Listen closely, and I'll tell you a tale about a queen who was looking out her window one chilly day. Snow was falling, soft and white. She pricked her finger with her needle, and three drops of red blood fell onto the snow. Nearby stood a window frame made of black ebony wood. "Oh," she sighed, "I wish I had a child as white as snow, as red as blood, and as black as ebony wood."

Soon, her wish came true! She had a baby daughter with skin as white as snow, cheeks as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony. The queen was overjoyed. But one day, when the little princess was being a bit fussy, the queen, feeling tired, said without thinking, "Oh, I wish you were a little raven and would just fly away so I could have some peace!"

And just like that – poof! – the little princess turned into a black raven and flew out the open window, over the trees, and into a dark, deep forest. She was very lonely there.

Many years passed. One day, a kind young man was walking through that same forest and got completely lost. As it grew dark, he heard a "Caw! Caw!" He looked up and saw a raven perched on a branch.
To his surprise, the raven spoke! "I am a princess," she cawed softly. "A hasty wish turned me into this. You can save me."
"How?" asked the young man, amazed.
"Go to the cottage of an old woman who lives deeper in the woods," the raven explained. "She will offer you food and drink, but you must not eat or drink anything. If you do, you will fall into a deep sleep. I will come by at a certain time. You must be awake and waiting for me on a pile of straw in her yard."

The young man promised. He found the cottage, and the old woman was very friendly. She offered him warm soup and fresh bread. He was so hungry and tired! "Just a little bite," he thought. But as soon as he ate, his eyes grew heavy, and he fell fast asleep on a bench. The raven flew by, saw him sleeping, sighed sadly, and flew away.

The next day, the raven found him again. "Please try once more," she pleaded. "Remember, no food, no drink, and wait on the straw."
He promised again. But the old woman offered him cool milk and sweet cake. "Just a tiny sip," he thought. And again, he fell into a deep sleep. The raven came, saw him, and her little raven heart was heavy with sadness. She flew off.

On the third day, the raven appeared. "This is your last chance," she said, her voice trembling. "Please, please stay awake."
The young man felt terrible. "I will not fail you this time!" he declared. He went to the cottage, refused all food and drink, and lay down on the pile of straw outside, determined to stay awake. But the day had been long, the straw was surprisingly comfortable, and slowly, his eyelids drooped... and he fell asleep.

When the raven arrived, she saw him sleeping again. Tears welled in her bird eyes. She gently placed a small gold ring on his finger. She also left beside him a loaf of bread that would never run out, and a piece of meat that would never be all eaten. Finally, she left a little note. It said: "If you still wish to save me, you must find the Golden Castle of Stromberg. These gifts will help you. The ring is for you to remember me." Then, she flew away.

When the young man woke up, he saw the gifts and read the note. He was heartbroken that he had failed. "I must find her!" he cried. He ate some of the magic bread and meat, put the ring on his finger, and started his search for the Golden Castle of Stromberg.

He walked for a very, very long time. He asked everyone he met, but no one knew where the castle was. One day, he came to a giant. "Can you tell me the way to the Golden Castle of Stromberg?" he asked.
The giant shook his head. "I don't know, but my brother who lives further on might."
So the young man walked to the next giant, who also didn't know, but sent him to an even bigger giant. This giant knew! "It's on top of the Glass Mountain," he rumbled, "but that's very far." The giant kindly offered to carry him part of the way.

Finally, the young man stood at the bottom of the huge, slippery Glass Mountain. How could he ever climb it? Just then, he saw two other giants arguing loudly. "It's mine!" shouted one. "No, it's mine!" shouted the other. They were fighting over a cloak.
"What's so special about that cloak?" asked the young man.
"It's a wishing cloak!" one giant grumbled. "Whoever wears it can wish to be anywhere!"
The young man had an idea. "I have bread that never ends and meat that never runs out," he said. "I'll trade you these for the cloak."
The giants, who were very hungry, quickly agreed.

The young man put on the cloak. "I wish I were at the top of the Glass Mountain, inside the Golden Castle of Stromberg!" he said.
Whoosh! In an instant, he was standing in the courtyard of a magnificent golden castle. He heard music and laughter. He peeked inside and saw a grand feast. And there, at the head table, was his raven princess, now a beautiful young woman again, but looking very sad. She was about to be married to someone else!

Quickly, before anyone saw him, he took the little gold ring from his finger and dropped it into her wine cup when no one was looking.
The princess picked up her cup to take a drink. As she sipped, she felt something. She looked inside and saw the ring!
"This ring!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide. "This was given to me by the one who tried to save me! He must be here!"
She stood up and searched the room. Her eyes met the young man's.
"It's you!" she cried with joy.

She told everyone the whole story. The other wedding was quickly called off. The young man and the princess were married right away, and they were incredibly happy. And you can be sure, the princess never, ever wished to be a raven again, though sometimes, she and the young man would laugh about her feathery adventure in the dark forest.

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