The wicked witch your lives did take--
The wicked witch, the cunning snake.
First she stole my King away,
Then my children did she slay.
Changed me, from a happy wife,
To a duck for all my life.
Would I were the Queen again;
Would that you had ne'er been slain.'

And as the King heard her words he began to suspect that he had been
deceived, and he called out to the servants, 'Catch that duck, and
bring it here.' But, though they ran to and fro, the duck always fled
past them, and would not let herself be caught. So the King himself
stepped down amongst them, and instantly the duck fluttered down into
his hands. And as he stroked her wings she was changed into a
beautiful woman, and he recognised his dear wife. And she told him
that a bottle would be found in her nest in the garden, containing
some drops from the spring of healing. And it was brought to her; and
the ducklings and little drake were sprinkled with the water, and from
the little dead bodies three lovely children arose. And the King and
Queen were overjoyed when they saw their children, and they all lived
happily together in the beautiful palace. But the wicked witch was
taken by the King's command, and she came to no good end.

_THE WITCH AND HER SERVANTS_[22]

A long time ago there lived a King who had three sons; the eldest was
called Szabo, the second Warza, and the youngest Iwanich.

One beautiful spring morning the King was walking through his gardens
with these three sons, gazing with admiration at the various
fruit-trees, some of which were a mass of blossom, whilst others were
bowed to the ground laden with rich fruit. During their wanderings
they came unperceived on a piece of waste land where three splendid
trees grew. The King looked on them for a moment, and then, shaking
his head sadly, he passed on in silence.

The sons, who could not understand why he did this, asked him the
reason of his dejection, and the King told them as follows:

'These three trees, which I cannot see without sorrow, were planted by
me on this spot when I was a youth of twenty. A celebrated magician,
who had given the seed to my father, promised him that they would grow
into the three finest trees the world had ever seen. My father did not
live to see his words come true; but on his death-bed he bade me
transplant them here, and to look after them with the greatest care,
which I accordingly did. At last, after t