Yes, No, Never

Once upon a time, there lived a king who had a hunter. One day, the hunter went out to hunt game. He wandered for a long time, searching, but caught nothing. Just as he decided to return home, he saw a bird sitting in a tree. He shot an arrow from his bow, knocked the bird down, picked it up, and tucked it into his coat. Suddenly, the bird turned into a beautiful maiden. The hunter was astonished to see her standing beside him.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I am the bird you caught," the maiden replied.

"Then you must become my wife."

"Very well," she said, "but do not take me to your king, for know this—he will take me from you. If you must take me to him, here is what I will do: when we approach the king, I will turn into an ugly woman, and he will drive both of us away. Then we can live together in your home."

The hunter agreed, and they went to the king. When the king saw the ugly woman, he said, "Who gave her to you? What do you need her for?" The hunter replied, "I took her as my wife."

The king was displeased and drove both the hunter and his wife away. But as soon as they left the palace, she turned back into a beautiful woman. The hunter and his young wife began to live happily together. Time passed, and the king learned that the hunter's wife was a beauty. He summoned the hunter and said, "Either give me your wife, or bring me a 'yes, no, never.'"

The hunter hung his head and returned home sadly. He told his wife what the king had demanded. His wife said, "Go to the tree where I once sat, gather its branches, and make a broom. Take it with you, and it will lead you where you need to go."

The hunter went, made a broom from the tree's branches, and set it on the ground. The broom flew forward like the wind, and the hunter hurried after it. The broom led him to an underground kingdom. There, the hunter found the king's father and said, "Your son sent me for a 'yes, no, never.' Tell me what to do."

The king's father replied, "Go straight ahead until you reach the sea. Cross the sea, and you will see a house. Ask the owner of that house, and he will tell you where to find a 'yes, no, never.'"

The hunter walked and walked until he reached the sea. He mounted his broom, crossed the sea, and landed on the other shore. He found the house, approached it, and saw a fire burning inside, but no people were around.

He entered and hid, waiting. Soon, three men entered, and one shouted, "Hey, servant, set the table!"

A servant appeared out of nowhere and set the table. "Now, bring food and drink," the man commanded.

The servant brought everything. The three ate and drank, then left. The hunter thought, "Whatever happens, I'll demand food from this servant too," and shouted, "Hey, servant, bring me food!"

The servant brought a table, set it, laid out food and drink. The hunter invited the servant to sit and eat with him. They sat, ate, and drank together—the hunter from one cup, the servant from another. When they were full, the hunter decided to leave and invited the servant to come with him.

They walked and walked until they met a man holding a stick. They asked him what the stick was for.

"I want to sell it," the man said.

"What is it good for?"

"If you say, 'Beat,' it will beat."

The hunter bought the stick. He hurried back to his king. When he arrived, the king asked, "Have you brought me a 'yes, no, never'?"

"I have," the hunter said. "Here it is!"

The hunter commanded the stick, "Go, my stick! Attack the king—don't kill him, but beat him until he begs for death."

The stick leaped at the king and began to thrash him.

"Have you had enough?" the hunter asked.

"Yes!" cried the king.

"Do you want more?"

"No!"

"Will you ever try to take my wife again?"

"Never!"

The stick released the king.

The king said to the hunter, "You are brave and have dealt with me bravely. Be happy with your wife."

The king rewarded the hunter richly and sent him away. The hunter returned to his young wife, told her everything that had happened, and they lived happily ever after.

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Yes, No, Never

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