The Devil With the Three Golden Hairs

Once upon a time a poor woman gave birth to a son, and because he had a lucky skin when he was born, it was prophesied that in the fourteenth year he would have the king's daughter as his wife. Soon after, the king came to the village, and no one knew that it was the king, and when he asked the people what was new, they answered "a child with a lucky skin was born in these days: what such a one undertakes is fortunate for him. It is also foretold to him that in his fourteenth year he shall have the king's daughter to wife." The king, who had an evil heart and was angry at the prophecy, went to the parents and acted quite kindly, saying "you poor people, leave your child to me and I will take care of it." At first they refused, but since the strange man offered heavy gold for it, and they thought "it is a lucky child, it must turn out for his good," they finally agreed and gave him the child.

The king put it in a box and rode on with it until he came to a deep water: there he threw the box in and thought "from the unexpected suitor I have helped my daughter." But the box did not sink, but floated like a little ship, and not a drop of water penetrated it. So it floated to two miles from the king's capital, where there was a mill, on whose weir it got stuck. A grinder, who fortunately was standing there and noticed her, pulled her in with a hook and thought he would find great treasure, but when he opened her up, there was a beautiful boy lying in it, all fresh and lively. He brought him to the miller's men, and because they had no children, they rejoiced and said, "God has provided it for us." They took good care of the foundling, and he grew up in all virtues.