The Flight of the Golden Bird by Duncan Williamson

said. “And I’ll get your two brothers to go oot and cut it. You’ll no need to go back nae mair. But will ye do me one favour?”
    “What’s that, Mother?”
    “Would ye go and wash yourself?” she says. “You’re getting dirtier and uglier looking every day. Your hair’s needing combed. Your face is needing washed. You’re a disgrace. And tomorrow’s the market day in the village. They’re holding a big parade in the market tomorrow. And your brothers are going. You might go with them!”
    “No,” he said, “I’m no gaun to nae market. I’ve got something else. I’m gaun away for a walk to the forest.”
    Away he goes to the forest and he feeds his horses. Tethers them, shifts them and polishes up his three suits of armour. And he hides them in a big rocky cave.
    “They’ll come in handy to me some day,” he said. “But I’ll no sell them!” Oh, and he groomed his horses. They were shining, you know! A black one, a white one and a big brown one.
    The next day his brothers came back from the market. Willie and Tom said to him, “You missed yersel today. It was great! You want to see the carnival and the fair we were at in the market, they’re great! And I’ll tell ye another thing: the king’s coming tomorrow. He’s coming to the carnival, the king! There was a messenger gaun round today reporting right round the village. The king’s got an important message for anybody that wants to hear.”
    “Oh, well,” Jack said, “if it’s going to be as good as that, I might take a wander wi’ yese and see what’s gaun on.”
    “But you cannae go like that,” Tom says, “in the state you’re in! Look at you – you’re in rags! Your hair’s no combed and your face is no washed. You’re an awful mess.”
    Now underneath all this dirt Jack was a good-looking young man. Beautiful young man! He had blue eyes, fair hair. But he wouldn’t keep himself tidy. Had not time, never bothered.
    “Anyway,” he said, “I’ll go wi’ yese.”
    So the next day Willie and Tom spruced themselves up and dressed themselves the best way they could. Away they went. Bade their mother good morning and away they walked to the market. Jack trudged away behind them, oh, trailing his feet wandering after them.
    “Fairs,” he said, “and markets! What am I wanting wi’ fairs and markets? They’re no use to me. But to please them and keep them civil I’ll go wi’ them.”
    On he goes. Trudges into the village.
    And you want to see this market, great big market and a great big fair! Everybody was dressed in their best clothes. And there were children playing with balloons and all these kinds of stalls. You could get anything to eat. Drinks and wine and places where you get plenty fruit. Everybody had brought eggs and there were animals for sale. Everybody was enjoying themselves. Once a year this market came in the village square.
    The first thing they heard was the bugle and the hunting horn coming sounding through the village. And everybody became quiet.
    First came a line of soldiers. And after the soldiers came this carriage, two white horses. And the king was sitting in it, the king of the country. He stopped right in the market square! And he sat in his carriage. This soldier stood up... The king wants to speak to his villagers. This is the fourth village he’s been in and he’s telling everybody:
    “Tomorrow, and for the next three days to come, he’s got a task for any young man who is able to do it. His daughter the princess has got her daddy to build her a glass hill and she’s got to sit on this hill, right on the top. Any man that can go up on horseback and catch a golden apple as she throws it will marry the princess! One, and one only, has got to climb the glass hill. Everybody is welcome to try, to come round from all the country over, far and wide in the kingdom, to come and try their luck.”
    Well, everybody was keen to do this, marry the princess. That was her request. That’s what she