There was a rich merchant in one town who had a beautiful garden near his house where he grew millet. He checked it carefully every day, but one day he found that much of the crop had disappeared. The angry merchant decided to catch the thief and punish him. He entrusted this task to his three sons – Michael, George and John. The one who catches the thief will be rewarded.
The first night, the eldest, Michael, was the watchman. He armed himself with a gun, a sword, and a supply of food, but soon fell asleep under an elder bush. In the morning, he discovered that another piece of millet had disappeared. On the second night, George took up the watch. He, too, took his weapons, plus rope and twine, but he too could not resist sleep. In the morning some of the millet was gone again. The father was angry and punished both sons.
On the third night it was John’s turn. He took no weapons with him, but surrounded himself with thorns and thistles. When sleep began to overcome him, the thorns pricked his nose and he remained awake. At midnight he heard a choking sound and saw a little colt grazing in the millet. John caught him and took him to the stable. In the morning, John’s brothers laughed at him for not catching anything, but John surprised them by leading them to the stable where the beautiful foal was standing. The father was delighted and gave the foal to John, who named it Millet Thief.
Some time later, word spread through the countryside that an enchanted princess was waiting in the castle on the glass mountain. Anyone who could reach the mountain and circle the castle three times could free her and she would become his wife. Many young men have tried to climb the mountain, but they all ended up in the abyss below. Michael and George bought strong horses, had them shod with sharp shoes, and set out on their journey. But after a while, they both fell off the glass mountain.
John bet on his millet thief. He swung himself up on the little horse, which started up the hill with ease. Hop, hop, jump, hop, hop, jump – they were up in no time. They circled the castle three times. Just as they completed the last lap, the gate to the castle opened and there stood the princess in a golden dress.
“There you are, naughty boy!” she exclaimed, smiling at the Millet Thief. “When you escaped, I couldn’t come down. But now I’ve got you back!”
The Princess revealed to John that the Millet Thief was her magic horse that had escaped. John and the Princess then lived happily in the castle on the glass mountain while his brothers recovered from their falls. And so John proved that sometimes all it takes is a little – courage, cleverness and a little magic.
