There was a Count with three beautiful daughters who gambled away his wealth and spent his time hunting.
Three times the Count got lost in a forest while hunting. The first time, a bear offered to show him the way and give him a lot of gold and silver, if he could marry one of his daughters. The Count agreed and the bear showed him the way. The bear came in a carriage drawn by horses and took away his eldest daughter.
The next time an eagle showed him the way and gave him a lot of money. He gave his second daughter in marriage to the eagle.
The third time the Count married his youngest daughter to a fish. The Countess was sad but she had a small son to comfort her. When he grew up, he learnt the cause of her sorrow.
He set off on his horse to search for his sisters. He met his eldest sister who had three bear cubs. The bear, his brother-in-law, gave him three hairs from his fur.
“If you are in trouble, rub these,” said the bear.
Then the young man found his second sister with two eaglets. His brother-in-law, the eagle, gave him three feathers with the same instructions. His youngest sister lived underwater with her husband, the fish, and her baby fish. His fish brother-in-law also gave him three scales with the same piece of advice.
A fish told him the bear, the eagle and the fish were Princes who had been enchanted by a powerful sorcerer. He must find the golden egg that was hidden in the sorcerer. Without being afraid if the sorcerer took different forms, he must smash the egg to break the spell. The Count’s son found the sorcerer and attacked him. He turned himself into a bull and when he charged at him, the young man rubbed the three hairs. Immediately, the bear appeared and killed the bull.
A wild duck flew out of the bull and attacked him. But when he rubbed the three feathers, the eagle destroyed the duck. A golden egg fell from the duck into a pond. As soon as the Count’s son rubbed the scales, the fish threw the egg to him and he dashed it to the ground.
The spell broke and he saw the three princes coming out with his sisters and their children from a magnificent castle. They met the Count and the Countess and the King and the Queen. There was great joy and celebration in and around the kingdom.
