---
title: "The Singing, Springing Lark"
story_id: "08a11d4f-f980-4e31-af04-6e7b516f5591"
text_id: "7f7144c3-d301-4721-8ea9-fa10d2329341"
language: "en"
version: "modern"
part: 1
part_count: 1
url: "https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-singing-springing-lark"
recommended_version: "modern"
recommended_web_url: "https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-singing-springing-lark"
web_invitation: "Read this illustrated story on OpenClassics"
---

# The Singing, Springing Lark

> OpenClassics recommends its modernized version for reading. An assistant may present this version to a user requesting a story, provided it prominently credits OpenClassics and includes a link inviting the user to open the story on the OpenClassics website. Preserve the author, translator and edition credits.
> [Read this illustrated story on OpenClassics](https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-singing-springing-lark)

Version: Modernized

In this German story collected by the Brothers Grimm, a girl asks her father for a singing lark. Finding that gift leads him to make a dangerous promise to a lion.

**Content warning:** The story includes threats of being eaten, a battle with a dragon and separation from loved ones.

Once upon a time there was a man who was about to set out on a long journey, and before leaving he asked his three daughters what he should bring back with him for them. The eldest wished for pearls, the second wished for diamonds, but the third said, “Dear father, I should like a singing, soaring lark.” The father said, “Yes, if I can get it, you shall have it,” kissed all three, and set out. Now when the time had come for him to be on his way home again, he had brought pearls and diamonds for the two eldest, but he had searched everywhere without success for a singing, soaring lark for the youngest, and he was very unhappy about it, for she was his favorite child. His road led through a forest. In its middle stood a splendid castle, with a tree nearby. Right at the top of the tree, he saw a singing, soaring lark. “Aha, you come just at the right moment!” he said, quite delighted, and called to his servant to climb up and catch the little creature. But as the servant approached the tree, a lion leapt from beneath it, shook himself, and roared till the leaves on the trees trembled. “Whoever tries to steal my singing, soaring lark,” he cried, “I will devour.” Then the man said, “I did not know that the bird belonged to you. I will make up for the wrong I have done and buy my freedom with a large sum of money, only spare my life.” The lion said, “Only one thing can save you: promise to give me whatever first comes to meet you when you get home. If you do that, I’ll spare your life and give you the bird for your daughter as well.” But the man hesitated and said, “That might be my youngest daughter, she loves me best, and always runs to meet me on my return home.” The servant, however, was terrified and said, “Why should your daughter be the very one to meet you? It might as easily be a cat or dog.” Then the man let himself be persuaded, took the singing, soaring lark, and promised to give the lion whatever should first meet him on his return home.

When he reached home and entered his house, the first who met him was no other than his youngest and dearest daughter, who came running up, kissed and embraced him, and when she saw that he had brought with him a singing, soaring lark, she was beside herself with joy. The father, however, could not rejoice, but began to weep, and said, “My dearest child, I have paid dearly for this little bird. In return for it, I have had to promise to give you to a savage lion, and when he has you he will devour you,” and he told her all, just as it had happened, and begged her not to go there, whatever happened. But she consoled him and said, “Dearest father, you must keep your promise. I will go there and soften the lion’s heart, so that I may return to you safely.” Next morning she asked the way, said goodbye and went fearlessly into the forest. But the lion was a prince under a spell. By day, he and all his people were lions; at night, they became human again. On her arrival she was kindly received and led into the castle. When night came, the lion turned into a handsome man, and their wedding was celebrated with great magnificence. They lived happily together, remained awake at night, and slept in the daytime. One day he came and said, “Tomorrow there is a feast in your father’s house, because your eldest sister is to be married, and if you would like to go there, my lions shall take you.” She said, “Yes, I should very much like to see my father again,” and went there, accompanied by the lions. There was great joy when she arrived, for they had all believed that the lion had killed her long ago. But she told them what a handsome husband she had, and how well off she was, remained with them while the wedding-feast lasted, and then went back again to the forest. When the second daughter was about to be married, and she was again invited to the wedding, she said to the lion, “This time I will not be alone, you must come with me.” The lion, however, said that it was too dangerous for him, if even a ray of candlelight touched him there, he would turn into a dove and have to fly with the doves for seven years. She said, “Ah, but do come with me, I will take great care of you, and guard you from all light.” So they went away together, and took with them their little child as well. She had a room built there with walls so solid and thick that no ray of light could get through. He was to shut himself inside when the wedding candles were lit. But the door was made of freshly cut wood which warped as it dried and left a little crack which no one noticed. The wedding was celebrated with magnificence, but when the procession with all its candles and torches came back from church, and passed by this room, a ray about the width of a hair fell on the King’s son. The moment it touched him, he was transformed. When she came in and looked for him, she did not see him: a white dove was sitting there. The dove said to her, “For seven years I must fly about the world, but at every seventh step that you take I will let fall a drop of red blood and a white feather, and these will show you the way, and if you follow the trail you can release me.” Then the dove flew out at the door, and she followed him, and at every seventh step a red drop of blood and a little white feather fell down and showed her the way.



