In a dark forest lived an old fairy who could change her shape. During the day, she was an owl or a cat, but at night she became an old woman. If any man came near her castle, he became frozen. If a beautiful girl came near, the fairy turned her into a bird and kept her in a cage. She had seven hundred cages in her castle.
Jorinda and Jorindel were in love and planned to marry. One day, they went for a walk in the woods. They accidentally walked too close to the castle. Suddenly, Jorinda was turned into a nightingale, and Jorindel could not move. He stood there like a stone.
The fairy came, took the bird, and laughed at Jorindel. Later, she set him free but said, "You will never see Jorinda again."
Jorindel was heartbroken. He moved to a different village and became a shepherd. One night, he dreamed of a purple flower with a pearl in the center. In the dream, the flower could break any magic spell.
He searched for nine days until he found the flower. He carried it to the castle. This time, he didn't become frozen. He touched the castle door with the flower, and it opened. Inside, he found the fairy with the seven hundred birds.
When the fairy tried to take one cage away, Jorindel touched her with the flower. Her magic power disappeared. He touched the bird with the flower, and it turned back into Jorinda. He then freed all the other birds, turning them back into young women. Jorinda and Jorindel went home together and lived a long and happy life.