The three dwarfs

There were once, a long, long time ago, three dwarfs who lived in subterranean caves. They made fire, enjoyed their life and brought beautiful stones from the depths of the earth to the place where they lived.

They came each day to the surface of the earth because they loved the sun and also because they were very inquisitive. They were astonished about the trees, the grass, the sky…and also about all the animals and birds that they saw.

They were very good friends with each other, and the youngest was the most loved of all, he had also a great spirit for enterprising. Since for him the daily life with the other dwarfs was sometimes boring, he decided one day, when he was again on the surface of the earth, to explore it…behind the branch of a three he hid himself from the glances of strangers, he was very well masked…it was a beautiful sight, so beautiful flowers, so beautiful trees and stones…Deepened in his joy he found a river and followed it. Afterwards he found a lake, that he never saw before…and suddenly, there in the forest,  he found a way which he could not resist, he had to enter it, and as he did, his joy grew bigger…After a while he saw a palace between the leaves. He approached it and found to his surprise that the door was open. He went inside and heard a wonderful music, admired the beautiful paintings, sculptures and the majestic construction of the palace which he contemplated with attention. But something called him to take certain way into the palace, and he followed his intuition. He found a way going upwards that was formed like a spiral, slowly he climbed up the staircase and at the end  found a door which he opened with care…and lo! He found a sarcophagus of glass in which a marvellous lady slept, one, who touches the heart by her glancing. While he was observing her his body grew so tall, until he no longer was a dwarf, but a human being. In this human form he tried to open this sarcophagus, but he could not succeed…and the princess was so beautiful! -she was sleeping…Deepened in his reflection he heard her voice that said: “I am a princess who was enchanted by a bad magician, please come soon with your two fellow- dwarfs, so that you can open this sarcophagus, afterwards I am released…” He could not hear anymore, because he ran to the door and went outside, his body changed again in this process to his usual form. He went down the staircases, left rapidly the palace and hurried the way back to the subterranean caves where he found his comrades. These were very concerned about him and questioned about all that he had seen and experienced, but they did not want to believe him…But he had a strong determination to release the princess. Also he had taken with him a golden cross from the palace that the two dwarfs had never seen before and which they admired. That convinced them, but they feared…Even though, they went away on the next morning, in time of the sunrise, each of them was hidden behind a branch. They walked slowly because of their fear. After some steps they stopped in order to see if somebody came or somebody looked at them. It was really an amusing sight. Once in a while they jumped some steps and afterwards stood still. The youngest gave away his branch since he did not feel anymore fear and after a long and difficult wandering they came to the palace at the time of midday …The other two dwarfs were very fascinated about the beauty of everything, but they went behind the youngest who climbed the staircases passionately. Finally they came to the room where the princess lay. Also their bodies grew to a human form in the contemplation of the princess. In deep astonishment and moved with compassion the three dwarfs opened the sarcophagus and in this moment the marvellous princess opened her eyes and spoke with great thankfulness and love: “I thank you, dear brothers, I am released through your help, yet I have to go rapidly to the palace of my beloved, because he experienced the same fate as I through the evilness of the magician.”