Atondido Stories
“Well, if you bring greetings from the Leaden Castle you are
safe enough. Come in, my boy, and tell me your business.”
“My business? For a long time, old mother, I’ve been looking
for the Glass Hill and the Three Citrons, but I can’t find them. So
I’ve come to ask you whether you could tell me something about
them.”
“No, my boy, I don’t know anything about the Glass Hill.
But wait until my son comes. Perhaps he can help you. In the
meantime hide yourself under the bed and don’t come out until
I call you.”
The mountains rumbled and the castle trembled and the
prince knew that Yezibaba’s son was coming home.
“Phew! Phew! I smell human meat! I’ll eat it!” bellowed the
mighty fellow. He stood in the doorway and banged the ground
with his silver club until the whole castle shook.
“No, no, my son,” said Yezibaba, “don’t talk that way! A
pretty little chap has come bringing you greetings from your
brother of the Leaden Castle.”
“Well, if he’s been at the Leaden Castle and came to no harm,
he’ll have nothing to fear from me either. Where is he?”
The prince slipped out from under the bed and stood before
the ogre. Looking up at him was like looking at the top of the
tallest pine tree.
“Well, little June bug, so you’ve been at my brother’s, eh?”
“Yes,” said the prince. “See, I still have the dumplings he
gave me for the journey.”
“I believe you. Well, what do you want?”
“What do I want? I came to ask you whether you could tell
me something about the Glass Hill and the Three Citrons.”
“H’m, it seems to me I used to hear something about them,
but I forget. I tell you what you do: go to my brother of the
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