Beneath the trees were golden pavilions , with flags of silver all brightly lighted up . He was still wondering why the pavilions were there , when a noise was heard among the trees , as if the wind had suddenly got up , and on all sides beautiful maidens stepped from the trees into the bright light of the moon . These were the wood-nymphs , daughters of the earth-mother , who came every night to hold their dances , in the forest . The young man , watching from his hiding place , wished he had a hundred eyes in his head , for two were not nearly enough for the sight before him , the dances lasting till the first streaks of dawn . Then a silvery veil seemed to be drawn over the ladies , and they vanished from sight . But the young man remained where he was till the sun was high in the heavens , and then went home . He felt that day to be endless , and counted the minutes till night should come , and he might return to the forest . But when at last he got there he found neither pavilions nor nymphs , and though he went back many nights after he never saw them again . Still , he thought about them night and day , and ceased to care about anything else in the world , and was sick to the end of his life with longing for that beautiful vision . And that was the way he learned that the wizard had spoken truly when he said , ` Blindness is man 's highest good . ' -LRB- Ehstnische Marchen . -RRB- THE BOYS WITH THE GOLDEN STARS Once upon a time what happened did happen : and if it had not happened , you would never have heard this story . Well , once upon a time there lived an emperor who had half a world all to himself to rule over , and in this world dwelt an old herd and his wife and their three daughters , Anna , Stana , and Laptitza . Anna , the eldest , was so beautiful that when she took the sheep to pasture they forgot to eat as long as she was walking with them . Stana , the second , was so beautiful that when she was driving the flock the wolves protected the sheep . But Laptitza , the youngest , with a skin as white as the foam on the milk , and with hair as soft as the finest lamb 's wool , was as beautiful as both her sisters put together -- as beautiful as she alone could be . One summer day , when the rays of the sun were pouring down on the earth , the three sisters went to the wood on the outskirts of the mountain to pick strawberries . As they were looking about to find where the largest berries grew they heard the tramp of horses approaching , so loud that you would have thought a whole army was riding by . But it was only the emperor going to hunt with his friends and attendants . They were all fine handsome young men , who sat their horses as if they were part of them , but the finest and handsomest of all was the young emperor himself .
As they drew near the three XXXXX , and marked their beauty , they checked their horses and rode slowly by .
dances daughters herd lamb men milk sides sisters way wind