For a long time he wandered sadly all through the beautiful underworld , and one day he met a magician who asked him the cause of his tears . The youth told him all that had befallen him , and the magician said : ` Do not grieve , young man ! If you will guard the children who are hidden in the golden apple-tree , I will bring you at once up to the earth . Another magician who lives in this land always eats my children up . It is in vain that I have hidden them under the earth and locked them into the castle . Now I have hidden them in the apple-tree ; hide yourself there too , and at midnight you will see my enemy . ' The youth climbed up the tree , and picked some of the beautiful golden apples , which he ate for his supper . At midnight the wind began to rise , and a rustling sound was heard at the foot of the tree . The youth looked down and beheld a long thick serpent beginning to crawl up the tree . It wound itself round the stem and gradually got higher and higher . It stretched its huge head , in which the eyes glittered fiercely , among the branches , searching for the nest in which the little children lay . They trembled with terror when they saw the hideous creature , and hid themselves beneath the leaves . Then the youth swung his mighty sword in the air , and with one blow cut off the serpent 's head . He cut up the rest of the body into little bits and strewed them to the four winds . The father of the rescued children was so delighted over the death of his enemy that he told the youth to get on his back , and in this way he carried him up to the world above . With what joy did he hurry now to his brothers ' house ! He burst into a room where they were all assembled , but no one knew who he was . Only his bride , who was serving as cook to her sisters , recognised her lover at once . His brothers , who had quite believed he was dead , yielded him up his treasures at once , and flew into the woods in terror . But the good youth forgave them all they had done , and divided his treasures with them .
Then he built himself a big castle XXXXX golden windows , and there he lived happily with his golden-haired wife till the end of their lives .
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