Once, a young tailor was lost in a forest. Terrified of wild animals, he climbed up a tree. But he saw a light not far away. Scrambling down, he ran towards it. A rough man opened the door and asked him rudely what he wanted.
“Just something to eat and a place to rest for the night, sir,” said the tailor. The man gave him bread and water and a bed in one corner.
The tailor woke up, startled by a terrible bellowing. He saw a huge stag kill a bull. Then the stag scooped up the frightened tailor and galloped away. He put him down near a steep rock and struck a door open. Fire and steam gushed out and a loud voice said, “Come in!”
The young tailor walked into a huge hall. The voice asked him to step on the tile in the centre. When he stepped on the centre tile, it sank into another splendid hall, carved with shelves on the walls. There were large glass jars on the shelves. Clouds of coloured smoke move in the glass jars.
On the floor were two large crystal chests. Inside one was a miniature castle, perfect with all the turrets and spires, stables and farms! In the other chest, he saw the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She seemed to be asleep for he could see her breathing.
As he looked at her, she opened her eyes and begged him to set her free. The tailor found the bolt on the glass chest and opened it. She stepped out and hugged him because she was so grateful.
“My father was a nobleman who died and left me to be cared for by my brother,” said the girl, “A stranger, who was really an evil magician, visited me one day and sang a strange melody. His song made me fall into a faint. When I awoke, I was inside this crystal chest and my people were all changed into smoke and imprisoned in glass jars. My brother became a stag. It is he who brought you here to save all of us.”
The young tailor saw that the charm had been nullified. The castle grew back to its real size. The smoke began to turn into people and the stag became a handsome young man again. He gave his sister’s hand in marriage to the young tailor who had saved her and all of them too. And they all lived happily together in the great castle.
