” But nobody answered. Then he jumped up and looked in every room and all over the garden, but there was nobody there. He hurried to the stable, jumped on his stallion, saying: “Take me to the thieves as fast as you can!” It was not long before he reached the fugitives.
483 As soon as the dragon approached, they became transfixed on the spot and could not move. Then the dragon thundered, “I could smash you, you little earth worm, but that would bring me no fame.” Then he took from the boy, his bell, the copper, silver, and golden horses with the Rose Maiden and her mother, and turned back to the castle. He looked back and taunted the boy, «You could have saved the Rose Maiden if you had a horse, from my mother, like I have. But that will never happen.»
484 The dragon went to the castle and climbed back into his barrel to take another long rest. The iron rings themselves closed upon the barrel. The Rose Maiden and her mother were alone again, the girl cared for her flowers by day and no longer went to the ball at night. She always thought of her rescuer. But the boy had set off to find the dragon’s mother.
485 On the way he saw a raven that had become entangled in a net. The raven asked the boy, if he would help him out, he would repay in kind one day. The boy freed the bird who flew away. Further along he came upon a fox stuck in a trap who could not get away. «Help me,» said the fox, «I will reward you later.» The boy set the fox free, and it ran into the woods.
Then, when the boy was walking along the shore of a sea, he came upon a large fish that was floundering on the sand. “Put me back into the water! I will reward you later,” spoke the fish. The boy did this and soon after he saw a hut in the woods. Here lived the dragon’s mother. He knocked at the door and asked if she would take him into her service. “Oh, yes, you shall guard my mare!
And what shall I give you as your yearly wage?” asked the old woman. “A foal born in the clouds,” said the boy. “So it shall be,” replied the old woman, «but if you ever do not bring my mare back home, your life is up. ~Marie-Louise von Franz, Archetypal Symbols in Fairy Tales: The Hero’s Journey, Paras 473–484
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