English Original
There was once a man about to set out on a long journey. On parting, he asked his three daughters what he should bring back for them. The eldest wished for pearls, the second for diamonds, but the third said, "Dear father, I should like a singing, soaring lark." The father promised to try and set out.
When it was time to return, he had pearls and diamonds for the two eldest, but he had sought in vain for the lark for his youngest, his favorite child. He was very unhappy.
His road lay through a forest, and in its midst stood a splendid castle. Near the castle was a tree, and at its very top, he saw the singing, soaring lark. Delighted, he called his servant to climb and catch it.
As the servant approached, a lion leapt from beneath the tree, roared mightily, and said, "He who tries to steal my singing, soaring lark, I will devour." The man begged for mercy, offering a large ransom.
The lion said, "Nothing can save thee unless thou wilt promise to give me what first meets thee on thy return home. Do that, and I will grant thee thy life and the bird for thy daughter."
The man hesitated, fearing it would be his youngest daughter who always ran to greet him. His servant, terrified, persuaded him it might just as easily be a cat or dog. The man allowed himself to be persuaded, took the lark, and made the promise.
When he reached home, the first to meet him was indeed his youngest, dearest daughter. She was overjoyed at the lark. The father, weeping, told her of his terrible promise to the savage lion.
She consoled him, saying, "Your promise must be fulfilled. I will go and soften the lion, so I may return safely."
The next morning, she went fearlessly into the forest. The lion was an enchanted prince. By day, he and his people were lions; by night, they resumed human form. She was kindly received at the castle. That night, the lion became a handsome man, and they were married with great magnificence. They lived happily, awake at night and asleep by day.
One day, the prince told her of a feast at her father's house for her eldest sister's wedding. She wished to go and was conducted there by lions. Her family, who thought her dead, rejoiced. She told them of her handsome husband and good life, stayed for the feast, and returned.
When her second sister was to marry, she was invited again. This time, she insisted the prince come with her. He warned it was dangerous: if a ray from a candle fell on him, he would be turned into a dove and fly with doves for seven years. She promised to guard him from all light.
They went together with their little child. She had a strong, thick chamber built where he could hide when candles were lit. But the door, made of green wood, warped and left a tiny, unnoticed crack.
During the wedding procession, a hair's breadth of light from a torch fell through the crack onto the prince. Instantly, he was transformed into a white dove.
The dove said to her, "For seven years I must fly about the world. At every seventh step you take, I will let fall a drop of red blood and a white feather to show you the way. If you follow, you can release me." Then he flew away, and she followed the trail of blood and feathers.
She journeyed tirelessly for almost seven years. One day, the trail stopped, and the dove vanished. Thinking no man could help her, she sought aid from the sun, the moon, and the winds.
The sun gave her a casket for her sorest need. The moon gave her an egg for great need. The night wind consulted the other winds and learned from the south wind that the white dove had flown to the Red Sea. There, the seven years being over, he had become a lion again and was fighting a dragon, who was an enchanted princess.
The night wind advised her: Go to the Red Sea. On the right bank, count the tall reeds, break the eleventh, and strike the dragon with it. Then the lion could subdue it, and both would regain human form. Then, she should see a griffin by the sea. She and her beloved must swing onto its back to fly home. He gave her a nut to drop over the sea's center; it would instantly grow into a tall nut-tree for the griffin to rest on, or they would fall.
She went and did as instructed. She struck the dragon with the eleventh reed. The lion overcame it, and both regained human shapes. But the princess, freed from enchantment, seized the prince, mounted the griffin, and carried him off.
The poor maiden, forsaken again, sat and wept. Then she took courage, vowing to search until she found him. After a long journey, she came to a castle where the prince and the princess lived together, soon to celebrate their wedding.
Remembering the sun's gift, she opened the casket. Inside was a dress as brilliant as the sun. She put it on and went to the castle. All were astonished, especially the bride, who coveted the dress for her wedding. The maiden said it was not for sale for money or land, but for flesh and blood: she wanted to sleep one night in the bridegroom's chamber.
