The Singing, Soaring Lark

"The Singing, Springing Lark" or "The Singing, Soaring Lark" is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, appearing as tale no. 88.

It is Aarne–Thompson type 425C. Others of this type include Beauty and the Beast and The Small-tooth Dog.

It also contains motifs from AT 425A, such as East of the Sun and West of the Moon, the search for the lost husband. Others of this type include Black Bull of Norroway, The Daughter of the Skies, The Brown Bear of Norway, The Enchanted Pig, Cupid and Psyche, The Tale of the Hoodie, The Iron Stove, The Sprig of Rosemary, and White-Bear-King-Valemon.

There once was a man with three daughters. One day, he must leave on a journey and asks each of his daughters what they would like him to bring back. The oldest wants diamonds, the second pearls, and the youngest a singing, springing lark. The man is able to find diamonds and pearls, but he fails to find a lark. On his journey home, the man sees a lark in a tall tree, and orders his servant to catch it. Suddenly a lion springs out and threatens to kill them both for trying to steal the lark. In exchange for their lives and the lark, the lion demands that the man bring him the first thing to meet him on his return home. The man fears it will be his youngest daughter who greets him, but his servant persuades him to accept the bargain.

Just as the man has feared, his youngest daughter is the first to greet him. When told of his promise, the daughter consoles her father and sets out the next morning to meet the lion. At the lion's castle, she is greeted by lions that, at night, turn human and she marries the lion whose lark her father had tried to take and lives with him, sleeping by day.

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