But it was no dream that he had run hard and far , or that he had drunk of the magic goats ' milk . And when he felt his limbs , and found them whole , his joy was great that he had come through such perils with a sound skin . After the fatigues and terrors of the night , he lay still till mid-day , but he made up his mind he would go that very evening into the forest to try what the goats ' milk could really do for him , and if he would now be able to understand all that had been a mystery to him . And once in the forest his doubts were set at rest , for he saw what no mortal eyes had ever seen before . Beneath the trees were golden pavilions , with flags of silver all brightly lighted up . He was still wondering why the pavilions were there , when a noise was heard among the trees , as if the wind had suddenly got up , and on all sides beautiful maidens stepped from the trees into the bright light of the moon . These were the wood-nymphs , daughters of the earth-mother , who came every night to hold their dances , in the forest . The young man , watching from his hiding place , wished he had a hundred eyes in his head , for two were not nearly enough for the sight before him , the dances lasting till the first streaks of dawn . Then a silvery veil seemed to be drawn over the ladies , and they vanished from sight . But the young man remained where he was till the sun was high in the heavens , and then went home . He felt that day to be endless , and counted the minutes till night should come , and he might return to the forest . But when at last he got there he found neither pavilions nor nymphs , and though he went back many nights after he never saw them again . Still , he thought about them night and day , and ceased to care about anything else in the world , and was sick to the end of his life with longing for that beautiful vision . And that was the way he learned that the wizard had spoken truly when he said , ` Blindness is man 's highest good . ' -LRB- Ehstnische Marchen . -RRB- THE BOYS WITH THE GOLDEN STARS Once upon a time what happened did happen : and if it had not happened , you would never have heard this story . Well , once upon a time there lived an emperor who had half a world all to himself to rule over , and in this world dwelt an old herd and his wife and their three daughters , Anna , Stana , and Laptitza . Anna , the eldest , was so beautiful that when she took the sheep to pasture they forgot to eat as long as she was walking with them . Stana , the second , was so beautiful that when she was driving the flock the wolves protected the sheep . But Laptitza , the youngest , with a skin as white as the foam on the milk , and with hair as soft as the finest lamb 's wool , was as beautiful as both her sisters put together -- as beautiful as she alone could be .
One summer XXXXX , when the rays of the sun were pouring down on the earth , the three sisters went to the wood on the outskirts of the mountain to pick strawberries .
Anna Laptitza Marchen Stana day evening mid-day nights second terrors