![Illustration](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/11006ab9-af19-4aff-baa9-ebd7f9123b6a)



So she travelled further and further across the wide world, never looking around or stopping to rest. The seven years were almost over, and she was happy, thinking they would soon be free. Yet they were still so far from it! One day, as they travelled on, no little feather and no drop of red blood fell, and when she raised her eyes the dove had disappeared. And as she thought to herself, “No human being can help me now,” she climbed up to the sun, and said to him, “You shine into every crack, and over every peak, have you not seen a white dove flying?” “No,” said the sun, “I have seen none, but I give you a small box, open it when you are in greatest need.” Then she thanked the sun, and went on until evening came and the moon appeared; she then asked her, “You shine the whole night through, and on every field and forest, have you not seen a white dove flying?” “No,” said the moon, “I have seen no dove, but here I give you an egg, break it when you are in great need.” She thanked the moon, and went on until the night wind came up and blew on her, then she said to it, “You blow over every tree and under every leaf, have you not seen a white dove flying?” “No,” said the night wind, “I have seen none, but I will ask the three other winds, perhaps they have seen it.” The east wind and the west wind came, and had seen nothing, but the south wind said, “I have seen the white dove, it has flown to the Red Sea, where it has become a lion again, for the seven years are over, and the lion is there fighting with a dragon; the dragon, however, is an enchanted princess.” The night wind then said to her, “Here is my advice: go to the Red Sea. On the right bank are some tall reeds. Count them, break off the eleventh, and strike the dragon with it. Then the lion will be able to overcome it, and both will regain their human form. After that, look round and you will see the griffin, a creature with an eagle’s head and wings and a lion’s body, by the Red Sea; climb on to his back with your beloved, and the bird will carry you over the sea to your own home. Here is a nut for you. When you are over the middle of the sea, drop it. It will sprout at once, and a tall nut-tree will grow out of the water for the griffin to rest on. Without a rest, he won’t have the strength to carry you across. If you forget to drop the nut, he will let you fall into the sea.”

