Hans was a duke's third son. Being the third son, he was not set up in life like his brothers. The oldest brother was to inherit the duchy after his father. The second brother had been sent to the bishop to become a priest and then the next bishop. Hans was left with nothing. So one day he strapped his cutting knife to his belt and left home with his mother's blessing and the cakes she made for him.

During his journey, Hans found himself in a forest so dark he could not tell the difference between night and day. In this forest, he heard many sounds: the scurrying of small animals through the underbrush, the cawing of black birds and the hum of insects. But then Hans heard a different sound. It was the most beautiful song he had ever heard. The more he listened to the song, the more he wanted to hear it. He followed the sound deeper into the forest, losing all track where he was.

Not until he was exhausted from chasing after the sound did Hans reach the source of the singing. He was profoundly disappointed. What he saw was a small, scraggly, rust-colored bird perched on a limb. Hans was about to turn away and look elsewhere when he noticed that the bird was struggling. It's wing was caught in a trap.

Even if this bird had not sung so beautifully, Hans would have wanted to help the poor creature. He approached it carefully, spoke soothingly, undid the trap, and set it free. To reward him, the bird broke out into a song even more glorious than the one it had sung before. Even the dull feathers vibrated with the music. Hans could have listened to it forever. But at last, the bird stopped singing and spoke:

"Thank you very much for what you have done for me," said the bird in a melodious voice.

"You are most welcome," said Hans. "I like your singing very much. Would you care to join me? I am out to seek my fortune."

"Yes, I will join you," said the bird. "and I will help you find your fortune. Deeper yet in this forest there is a beautiful princess who was kidnaped by an evil sorcerer. I myself came to set her free, but the sorcerer robbed me of my true form. Now I can only sing of my loss as no bird, no matter how beautiful a singer, could make a suitable bridegroom for such a princess. But a generous youth such as yourself will do very well. The one thing I can still do, besides sing, is lead you to the princess. Then you it is up to you to save her from the sorcerer and have her for yourself."

At these words, Hans fell in love with the princess instantly.

"Yes, we shall free the princess right away!" cried Hans. "Just hop on to my shoulder and we shall be off!"

"No," said the bird, "that is not the way I can join you. There is only one way I can help you defeat the evil sorcerer."

"What is that?"

"You must cut off my head, roast my meat, and eat me."

"No!" cried Hans, "I can't do that! You are my friend!"

"Do not be afraid to do as I say," said the bird, "for now I am the Living Bird. I will live inside of you and give you the power to defeat the evil sorcerer. The one thing you must always do is remember to sing before you do anything."

Hans pleaded with the bird, but the bird pleaded back, until finally he was so exasperated, Hans took his knife and cut off the bird's head. As soon as he had done that, he wished he had cut off his own head instead. He could not bear to look at the corpse. With the music gone, the silence of the forest weighed heavily upon Hans. He had no appetite for food, but he felt he had nothing to lose from doing what the bird had said, so he built a small fire, cooked the meat and ate it. The meal was a small one, but it made Hans feel that he had eaten enough to last him many days. After building up the fire enough to keep the animals away, he went to sleep.

When Hans awoke up the next morning, he continued his journey into the forest in search of the princess he was supposed to save. He had no idea where he was going, and he wished he had asked the bird for directions before killing it. He felt empty and lost, but he continued walking, since there was nothing else he could do. As the day wore on, Hans began to feel a faint flutter inside of him. Something stirred in his heart, the same stirring he had felt when first he heard the bird sing. It lightened his steps all day as he walked on.

Then, as it became darker, Hans heard the rough noise of movement in the forest. He froze in his tracks. Several pairs of green eyes moved towards him from all directions. There was no escape. Broken branches crackled, and low growls followed. At last they drew near enough for Hans to know what they were. They were wolves. Their tongues hung out as they closed in on him. There was nothing Hans could do to save himself. He thought he deserved to be eaten because of what he had done to the songbird. But he remembered what the bird had told him. He should sing before he did anything. Perhaps he should sing before he died. The song he had felt moving inside of him all day did not want to die with him.

Hans could hardly believe his ears when he heard the song pour out of him. It was the same song the bird sang, only it was pitched to his voice. The wolves ceased their growling. They backed away slowly and respectfully. The narrow green eyes turned to a bright yellow shining with the warmth of the sun. When the song stopped, most of the wolves had slunk away among the trees. The few that remained rubbed themselves against Hans' legs to show that they intended to be his friends and companions on the journey.

Once recovered from his fright, Hans continued on his way, dark as the forest was. He felt secure knowing that his new companions were on hand to ward off any other animals that might attack. He did not grow weary because he kept thinking of the princess who needed his help.

When he had walked well into the night, Hans heard the sound of music. Up ahead, there were bright lights. The music did not sound at all like the song inside of him, but it sounded beautiful just the same. The wolves continued to follow, but now they kept some distance from him. Hans quickened his pace, then ran towards the lights. Perhaps this was where he would find the princess!

