there was once upon a time a queen who had a little daughter who was still so young that she had to be carried. one day the child was naughty, and the mother might say what she liked, but the child would not be quiet. then she became impatient, and as the ravens were flying about the palace, she opened the window and said, "i wish you were a raven and would fly away, and then i should have some rest." scarcely had she spoken the words, before the child was changed into a raven, and flew from her arms out of the window. it flew into a dark forest, and stayed in it a long time, and the parents heard nothing of their child. then one day a man was on his way through this forest and heard the raven crying, and followed the voice, and when he came nearer, the bird said, "i am a king’s daughter by birth, and am bewitched, but thou canst set me free." "what am i to do," asked he. she said, "go further into the forest, and thou wilt find a house, wherein sits an aged woman, who will offer thee meat and drink, but you must accept nothing, for if you eatest and drinkest anything, thou wilt fall into a sleep, and then thou wilt not be able to deliver me. in the garden behind the house there is a great heap of tan, and on this thou shalt stand and wait for me. for three days i will come every afternoon at two o’clock in a carriage. on the first day four white horses will be harnessed to it, then four chestnut horses, and lastly four black ones; but if thou art not awake, but sleeping, i shall not be set free." the man promised to do everything that she desired, but the raven said, alas, "i know already that thou wilt not deliver me; thou wilt accept something from the woman." then the man once more promised that he would certainly not touch anything either to eat or to drink. but when he entered the house the old woman came to him and said, "poor man, how faint you are; come and refresh yourself; eat and drink." "no," said the man, "i will not eat or drink." she, however, let him have no peace, and said, "if you will not eat, take one drink out of the glass; one is nothing." then he let himself be persuaded, and drank. shortly before two o’clock in the afternoon he went into the garden to the tan heap to wait for the raven. as he was standing there, his weariness all at once became so great that he could not struggle against it, and lay down for a short time, but he was determined not to go to sleep. hardly, however, had he lain down, than his eyes closed of their own accord, and he fell asleep and slept so soundly that nothing in the world could have aroused him.