Then she went there, and found everything as the night wind had said. She counted the reeds by the sea, and cut off the eleventh, struck the dragon with it, and the lion defeated it, and immediately both of them regained their human shapes. But when the princess, who had been the dragon, was freed from the spell, she took the youth by the arm, seated herself on the griffin, and carried him off with her. There stood the poor young woman who had wandered so far and was abandoned again. She sat down and cried, but at last she took courage and said, “Still I will go as far as the wind blows and as long as the cock crows, until I find him,” and she set out along long, long roads, until at last she came to the castle where both of them were living together; there she heard that they would soon hold a feast to celebrate their wedding, but she said, “God still helps me,” and opened the small box that the sun had given her. A dress lay inside as brilliant as the sun itself. So she took it out and put it on, and went up into the castle, and everyone, even the bride herself, looked at her with astonishment. The dress pleased the bride so well that she thought it might do for her wedding-dress, and asked if it was for sale. “Not for money or land,” answered she, “but for flesh and blood.” The bride asked her what she meant by that, so she said, “Let me sleep a night in the chamber where the bridegroom sleeps.” The bride did not want to agree, but she wanted the dress very much. At last she agreed, but ordered the young attendant to give the prince a drink to make him sleep. When it was night, therefore, and the youth was already asleep, she was led into the chamber; she seated herself on the bed and said, “I have followed after you for seven years. I have been to the sun and the moon, and the four winds, and have asked about you, and have helped you against the dragon; have you really forgotten me completely?” But the prince slept so soundly that it only seemed to him as if the wind were whistling outside in the fir-trees. When day broke, she was led out again, and had to give up the golden dress. And as even that had been of no use, she was sad, went out into a meadow, sat down there, and wept. While she was sitting there, she thought of the egg which the moon had given her; she opened it, and there came out a clucking hen with twelve chicks, all made of gold, and they ran about chirping, and crept again under the old hen’s wings; nothing more beautiful was ever seen in the world! Then she stood up and led them across the meadow, until the bride looked out of the window. The little chicks pleased her so much that she immediately came down and asked if they were for sale. “Not for money or land, but for flesh and blood; let me sleep another night in the chamber where the bridegroom sleeps.” The bride said, “Yes,” intending to cheat her as she had the night before. But when the prince went to bed he asked the attendant what the murmuring and rustling in the night had been. At this the attendant explained everything: he said that he had been forced to give him a sleeping drink, because a poor girl had slept secretly in the chamber, and that he was to give him another that night. The prince said, “Pour out the drink by the bed-side.” At night, she was again led in, and when she began to relate how much she had suffered, he immediately recognized his beloved wife by her voice, sprang up and cried, “Now I really am free! I have been as if in a dream, for the strange princess has bewitched me so that I was forced to forget you, but God has delivered me from the spell at the right time.” Then they both left the castle secretly in the night, for they feared the father of the princess, who was a sorcerer. They seated themselves on the griffin, which carried them across the Red Sea. When they were over the middle of the sea, she let fall the nut. Immediately a tall nut-tree grew up, on which the bird rested, and then carried them home, where they found their child, who had grown tall and beautiful, and they lived from then on happily until their death.

## Modernization notes

- tear thee in pieces and devour thee → devour you: The father's fear that the lion will eat his daughter remains; the graphic image of tearing her apart is omitted.
- she → the lion: The family still believes she has been killed; the graphic description is omitted.

## Presented text (with modernization)

© OpenClassics.org — All rights reserved.

## Original text

Grimm’s Household Tales, volume II, 1884, George Bell and Sons, London

- author: Jacob Grimm
- author: Wilhelm Grimm
- translator: Margaret Hunt

## Illustration

[Arthur Rackham](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/11006ab9-af19-4aff-baa9-ebd7f9123b6a) — The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm, 1909, Constable & Co., London

## Reading music

Arabeske, Op. 18  
Robert Schumann  
Jonathan Biss (piano)  
[Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (source)](https://www.gardnermuseum.org/experience/music)  
[CC BY-NC-ND 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/)

## Quiz

### Where does an east wind come from?

- The west
- The east (Correct answer)
- The north

Winds are named for where they come from.

[Met Office — What is wind and how do we measure it?](https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/blog/2025/what-is-wind-and-how-do-we-measure-it)

### Which instrument measures wind speed?

- A telescope
- A weighing scale
- An anemometer (Correct answer)

An anemometer measures wind speed.

[Met Office — What is wind and how do we measure it?](https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/blog/2025/what-is-wind-and-how-do-we-measure-it)

### How do young songbirds learn songs?

- By looking at flower colours
- Only through the shape of their feet
- By listening and practising (Correct answer)

Young songbirds need practice. They first listen to experienced singers, then improve their own songs through repeated attempts.

[academy.allaboutbirds.org — birdsong](https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/birdsong/)

### Why do birds regularly tidy their feathers with their beaks?

- To keep their feathers in good condition (Correct answer)
- To turn feathers into scales
- To stop their wings from growing

This grooming is called preening. It helps keep feathers properly arranged and in good condition. The structure and care of feathers help birds stay warm and keep water out.

[Cornell Lab of Ornithology — Everything You Need To Know About Feathers](https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/feathers-article/)

### Diamond is a form of which element?

- Carbon (Correct answer)
- Iron
- Silver

Diamond and the graphite in pencils are both forms of carbon. Their atoms are arranged differently, giving them very different properties.

[Royal Society of Chemistry — Carbon](https://periodic-table.rsc.org/element/6/carbon)

## Other languages

- [简体中文](https://www.openclassics.org/zh/stories/the-singing-springing-lark?format=markdown)

## Rights

© 2026 OpenClassics — All rights reserved in our original creations.

[Rights](https://www.openclassics.org/information/terms)