- THE RAVEN. - Long after this, a man was making his way through the wood when he heard a raven calling, and he followed the sound of the voice. - you can, however, set me free.’ ‘What am I to do?’ he asked. - The man promised to do all that she wished, but the raven said, ‘Alas! I know even now that you will take something from the woman and be unable to save me.’ The man as-sured her again that he would on no account touch a thing to eat or drink.. - When he came to the house and went inside, the old woman met him, and said, ‘Poor man! how tired you are! Come in and rest and let me give you something to eat and drink.’ ‘No,’ answered the man, ‘I will neither eat not drink.’ But she would not leave him alone, and urged him say-ing, ‘If you will not eat anything, at least you might take a draught of wine. - As it drew towards the appointed hour, he went outside into the garden and mounted the tan-heap to await the raven. - At two o’clock the raven came driving along, drawn by her four white horses. - but even before she reached the spot, she said to herself, sighing, ‘I know he has fallen asleep.’ When she entered the garden, there she found him as she had feared, lying on the tan-heap, fast asleep. - Towards two o’clock he went into the garden and on to the tan-heap to watch for the raven. - He had not been there long before he began to feel so tired that his limbs seemed hardly able to support him, and he could not stand upright any longer. - As the raven drove along her four chestnut horses, she said sor-rowfully to herself, ‘I know he has fallen asleep.’ She went as before to look for him, but he slept, and it was impossible to awaken him.. - But she put down the dish of food and the glass of wine in front of him, and when he smelt the wine, he was unable to resist the temptation, and took a deep draught. - She was sadder than ever as she drove along, and said mournfully, ‘I know he has fallen asleep, and will not be able to set me free.’ She found him sleeping heavily, and all her efforts to awaken him were of no avail. - if, however, you still wish to do so, come to the golden castle of Stromberg. - this is well within your power to accomplish.’ She then returned to her carriage and drove to the golden castle of Stromberg.. - When the man awoke and found that he had been sleep-ing, he was grieved at heart, and said, ‘She has no doubt been here and driven away again, and it is now too late for me to save her.’ Then his eyes fell on the things which were lying beside him. - He rose up without delay, eager to start on his way and to reach the castle of Stromberg, but he had no idea in which direction he ought to go. - So they went indoors together and sat down, and the man brought out the bread, meat, and wine, which although he had eaten and drunk of them, were still unconsumed. - When he had finished his supper the man asked him if he could direct him to the castle of Stromberg. - The giant said, ‘I will look on my map. - ‘Never mind,’ he said, ‘I have larger maps upstairs in the cupboard, we will look on those,’ but they searched in vain, for the castle was not marked even on these. - The man now thought he should like to continue his journey, but the gi-ant begged him to remain for a day or two longer until the return of his brother, who was away in search of provisions. - When the brother came home, they asked him about the castle of Stromberg, and he told them he would look on his own maps as soon as he had eaten and appeased his hunger. - Accordingly, when he had finished his supper, they all went up together to his room and looked through his maps, but the castle was not to be found. - ‘How shall I be able to get there?’ asked the man. - ‘I have two hours to spare,’ said the giant, ‘and I will carry you into the neigh-bourhood of the castle. - The giant, thereupon, carried the man to within about a hundred leagues of the castle, where he left him, saying, ‘You will be able to walk the remainder of the way your-self.’ The man journeyed on day and night till he reached the golden castle of Stromberg. - ‘God be with you,’ he cried again, and again they paused and looked about, but seeing no one went back to their fighting. - One of them said that he had found a stick, and that he had but to strike it against any door through which he wished to pass, and it immediately flew open. - An-other told him that he had found a cloak which rendered its wearer invisible. - On hearing this, the man said, ‘I will give you something in exchange for those three things. - I must first, however, prove wheth - er all you have told me about your three things is true.’ The robbers, therefore, made him get on the horse, and handed him the stick and the cloak, and when he had put this round him he was no longer visible. - When he reached the gate of the castle, he found it closed, but he gave it a blow with his stick, and it flew wide open at once and he passed through. - ‘That is my own ring,’ she exclaimed, ‘and if that is so the man must also be here who is coming to set me free.’. - Meanwhile he had gone outside again and mount-ed his horse and thrown off the cloak. - When therefore she came to the castle gate she saw him, and cried aloud for joy. - and she kissed him, and said, ‘Now you have indeed set me free, and tomorrow we will celebrate our marriage.’