The bride, desperate for the dress, finally agreed but ordered a page to give the prince a sleeping draught. That night, the maiden sat by the sleeping prince and told him of her seven-year quest, her journeys to the sun, moon, and winds, and how she helped him against the dragon. But he slept soundly, hearing only wind in the trees. At daybreak, she had to leave, giving up the dress.
Saddened, she went to a meadow, wept, and remembered the moon's egg. She opened it. Out came a clucking hen with twelve golden chicks. They chirped and ran about, a beautiful sight. She drove them before her until the bride looked out the window. Enchanted, the bride asked to buy them. The maiden again asked to sleep in the bridegroom's chamber.
The bride agreed, intending to cheat her again. But that evening, the prince asked his page about murmuring he'd heard the previous night. The page confessed about the sleeping draught and the poor girl. The prince told him to pour the next draught by the bedside.
That night, when the maiden began to tell her story, the prince recognized her voice. He sprang up, crying, "Now I am truly released! The strange princess bewitched me into forgetting you. God has delivered me from the spell just in time."
They fled the castle secretly that night, fearing the princess's sorcerer father. They mounted the griffin, which bore them across the Red Sea. Over the center, she dropped the nut. A tall nut-tree grew instantly from the water for the griffin to rest on. Then it carried them home, where they found their child, now grown tall and beautiful. They lived happily ever after.
中文翻译
从前，有个人要出远门。临行前，他问三个女儿想要什么礼物。大女儿想要珍珠，二女儿想要钻石，但小女儿说：“亲爱的父亲，我想要一只会唱歌、会飞翔的云雀。”父亲答应尽力去找，然后出发了。
该回家时，他给两个大女儿带回了珍珠和钻石，却怎么也找不到给小女儿（他最疼爱的孩子）的云雀，他非常难过。
他的路穿过一片森林，森林中央有一座华丽的城堡。城堡附近有棵树，树顶上正站着一只会唱歌、会飞翔的云雀。他大喜过望，叫仆人去爬树抓鸟。
