After I escaped the enemy, I came to a great forest on a high mountain. As I approached the cliff, the mountain wall opened before me. I entered a great enchanted castle. The tables, chairs, and benches were hung in black. Then three princesses appeared who were dressed entirely in black with just a little white on their faces.

“Do not be afraid,” they said in unison. “We will not hurt you. You can rescue us.”

I said I would try, gladly, but I didn’t know how.

“Do not look at us for a year. Do not speak to us for a year. Ask anything you wish. If we dare give you an answer, we will.”

I stayed in the mountain for a long time. I did not speak to the princesses, and if I had a question, I asked the mountain.

Fisherman’s Son Who Finds The Black Princesses in The Three Black Princesses, Grimms. Illustration “The Norns” by Arthur Rackham.