The Nut Girl
Once upon a time there was a young man. When he was young, he dreamt that somewhere in the world there must be a beautiful girl. He could not forget this dream. And when he was old enough, he told his father and mother that he needed a horse because he wanted to go out and find a wife. He was given the best horse, and his mother prepared so much food and drink for him that he did not go hungry for the first few weeks. Towards the evening he came across a large, dark forest where he was ambushed by robbers who took everything of value from him. Completely penniless he slept under an old tree that night, dreaming again that he was with the beautiful girl he was looking for. When he awoke in the morning, he heard someone calling for help. He went to investigate and found an old woman lying on the muddy ground. She told him that she had been attacked by robbers and that they had taken everything she had. The young man said the same thing had happened to him and that he too had nothing. He pulled the old woman up from the ground and wiped the mud from her clothes. He moistened her shawl with a drop of water, washed the mud from her face and asked her where she was going. She could no longer walk and he carried her carefully to her little house. He stayed there long enough for her to recover a little and when he left the old woman gave him three nuts. He was allowed to eat two of them on the way, but he had to save one for a week, no matter how hungry he got. If he did, he would find his girl. Slowly but surely, he ventured deeper and deeper into the dark forest. The first night he ate a nut. The second day he continued on his way and again he ate only one nut. On the third day he was terribly hungry, but he did not eat the last nut. On the fourth day he was almost starving, but he kept the nut in his pocket. On the last day of the week, he was so hungry that he could not walk, but he kept away from the nut with all his might. But he dared not keep the nut in his pocket, so he made a hole in the ground and pushed the nut into it. When he awoke the next morning, the girl he had been dreaming about was lying next to him and the nut had disappeared. She told him that her horse was in the bushes nearby and that there was plenty of food in the saddlebags. The young man set off to fetch the horse. Just after he left, a witch came out of the bushes, grabbed the girl and threw her into a deep hole. The girl fell in and the witch took on the girl's appearance. She put on the girl's headscarf and cast a shadow over her face, making it difficult to recognise her. The young man returned with the horse and the full saddlebags. Just then a bird flew out of the deep hole. The witch told the young man to pick up a stone and throw it at the bird to kill it. The young man did as he was told. He threw the stone and the bird fell dead to the ground. It was a small, beautifully coloured bird. He had never seen such a beautiful bird before. He was sorry that he had killed the bird, but there was nothing he could do about it now. Sadly, he buried the bird. But as soon as he had done so, a tree began to grow on the spot. And when the tree was big and strong, a beautiful, full nut hung from its lowest branches. The witch quickly plucked the nut from the branch and was about to throw it into the deep hole, but the young man took it from her just in time. As soon as he held the nut in his hand, it turned into the girl of his dreams. The young man looked under the scarf and when he saw the witch, he grabbed her and threw her into the deep hole. He put a big stone on top so that the witch could not get out. And then he put his new girlfriend, his dream girl, on the horse and rode home with her.
The Nut Girl
Once upon a time there was a young man. When he was young, he dreamt that somewhere in the world there must be a beautiful girl. He could not forget this dream. And when he was old enough, he told his father and mother that he needed a horse because he wanted to go out and find a wife. He was given the best horse, and his mother prepared so much food and drink for him that he did not go hungry for the first few weeks. Towards the evening he came across a large, dark forest where he was ambushed by robbers who took everything of value from him. Completely penniless he slept under an old tree that night, dreaming again that he was with the beautiful girl he was looking for. When he awoke in the morning, he heard someone calling for help. He went to investigate and found an old woman lying on the muddy ground. She told him that she had been attacked by robbers and that they had taken everything she had. The young man said the same thing had happened to him and that he too had nothing. He pulled the old woman up from the ground and wiped the mud from her clothes. He moistened her shawl with a drop of water, washed the mud from her face and asked her where she was going. She could no longer walk and he carried her carefully to her little house. He stayed there long enough for her to recover a little and when he left the old woman gave him three nuts. He was allowed to eat two of them on the way, but he had to save one for a week, no matter how hungry he got. If he did, he would find his girl. Slowly but surely, he ventured deeper and deeper into the dark forest. The first night he ate a nut. The second day he continued on his way and again he ate only one nut. On the third day he was terribly hungry, but he did not eat the last nut. On the fourth day he was almost starving, but he kept the nut in his pocket. On the last day of the week, he was so hungry that he could not walk, but he kept away from the nut with all his might. But he dared not keep the nut in his pocket, so he made a hole in the ground and pushed the nut into it. When he awoke the next morning, the girl he had been dreaming about was lying next to him and the nut had disappeared. She told him that her horse was in the bushes nearby and that there was plenty of food in the saddlebags. The young man set off to fetch the horse. Just after he left, a witch came out of the bushes, grabbed the girl and threw her into a deep hole. The girl fell in and the witch took on the girl's appearance. She put on the girl's headscarf and cast a shadow over her face, making it difficult to recognise her. The young man returned with the horse and the full saddlebags. Just then a bird flew out of the deep hole. The witch told the young man to pick up a stone and throw it at the bird to kill it. The young man did as he was told. He threw the stone and the bird fell dead to the ground. It was a small, beautifully coloured bird. He had never seen such a beautiful bird before. He was sorry that he had killed the bird, but there was nothing he could do about it now. Sadly, he buried the bird. But as soon as he had done so, a tree began to grow on the spot. And when the tree was big and strong, a beautiful, full nut hung from its lowest branches. The witch quickly plucked the nut from the branch and was about to throw it into the deep hole, but the young man took it from her just in time. As soon as he held the nut in his hand, it turned into the girl of his dreams. The young man looked under the scarf and when he saw the witch, he grabbed her and threw her into the deep hole. He put a big stone on top so that the witch could not get out. And then he put his new girlfriend, his dream girl, on the horse and rode home with her.
