There was once an enchantress who had three sons. They loved each other as brothers, but the old woman did not trust them, fearing they wanted to steal her power. She changed the eldest into an eagle, forced to dwell in the rocky mountains and often seen sweeping in great circles in the sky. The second she changed into a whale, living in the deep sea, only seen when it spouted a great jet of water into the air. Each could only bear his human form for two hours daily.
The third son, afraid she might change him into a raging beast like a bear or a wolf, secretly left. He had heard of a bewitched King's daughter imprisoned in the Castle of the Golden Sun, waiting for deliverance. Many had tried to free her and lost their lives; twenty-three youths had already died a miserable death. Only one more attempt was allowed. Fearless, the youth resolved to seek the castle.
He traveled a long time without success until he chanced upon a great forest and lost his way. In the distance, he saw two giants who beckoned him. They said, "We are quarrelling over a cap. We are equally strong, so neither can win. Small men are cleverer; we leave the decision to you."
"How can you dispute about an old cap?" asked the youth.
"You do not know its properties!" they replied. "It is a wishing-cap. Whoever puts it on can wish himself anywhere, and in an instant, he will be there."
"Give me the cap," said the youth. "I will go a short distance off. When I call, you must run a race, and the cap shall belong to the one who reaches me first."
He put on the cap, thought of the King's daughter, forgot the giants, and walked onward. At length, he sighed from his heart and cried, "Ah, if I were but at the Castle of the Golden Sun!" Hardly had the words passed his lips than he was standing on a high mountain before the castle gate.
He entered and went through all the rooms until, in the last, he found the King's daughter. He was shocked to see her: she had an ashen-gray face full of wrinkles, bleary eyes, and red hair.
"Are you the King's daughter, whose beauty the whole world praises?" he cried.
"Ah," she answered, "this is not my true form. Human eyes see me only in this ugliness. But look in this mirror—it cannot be misled—and it will show you my true image."
She gave him the mirror. In it, he saw the likeness of the most beautiful maiden on earth, with tears rolling down her cheeks.
"How can you be set free?" he asked. "I fear no danger."
She said, "Whoever gets the crystal ball and holds it before the enchanter will destroy his power, and I shall resume my true shape. Many have died trying. You are so young; I grieve that you should face such danger."
"Nothing can keep me from it," he said. "Tell me what I must do."
"When you descend the mountain," she explained, "a wild bull will stand by a spring. You must fight it. If you kill it, a fiery bird will spring from its body, bearing a burning egg. Inside the egg lies the crystal ball, like a yolk. The bird will not let the egg fall unless forced. If the egg falls to the ground, it will flame up, burn everything nearby, melt even ice, and destroy the crystal ball. Then all your trouble will be in vain."
The youth went down to the spring. The bull snorted and bellowed at him. After a long struggle, he plunged his sword into the animal, and it fell. Instantly, a fiery bird arose and was about to fly away. But the youth's brother, the eagle, passing between the clouds, swooped down, hunted the bird to the sea, and struck it with his beak until, in its extremity, it let the egg fall.
The egg did not fall into the sea but onto a fisherman's hut on the shore. The hut began to smoke and was about to burst into flames. Then waves as high as a house arose from the sea, streamed over the hut, and subdued the fire. The other brother, the whale, had swum to them and driven the water high. When the fire was extinguished, the youth found the egg. It was not melted, but the shell was broken from the sudden cooling. He took out the crystal ball, unhurt.
When the youth went to the enchanter and held the ball before him, the enchanter said, "My power is destroyed. From now on, you are the King of the Castle of the Golden Sun. With this, you can also restore your brothers to their human form."
The youth hastened to the King's daughter. When he entered, she stood in the full splendour of her beauty. Joyfully, they exchanged rings.