Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree (1)

Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree (1)

 Once there was a King who lived happily with his queen, Silver-Tree, and his beautiful daughter called Gold-Tree.

  One day Silver-Tree and Gold-Tree were sitting by a pool and it took Silver-Tree's fancy to peer into the water and talk to the trout swimming there : " Silver trout in the pool, who is the most beautiful queen in the world ? "

  " Gold-Tree is the most beautiful, " said the fish.

  Silver-Tree was mad with jealousy.
  She could not stand the fact that someone was more beautiful than she.

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Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree (2)

Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree (2)

  She decided to get Gold-tree killed, and to be sure the girl was dead, she would eat Gold-Tree's heart and liver.

  The queen was so mad with jealousy that she told her husband, begging him to kill their daughter.

  At just this time it happened that a prince from a far country had come to ask for Gol-Tree's hand in marriage.

  The King, a good man, seeing that the two young people loved each other, took his chance and sent the two off to be married.
Then, he went out hunting, he took a deer's heart and liver, and gave them to his wife.

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Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree (3)

Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree (3)

  All was well until the queen again asked the fish who was the most beautiful, and he replied " Gold-Tree your daughter is the fairest. "

  " My daughryter is long dead ! " exclaimed the queen.

  " Surely she is not. For she has married a fine prince in a far country. "

  Her husband told her that this was true.

  " Make ready the great ship, for I must visit my daughter, " said  Silver-Tree. And because she had seemed cured of her jealousy, the King let her go.

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Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree (4)

Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree (4)

  The prince was out hunting when Silver-Tree arrived.

  Gold-Tree realized that her life was in danger, so she called her servants who locked her in her room.

  But Silver-Tree was cunning. She called sweetly, " Put your little finger through the keyholes so your mother may kiss it. "

  As soon as it appeared, the wicked queen took a dagger dipped in poison and stuckit into Gold-Tree' s finger.

  Straight away, the princes collapsed., and died, the dagger still in her finger as she lay.

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Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree (5)

  When Gold-Tree's husband returned, he was horrified to see his young wife dead on the floor.

  She was so beautiful that he preserved her body locked in headroom, and kept the key himself.

  Some years later, the prince's grief faded a littler although he never smiled, and he decided to marry once again.

  He did not tell his second wife about Gold-Tree's body, but one day she found the key to the dead girl's room.

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Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree (6)

Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree (6)

  She was curious to see unknown part of her husband's castle, so she quietly opened the door and went in.

  When she saw the beautiful body she realized at once that this must be Gold-Tree, for she had heard the tale of the girl's death.

  She saw the poisoned dagger still stuck in the girl's finger.
  Yes, this must be Gold-Tree.

  Still curious, the second wife pulled the dagger to remove it, and  Gold-Tree rose, alive, just as was before her mother's visit.

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Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree (6)

Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree (6)

  She was curious to see unknown part of her husband's castle, so she quietly opened the door and went in.

  When she saw the beautiful body she realized at once that this must be Gold-Tree, for she had heard the tale of the girl's death.

  She saw the poisoned dagger still stuck in the girl's finger.
  Yes, this must be Gold-Tree.

  Still curious, the second wife pulled the dagger to remove it, and  Gold-Tree rose, alive, just as was before her mother's visit.

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Gold-Tree & Silver-Tree (7)

Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree (7)

  The second wife said to the prince, " What would you give me if I made you laugh again ? "

  " Nothing could make me laugh, unless Gold-Tree was alive again, " said the prince sadly.

  The wife took the prince to the room and he saw Gold-Tree was alive.

  A change came over her husband and the second wife knew that Gol-Tree was his true love. 

  " Now you have your true love back, " she said, " I must go away. "

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Gold-Tree & Silver-Tree (8)

Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree (8)

  But the prince was so grateful to her that he would not let her go.

  Everything went well for them living together in the palace until Silver-Tree talked to the fish again and discovered that Gold-Tree was still alive and was still most beautiful woman in the world.

  Snd so Silver-Tree went once more to visit her daughter, and again prince was out when arrived.

  Gold-Tree quaked with fear when she saw her mother approaching.

  " Let us go to meet her, " said the second wife calmly, and they went as if to greet a welcome guest.

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Gold-Tree & Silver-Tree (9 完)

Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree (9)

  Silver-Tree held out a precious gold cup.
  " I bring a refreshing drink for my daughter, " she said.

  The second wife looked at her coldly.
  " It is our custom for the visitor to drink first, " she said.

  Silver-Tree raised the cup to her mouth, but she knew that if she drink, she would kill herself.

  Just at that moment, the second wife struck the cup, sending someof the deadly poison straight down Silver-Tree's throat.

  The wicked queen fell dead to the floor, and the servants took her body to bury her.

  At last, Gold-Tree, the prince, and his second wife could live in peace.

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