Way back, when the world was a little younger, there lived a very kind woman and her husband. They loved each other very much, but they wished and wished for a child.

One winter's day, the woman was standing under a juniper tree, peeling an apple. Oops! She cut her finger, and three drops of bright red blood fell onto the pure white snow. "Oh," she sighed, looking at the colors, "if only I had a child as red as blood and as white as snow!"

And you know what? Her wish came true! Soon, she had a baby boy, with cheeks as red as apples and skin as white as snow. She was so happy! But, very sadly, not long after the baby was born, she passed away. Her husband was heartbroken and buried her under the juniper tree, just as she would have liked.

After some time, the husband married again. This new wife had a daughter of her own, named Marlinchen. The new wife was kind to Marlinchen, but she wasn't very nice to the little boy. She felt jealous of him.

One afternoon, the stepmother said to the little boy, "Would you like an apple? There's a lovely big one in the big wooden chest."
The little boy loved apples, so he leaned over and looked inside the chest.
SLAM! The stepmother pushed the heavy lid down. Oh dear, it was a terrible, terrible thing, and the boy's head was no longer on his shoulders.
The stepmother, trying to hide her awful deed, carefully propped his head back on and put an apple in his hand.
Then she called Marlinchen. "Go ask your brother for that apple," she said.
Marlinchen went to her brother. "Brother, may I have the apple?" she asked. He didn't answer.
"Brother?" she said again, a little louder. Still no answer.
The stepmother whispered from the doorway, "If he doesn't answer, give his ear a little box!"
So, Marlinchen, not knowing any better, gave her brother's ear a tiny tap. Plop! His head fell off.
Marlinchen was terrified! "Oh, Mama! I've knocked my brother's head off!" she cried.
"Hush now," said the stepmother. "We'll just have to make him into a stew." And that's what she did.

When the father came home, he was very hungry. "Mmm, what's this delicious smell?" he asked.
"It's stew," said the stepmother, and she served him a big bowl.
"This is the best stew I've ever tasted!" he said, eating it all up. He didn't know he was eating his own dear son.
Marlinchen was so sad. She couldn't eat. She quietly gathered all her brother's little bones, wrapped them in her prettiest silk scarf, and took them out to the juniper tree. She buried them under its branches and cried and cried until she fell asleep.

As she slept, the juniper tree began to rustle and sway. A mist rose from the ground, and out of the mist, a beautiful bird flew up from the tree! Its feathers shone like fire, and it sang the most wonderful song:

"My mother, she did slay me,
My father, he did eat me,
My sister, little Marlinchen,
She gathered up my bones then,
And tied them in a silken shawl,
Beneath the juniper, so tall.
Kywitt, kywitt, what a beautiful bird am I!"

The bird flew to the goldsmith's shop and sang its song. The goldsmith was so charmed, he said, "Sing that again, sweet bird, and I'll give you this gold chain!" The bird sang, took the chain in its claw, and flew off.

Next, it flew to the shoemaker's house and sang its song. The shoemaker and his wife loved it. "Oh, sing again, pretty bird," said the wife, "and you shall have these lovely red shoes!" The bird sang, took the shoes, and flew on.

Then, it flew to the mill. The millers were working hard. The bird perched and sang its song. The millers stopped their work. "What a song!" they cried. "Sing it one more time, and you can have this big millstone!" The bird sang, and with a bit of effort, managed to get the heavy millstone around its neck, with the chain and shoes tucked in.

The bird flew back to the house and landed on the roof. It began to sing.
The father heard it. "Oh, what a beautiful bird! Its song makes me feel so happy!" He went outside. The bird dropped the gold chain, and it landed right around his neck.

Marlinchen heard it. "What a sweet song," she thought. "I feel sad, but also a little bit hopeful." She went outside. The bird dropped the red shoes right at her feet. She put them on and felt like dancing.

The stepmother heard the song. "Ugh, that bird!" she grumbled. "Its song makes my head ache and my heart pound with fear!" She ran outside, looking angry.
And just as she stepped out, the bird let go of the heavy millstone. CRASH! It landed right on the stepmother, and she was gone.

Suddenly, from the spot where the millstone had fallen, there was a puff of smoke and a little flame, and out stepped the little boy! He was whole and smiling.
The father and Marlinchen couldn't believe their eyes! They ran to him and hugged him tight.
And from that day on, the father, the little boy, and Marlinchen lived happily together in their little house, always remembering the beautiful bird and the magic of the juniper tree.

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