In ancient times, there lived a righteous and happy hunter. One day, he passed by an old woman during his journey. She asked him and said: “Welcome, welcome! You seem happy, but I am hungry and thirsty. Give me something to eat.” The hunter felt pity for her and gave her everything he had. The woman rejoiced, and when he was leaving, she stopped him and said: “Listen, my young friend. You are very good, so I will tell you a secret. You will see a large oak tree on your way, with three birds standing on it and a wishing cloak. Aim your arrow toward the middle, take the cloak, and also take a feather from the bird. This will make you obtain gold under your pillow every day.”
The hunter said: “Thank you, my lady. If this happens truly, I will be grateful to you and will never forget you.” The hunter went on his way and did what the old woman told him. The hunter reached his house and hung the cloak on the wall. Day came, the hunter woke up, and checked his pillow to find pieces of gold under it. The happy hunter kept the feather and collected gold daily from under his pillow.
He collected enough to fill a jar, and when it was full, he felt happy. He looked at the world and said: “I have become rich. What should I do with my wealth now? I will go out into the world and travel far away.” Thus began the rich hunter’s adventure. He traveled through forests, rivers, mountains, and cities with his cloak and feather, obtaining gold everywhere he went until one day he reached a luxurious castle. There he spotted a beautiful young woman with an old woman. The old woman said: “Do you see this young man? He has two items with great magic. We must take them from him.”
The hunter said: “I haven’t seen anything more beautiful than this girl.” Then the old woman said: “What brought you here, my lord? How can I help you?” He said: “Welcome. I was traveling and felt tired, so I thought I would stay with you for a few days. I have enough money.” The old woman said: “Of course, please come in.” Days passed, and the hunter stayed at the castle, deeply in love with the beautiful girl. While the hunter was sleeping, the witch stole the feather, but he did nothing because of his great love for the beautiful girl. He spent most of his wealth on staying with the witch. The witch also wanted the cloak.
She went to talk with the girl near the castle’s fireplace and said: “We must get the cloak.” The girl said: “The man has already lost his wealth. Please let him go.” The old woman said: “You will do what I tell you and get the cloak immediately.” The hunter came and said to the girl: “My dear, you seem worried. What saddens you?” She said: “There’s a large reservation containing jewels and precious stones that no human can reach. I want to go but cannot, and this saddens me.” He said: “If you desire that, I will fulfill it for you immediately.” So he took her with the cloak to the place she wanted.
The hunter slept a little because he was tired. The girl took the cloak and went with it to the witch. The hunter woke up and realized he had been deceived. He cursed the girl in his anger. In that moment, he saw three giants heading toward him, so he pretended to be dead. The giants discussed what they would do with him. One said: “We will kill him and eat him.” Another said: “The clouds will carry him far away from here.” The third said: “Let us stay away from trouble so we don’t attract attention.”
The hunter said: “If one of the clouds carries me, perhaps I’ll reach the castle.” A cloud came to him, carried him a long distance, and dropped him in a dense forest. He walked until he reached the castle, using the sun and stars as his guide. He passed through a vegetable field and was very hungry. He cut off a head of lettuce and ate it, and he immediately transformed into a goat. He realized this lettuce was enchanted, so he feared and ate from another type, which transformed him back into a hunter. He said: “I will recover my wealth with this and teach the two deceivers a lesson.” He smeared his face with mud, went to the castle, and said to the old woman: “Who are you?” He said: “Welcome. I was passing through to deliver the best lettuce in the kingdom to the king. I gathered it and carried it, but I felt tired.” She said: “Really? Let me taste the best lettuce in the kingdom.”
He said: “Yes, of course.” He presented the lettuce to her and the girl. They said: “It’s very delicious.” Suddenly, the witch and the girl transformed into two goats. Thus, the hunter recovered his wealth, but he wasn’t satisfied. He gave them to a shepherd and asked him to beat the old woman three times and feed her once, and to feed the young woman three times and beat her once. Days passed, then the shepherd returned with the young goat and said: “The old woman died, and this one feels sad.” He fed her the unenchanted lettuce, and she turned back into a girl. She said to him: “My dear hunter, I am very sorry. The witch forced me, and I had no choice.” He said to her: “I forgive you. I believe you and I love you.” And they lived in eternal happiness.