English Original
There was once a princess who lived in a castle. High in the battlements, she had a room with twelve windows that looked out in every direction. From this room, she could see her entire kingdom. Her sight grew sharper with each window, and from the twelfth, she could see everything above and below the earth. Nothing could be hidden from her.
She was haughty and wished to rule alone. She proclaimed that she would only marry a man who could hide from her so well that she could not find him. Any suitor she discovered would lose his head, and his head would be placed on a post outside the castle.
Ninety-seven posts already bore heads, and no new suitors came. The princess was pleased, thinking she would remain free forever. Then, three brothers arrived to try their luck.
The eldest hid in a lime-pit, but she saw him from the first window. He was beheaded. The second hid in the palace cellar, but she also saw him from the first window. His head was placed on the ninety-ninth post.
The youngest brother begged for a day to prepare and asked for grace: if she found him twice, he should be spared, but on the third failure, he would accept his fate. Struck by his handsomeness and earnest plea, the princess agreed, though she doubted he would succeed.
The next day, the youth pondered where to hide but could think of nothing. He took his gun and went hunting. He aimed at a raven, but the bird cried out, "Do not shoot! I will reward you." The youth spared it. Later, by a lake, he aimed at a large fish, which also promised a reward if spared. He let it go. Finally, he met a lame fox. He tried to shoot but missed. The fox asked him to remove a thorn from its foot. After helping the fox, the youth intended to kill it, but the fox also promised a reward. The youth spared it and returned home as evening fell.
The following day, it was time to hide. The youth went to the raven for help. The raven thought long, then fetched an egg from its nest. It cut the egg in two, placed the youth inside, sealed it, and sat on it. The princess looked from window to window. She could not see him until the eleventh window. She ordered the raven shot, the egg broken, and the youth pulled out. "You are excused this once," she said, "but if you do no better, you are lost."
The next day, the youth sought help from the fish. The fish thought and then swallowed him, diving to the bottom of the lake. The princess looked from her windows. She grew anxious when she could not see him from the eleventh, but finally spotted him from the twelfth. She ordered the fish caught and killed, and the youth appeared. "Twice you are forgiven," she declared, "but next time, your head will be on the hundredth post."
On the final day, the youth sought the fox with a heavy heart. "That is a hard task," said the thoughtful fox. Finally, it had an idea. They went to a spring. The fox dipped in and emerged as a market trader dealing in animals. The youth also dipped in and was transformed into a small sea-hare. The merchant went to town and displayed the creature. A crowd gathered, and the princess came. She liked it so much that she bought it for a good price. Before handing it over, the merchant whispered to the sea-hare, "When the princess goes to the window, creep under the braids of her hair."
The time came for the search. The princess looked from the first window to the eleventh and saw nothing. She looked from the twelfth and still saw nothing. Filled with fury and anxiety, she slammed the window shut so violently that all the glass shattered and the castle shook.
She returned to her room and felt the sea-hare under her hair. She seized it, threw it to the ground, and cried, "Away with you! Get out of my sight!" It ran to the merchant. They both hurried to the spring, plunged in, and regained their true forms. The youth thanked the fox, saying, "The raven and the fish are fools compared to you. You know the right tune to play."
The youth went straight to the palace. The princess, resigned to her fate, was waiting. They were married, and he became king. He never told her how he had hidden the third time or who had helped him. She believed he had succeeded by his own skill and held him in great respect, thinking, "He is able to do more than I."
中文翻译
从前有一位公主，住在城堡里。在城垛高处，她有一个房间，里面有十二扇窗户，可以望向各个方向。从这个房间，她可以看到她的整个王国。她的视力随着每一扇窗户而增强，从第十二扇窗户，她可以看到地上和地下的一切。没有什么能瞒过她。
她傲慢自大，希望独自统治。她宣布，她只会嫁给一个能把自己藏得让她完全找不到的男人。任何被她发现的求婚者都将被斩首，头颅会被挂在城堡外的柱子上。
九十七根柱子已经挂满了头颅，再也没有新的求婚者前来。公主很高兴，以为她能永远自由。这时，三兄弟前来尝试他们的运气。
大哥藏在石灰坑里，但她从第一扇窗户就看到了他。他被斩首了。二哥藏在宫殿的地窖里，但她同样从第一扇窗户发现了他。他的头颅被挂在了第九十九根柱子上。
最小的弟弟请求给他一天时间准备，并恳求得到宽恕：如果她找到他两次，请饶恕他，但如果第三次失败，他甘愿受罚。公主被他的英俊和恳切打动，同意了，尽管她认为他不会成功。
第二天，年轻人苦思冥想藏身之处，但一无所获。他拿起枪去打猎。他瞄准了一只乌鸦，但鸟儿叫道：“别开枪！我会报答你的。”年轻人放过了它。后来，在湖边，他瞄准了一条大鱼，鱼也承诺如果被放过就会报答他。他放走了鱼。最后，他遇到一只跛脚的狐狸。他开枪但没打中。狐狸请他帮忙把脚上的刺拔出来。帮完狐狸后，年轻人想杀了它，但狐狸也承诺会报答。年轻人放过了它，夜幕降临时回家了。
又一天，该藏身了。年轻人去找乌鸦帮忙。乌鸦想了很久，然后从巢里取出一颗蛋。它把蛋切成两半，把年轻人放进去，封好蛋壳，然后坐在上面。公主从一扇扇窗户看出去。直到第十一扇窗户，她才看到他。她下令射杀乌鸦，打破蛋壳，把年轻人拉了出来。“这次饶了你，”她说，“但如果你没有更好的办法，你就完了。”
第二天，年轻人去找鱼帮忙。鱼想了想，然后把他吞下肚，潜到了湖底。公主从她的窗户望去。从第十一扇窗户还看不到他时，她开始焦虑，但最终从第十二扇窗户发现了他。她下令抓住并杀死那条鱼，年轻人出现了。“我饶了你两次，”她宣布，“但下次，你的头就会挂在第一百根柱子上。”
最后一天，年轻人心情沉重地去找狐狸。“这是个难题，”若有所思的狐狸说。最后，它有了主意。它们来到一处泉水边。狐狸浸入水中，出来时变成了一个市场里贩卖动物的商人。年轻人也浸入水中，变成了一只小海兔。商人进城展示这个小动物。人群聚集起来，公主也来了。她非常喜欢它，花大价钱买了下来。在交给公主之前，商人对海兔耳语：“当公主走到窗边时，迅速爬到她的发辫下面去。”
搜查的时间到了。公主从第一扇窗户看到第十一扇，什么也没发现。她从第十二扇窗户看，仍然什么也没看到。她充满了愤怒和焦虑，猛地关上窗户，力道之大，所有玻璃都震得粉碎，整个城堡都摇晃起来。
她回到房间，感觉到海兔在她的头发下面。她抓住它，扔到地上，喊道：“滚开！从我眼前消失！”它跑向商人。他们俩急忙赶到泉水边，跳进去，恢复了真身。年轻人感谢狐狸，说：“乌鸦和鱼跟你比起来真是傻瓜。你知道该怎么奏效。”
年轻人径直前往宫殿。公主已经认命，正在等待。他们结婚了，他成了国王。他从未告诉她第三次他是如何藏身的，或者谁帮助了他。她相信他是靠自己的本事成功的，并非常敬重他，心想：“他比我能干。”