What he found was an elves' party lit by tiny lamps hanging from the trees. There were elves playing fiddles, and others singing and dancing. There were elves passing plates around filled food and drink. All had the most beautiful faces Hans had ever seen. Hans felt he had reached the end of his journey and made his fortune. The smell of the food made Hans forget everything he had ever eaten. When three of the most beautiful elves came up to him and offered some food, Hans reached towards the plates.

A chorus of low growls interrupted him. Hans turned back at the wolves in a flash of anger. He was about to order them to leave when he remembered something. Perhaps even nibbling a piece of elven food counted as doing something, so Hans began to sing. As he sang, the music and dancing stopped and the elves shrank back in horror. Their faces turned to rotted potatoes, the food to dead leaves, the fiddles into toadstools, and the lamps dimmed. Hans almost choked over his song at this sight, but somehow, he went on; the song was so beautiful. Then something happened. The elven faces began to brighten once more, the dead leaves turned back into food, the mushrooms returned to the shape of fiddles, and the lamps grew brighter than they had been before.

The elves broke out into the same beautiful song Hans had sung to them. Their voices were clearer and their fiddles sweeter than they had been before. They surrounded Hans and drew him into their dance. As he danced, Hans nibbled from one plate after another and drank from every cup that passed his lips. Every bite and drink tasted better than the last one. Even the wolves joined in, their howls fitting in with the music surprisingly well.

Once the reveling was over, the chief of the elves explained that they had been laid under a curse to eat dead leaves and use toadstools for musical instruments until somebody could uncover their illusion. Many were the unwary travellers whom they had ruefully buried until that night when Hans came their way. Many of the elves faded away into the trees, but a few stayed with Hans and the wolves to join in his journey.

Now Hans was sure he would defeat the evil sorcerer and win the princess for himself. He walked on with redoubled strength, the dancing having only given him more energy than ever. A faint light began to trickle through the thick trees up ahead. Hans realized that this was all the sun he was going to get in this part of the forest.

As he walked, Hans heard many sounds: the chirping of birds, the scurrying of chipmunks and the humming of insects. He also began to hear the loud cries of a tormented creature. Up ahead, a dark cloud loomed over a tree. When Hans came close enough to see what it was, he saw that the cloud was a giant crow perched on the lowest branch.

"Help me! Help me!" cried the crow in its harsh voice.

"What's the matter?" asked Hans, who had noticed that this bird was not caught in a trap.

"I am a handsome prince who has been turned into a crow. Before this curse was laid on me, I was the strongest, the most powerful prince in the world. I had come to free the princess from a sorcerer. But the reward I got for my noble intentions was to be turned into this shape. Now that I am a crow, I hardly make a suitable bridegroom for the princess. But if you cut off my head and eat me, you shall receive all of my strength. Then you can overcome even the strongest foes and win the princess for yourself."

This time Hans had no hesitation about taking out his knife to kill the bird, since the last bird he had eaten had done so much for him. He could already feel new strength swell within him at the very thought of eating this bird. To make it easier for Hans, the crow flew down to the ground and put its neck in position for Hans to use his knife on it. But just as Hans was about to cut off the neck, the elves began to sing. This song was more of a screech than a song, as if echoing the sound of the unfortunate crow's voice. Hans flashed his eyes at the elves, and was about to make them stop when he remembered what the first bird had said. So he lowered his knife and began to sing.

The crow melted at the sound. At first it turned into a stinking cloud. Then the cloud evaporated, and a small man with the face of a toad stood before him. He was dressed in a sorcerer's robe and held a magic wand in his hand. In his fury, the sorcerer raised the wand at Hans, but the song turned it into a carrot. The elves abandoned themselves to laughter and the wolves howled with delight. The sorcerer turned to flee but the song stopped him. The ugly old man sank down on to a log. Having to listen to the singing in spite of himself, he wept. As he wept, smooth white hair began to grow out of his bald head and long beard flowed from under his chin. Then a twinkle entered his eyes, and a smile formed on his lips. When Hans stopped singing, a beaming old man stood before him.

"Thank you," said the sorcerer, "you have delivered me from a curse."

"And who laid the curse on you?" asked Hans.

"Why, I laid it on myself," said the sorcerer, "a sorcerer can do that, you know. When I fell in love with the princess and could not gain her love, I thought I was cursing her and all who came to save her. But I could not curse the song in the heart of the first youth who came for her. Come, I will show you the princess. She is yours."

The sorcerer led Hans a little further and showed him a beautiful young woman, pale as death, curled up in a pile of leaves, fast asleep. The elves and the wolves sighed quietly and deeply. Knowing what to do, Hans reached over to awaken her with a kiss.

"Wait a second," said the sorcerer. "Aren't you about to do something?"

"Why, of course!" said Hans with a smile.

So he began to sing. The song itself was a kiss to awaken the princess. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked about her. She looked at the elves and wolves with fear and astonishment, but then seeing the kind old man and the handsome youth standing near by reassured her. The song brought a flush of red to the princess' pale cheeks and brightened her eyes. Once Hans helped her to her feet, she was ready for his kiss. As they kissed, the wolves, the elves and the sorcerer filled with forest with the bird's song.