The two sons of the fisherman grew up to be fair and handsome and with them grew the two lilies and the two colts.
One day the children told the father. “We will mount on our golden horses and we will travel the world.”
The fisherman was however anguished. “How will we know how you are if you are so far away from us?”
“The golden lilies,” said one of the two sons. “They will remain here and when you see them, you will know how we have fared. If they are fresh, we are well. If they droop, we are ill. If the lilies are dead, that means so are we.”
With these words the two sons rode on.
They came to an end in another village. They were about to go in, when they heard the jeers of the people around them. The people looked at the two golden children and laughed.
One of the two boys was very ashamed on hearing this and he turned around and went back home.
The other rode on till he came to the edge of a large forest. Just as he was about to ride into it then the people there came and shook their heads. “You should not go there. The forest is full of robbers and they may hurt you and your golden horse. There is a chance they may even kill you.”
The young boy thought about it.
Then he hunted some bears and took the bear skins and covered himself and his horse with it. That way no one would know that he had golden skin. After doing this, he rode into the woods.
He had ridden some way when he heard some rustling among the bushes, he heard a voice.
“There is someone driving in our way.” One man was whispering to the other.
“Let him alone. He is only a bear hunter and look at him! He looks poor and cold. What shall we do with him?”
So the boy rode unharmed through the forests.
He came to the next village and there he saw a beautiful maiden. She was so beautiful that the boy fell in love with her immediately. He asked her whether she would be his wife. The maiden studied the boy and agreed to his request. “Yes, I will be your wife and be faithful to you all your life.”
There was a great wedding feast and they were married.
They were still at the table when the father of the bride came and in great anger wanted to know who the bridegroom was.
When the golden boy who still wore his bear skin came forward the father of the girl was enraged. “I will never let a bear hunter marry my daughter.”
The man would have killed the golden boy.
But the bride begged for his life. “He is my husband and I love him with all my heart.”
So at last the father of the bride consented not to hurt him.
Adapted from the Grimm Brothers Fairy Tale
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