仆人刚靠近，一头狮子从树下跳出来，发出震天的吼声，说道：“谁敢偷我的会唱歌、会飞翔的云雀，我就吃掉谁。”男人乞求宽恕，愿意支付巨额赎金。
狮子说：“除非你答应把你回家时第一个遇到的东西给我，否则什么也救不了你。答应我，我就饶你一命，并把鸟给你女儿。”
男人犹豫了，他担心那会是他最小的女儿，因为她总是跑出来迎接他。他的仆人很害怕，劝他说那也可能只是猫或狗。男人被说服了，拿走了云雀，并许下了承诺。
他到家时，第一个遇到的果然是他最心爱的小女儿。看到云雀，她欣喜若狂。父亲流着泪，告诉了她自己对那头凶猛狮子许下的可怕诺言。
她安慰父亲说：“您的承诺必须履行。我会去感化那头狮子，平安回来的。”
第二天早上，她毫无畏惧地走进了森林。原来，狮子是一位被施了魔法的王子。白天，他和他的臣民都是狮子；夜晚，他们会恢复人形。她在城堡受到了友好接待。那天晚上，狮子变成了一位英俊的男子，他们举行了盛大的婚礼。他们幸福地生活在一起，夜晚活动，白天睡觉。
一天，王子告诉她，她父亲家将为她大姐的婚礼举办宴会。她想去，于是由狮子们护送前往。她的家人都以为她死了，见到她喜出望外。她告诉他们自己英俊的丈夫和美好的生活，参加了宴会后就回去了。
当二姐要结婚时，她又收到了邀请。这次，她坚持要王子一起去。王子警告说这很危险：如果烛光的一丝光线照到他，他就会变成一只鸽子，和鸽子一起飞翔七年。她保证会保护他，不让任何光线照到他。
他们带着他们的小孩子一起去了。她让人建了一个坚固厚实的小房间，以便点蜡烛时他能躲在里面。但门是用新木头做的，变形后留下了一条细微的、没人注意到的裂缝。
婚礼队伍经过时，火炬的一丝微光透过裂缝照到了王子身上。瞬间，他变成了一只白鸽。
鸽子对她说：“我必须在世界上飞翔七年。你每走七步，我会滴下一滴红血和一根白羽毛为你指路。如果你跟着，就能解救我了。”说完他就飞走了，她跟着血迹和羽毛的踪迹前行。
她不知疲倦地走了将近七年。一天，踪迹消失了，鸽子也不见了。她想没人能帮她了，于是向太阳、月亮和风求助。
太阳给了她一个匣子，供她在最需要时使用。月亮给了她一个鸡蛋，供她在巨大困境中使用。夜风询问了其他风，从南风那里得知，白鸽飞到了红海。在那里，七年期限已满，他又变成了狮子，正在与一条龙搏斗，而那条龙是一位被施了魔法的公主。
夜风指点她：去红海。在右岸，数那些高高的芦苇，折断第十一根，用它击打那条龙。这样狮子就能制服它，两者都会恢复人形。然后，她会看到海边有一只狮鹫。她和她的爱人必须跳到它背上飞回家。夜风给了她一颗坚果，让她在飞到海中央时扔下；它会立刻长成一棵高大的坚果树立在水面上，供狮鹫歇脚，否则他们就会掉下去。
她去了，并照做了。她用第十一根芦苇击打龙。狮子制服了龙，两者都恢复了人形。但那位解脱了魔法的公主，抓住王子，骑上狮鹫，把他带走了。
可怜的姑娘再次被遗弃，坐下来哭泣。然后她鼓起勇气，发誓要找到他。经过长途跋涉，她来到一座城堡，王子和公主正住在一起，即将举行婚礼。
想起太阳的礼物，她打开了匣子。里面是一件如太阳般灿烂的裙子。她穿上它，去了城堡。所有人都很惊讶，尤其是新娘，她垂涎这条裙子，想用作结婚礼服。姑娘说，这裙子不卖钱也不卖地，只换血肉：她想在新郎的卧室里睡一晚。
新娘极想要这条裙子，最终同意了，但命令一个侍从给王子喝安眠药水。那天晚上，姑娘坐在熟睡的王子身边，告诉他她七年的追寻，她如何去到太阳、月亮和风那里，以及她如何帮助他对抗龙。但他睡得很沉，只听到外面松林里的风声。天亮时，她不得不离开，交出了裙子。
她很伤心，走到一片草地上哭泣，想起了月亮的鸡蛋。她打开了它。里面出来一只咯咯叫的母鸡和十二只金色的小鸡。它们叽叽喳喳地跑来跑去，景象美极了。她赶着它们走，直到新娘从窗户看到。新娘被迷住了，想买下它们。姑娘再次要求在新郎的卧室里睡一晚。
新娘同意了，打算再次欺骗她。但那天晚上，王子问侍从前一晚听到的喃喃声是怎么回事。侍从坦白了安眠药水和那个可怜姑娘的事。王子让他把下一次的药水倒在床边。
那天晚上，当姑娘开始讲述她的故事时，王子听出了她的声音。他跳起来喊道：“现在我真正解脱了！那个陌生的公主对我施了魔法，让我忘了你。上帝及时解除了我的魔法。”
他们当晚秘密逃离了城堡，害怕公主那巫师父亲。他们骑上狮鹫，狮鹫载着他们飞越红海。飞到海中央时，她扔下了坚果。一棵高大的坚果树立刻从水中长出，供狮鹫歇脚。然后狮鹫载他们回了家，在那里他们找到了自己的孩子，已经长得高大漂亮。从此，他们幸福地生活在一起。