There was a man who worked as a woodcutter, and he had seven daughters, and his wife was about to give birth to their eighth child. He wished from God to be granted a son, and he made a vow that if his wife gave birth to a boy, he would offer a pound of gold as a gift for his birth.
One day, while the woodcutter was working cutting trees in the forest, his youngest daughter came and told him that his mother had given birth to a boy. The woodcutter felt overwhelming joy and could not believe the news. He hastened to the house to see the boy.
But he remembered his vow, so he told his daughter to return to the house so that he could go and bring the gold as a gift for the newborn boy. The woodcutter kept thinking about how he would obtain a pound of gold, since he owned nothing. He looked at the sky and saw a beautiful bird flying above him.
The woodcutter tried to catch that beautiful bird, but it flew far away. He tried again but also to no avail. Then the bird spoke to him and said to the woodcutter: “God sent me to help you to fulfill your vow for your newborn boy.”
“So catch me and go to the town market, and I will turn into a golden bird. Tell the merchant that you want to sell me for a pound of gold, and the merchant will agree.” Indeed, the woodcutter took the bird and went to the market.
He met the merchant who bought the golden bird for a pound of gold. The woodcutter rejoiced and returned happily to his family, having fulfilled his vow. He gave the newborn boy that pound of gold as a gift, carried him, kissed him, and thanked God for that boy he had wished for.
The merchant placed that beautiful golden bird in an elegant, spacious, and decorated cage that he had bought for that beautiful bird. The merchant did not have any children, and therefore he rejoiced in that bird, which he would leave at home to amuse his wife. As soon as the merchant arrived with the bird at the house, the bird began to tell entertaining stories, and his wife rejoiced in him.
One day, the merchant traveled on a business trip, and the golden bird promised to take care of his wife. The bird asked the merchant to ask the bird that resembled him in that town a question, the meaning of which was how to escape from the cage. The merchant promised to do that and left, advising his wife not to leave the house.
One day, the merchant’s wife stood by the window, and a man living in the neighboring house saw her. He was enchanted by her beauty and tried to reach her, but his attempt was not successful. He looked and saw an old woman with a long nose crossing the road. He hastened to her and asked her to help him reach the merchant’s wife in exchange for a sum of money.
The old woman agreed and went to the merchant’s wife’s house and knocked on the door. The wife asked: “Who is knocking?” The old woman told her: “I am a lady who passed by on the road and feel tired, and I want to sit and rest for a while.”
The wife opened the door and let the old woman in. The old woman told her that her daughter’s wedding was today and invited her to the wedding. But the wife refused the invitation because her husband had advised her not to leave the house. The old woman insisted, but the golden bird warned the wife about that old woman.
He even told her that if she accepted the invitation, she would be like the hunter who regretted his hawk. When the wife asked the meaning of that phrase, the bird told her his story, saying: “There was a skilled hunter living with his hawk.”
“One day, the hunter and the hawk went on a hunting trip. The weather was hot, so the hunter sat to rest a little, leaning on a large rock. While the hunter was taking his afternoon nap, a drop fell on his head, and he rejoiced.”
“He thought the rock was dripping water, so he took a cup and tried to collect the drops of water. But the hawk hastened and spilled the cup. The hunter was angry with him, especially since he felt great thirst. He tried to collect the drops of water again, but the hawk spilled them again.”
“The hunter became angry at the hawk, grabbed him, and beat him with a stick. The hawk fell dead. The hunter looked up to see the source of those drops. To his surprise, he saw a snake dripping its poison. The hunter had thought it was water, and he regretted killing his faithful hawk.”
After the bird finished his story, the merchant’s wife understood what the golden bird meant and refused the old woman’s invitation. The old woman left the house. After three days, the merchant returned to his wife and told him what had happened. He decided to release the golden bird and set him free.
Translated from the story: The Golden Bird