ABSTRACT
The last wish of a dying father is that his son give his three sisters in marriage to the first three beings who knock at the door. The brother complies and the sisters are married to ogres. Later, the hero repeatedly observes three doves who become maidens when they remove their feathers to bathe in the lake. Intrigued, he follows the counsel of his servant and hides the feathers of his favorite maiden. Before returning them to her, he succeeds in finding out her name, but the enchanted maiden disappears. These tales combine a number of types and a multitude of motifs. Although the structure is complex, it is very carefully developed. The plot carries through smoothly from beginning to end and details are expertly fitted in, except perhaps for the Swan-Maiden episode which appears to serve only the purpose of spurring the hero on to new adventures.
