at the opening
The Unfound Ideal
After wandering through distant lands, [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9) confesses that he has not found the radiant ideal who inhabits his dreams. In his family’s garden, he discovers an extraordinary flowering tree and [Mirígy](entity:character-recall-character-mir-gy-becd2f88cbe9), an old witch, bound beneath it.
The tree’s strange blossoms and promised golden fruit turn his restless longing toward a new possibility. Mirígy’s presence, meanwhile, establishes the danger that will accompany his search.
early in the story
The Golden Tree’s Secret
[Mirígy](entity:character-recall-character-mir-gy-becd2f88cbe9) tells [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9) that the tree flowers three times a day and bears golden apples at night, but that a supernatural sleep defeats every watchman. She claims that a fairy maiden planted it and returns to gather its fruit, hinting that the mysterious visitor may be the beloved Csongor seeks.
Though suspicious of Mirígy’s flattering, evasive account, Csongor is captivated by the prospect of meeting the tree’s owner. He frees the witch from her bonds, warning her to leave the garden and never return.
the first night
Mirígy’s Release
As [Mirígy](entity:character-recall-character-mir-gy-becd2f88cbe9) leaves, she privately vows revenge for [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9)’s threats and resolves to make his pride and desire instruments of his undoing. Her apparent gratitude conceals the start of a deliberate campaign against him.
Csongor turns his attention back to the tree, wondering whether he can resist its enchanted sleep long enough to see its golden fruit and the fairy who tends it.
the first night
A Watchful Vigil
[Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9) marvels at the tree’s beauty and hopes its miraculous fruit may lead him to the happiness he has been unable to find. He hides himself, determined to stay awake when the mysterious visitor arrives.
A song about sleep accompanies his struggle, but enchantment overtakes him. The sleep leaves him helpless just as [Tünde](entity:character-recall-character-t-nde-21c29d98ca2c) and her attendant [Ilma](entity:character-recall-character-ilma-30a998279bda) come into the garden.
the first night
Ilma’s Earthly Complaint
As [Tünde](entity:character-recall-character-t-nde-21c29d98ca2c) and [Ilma](entity:character-recall-character-ilma-30a998279bda) approach the tree, Ilma grumbles about leaving her husband, [Balga](entity:character-recall-character-balga-b93ddc020403), behind on earth. She remembers his insatiable appetite and fears that he will mistake her for fruit if he finds her among the branches.
Her comic impatience contrasts with Tünde’s yearning: the fairy maiden has planted a tree that bears riches, but the love she came to find remains absent from its branches.
the first night
Tünde Finds Csongor
[Ilma](entity:character-recall-character-ilma-30a998279bda) reveals that [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9) is asleep beneath the foliage. [Tünde](entity:character-recall-character-t-nde-21c29d98ca2c) is overwhelmed by the discovery of the beloved she has sought, but asks Ilma to let her approach him alone while a nightingale sings in the quiet garden.
[Mirígy](entity:character-recall-character-mir-gy-becd2f88cbe9), watching from hiding, sees the lovers together. She cuts a lock of Tünde’s golden hair, intending to use it to disguise her own daughter and deceive Csongor.
before dawn
The Lovers’ Brief Meeting
When [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9) and [Tünde](entity:character-recall-character-t-nde-21c29d98ca2c) meet awake, their joy is shadowed almost immediately by the force driving Tünde away. She explains that an unseen enemy has interfered with the new lovers’ bond and that human strength cannot defeat this hidden power.
Csongor begs her to stay and asks where her distant home lies. Tünde refuses to reveal a path he could follow, fearing that the journey would make him a pawn of fate; she leaves him with a promise of enduring love and grief.
at dawn
The Search Begins
After [Tünde](entity:character-recall-character-t-nde-21c29d98ca2c) vanishes, [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9) doubts that their meeting was real. He questions [Ilma](entity:character-recall-character-ilma-30a998279bda), who confirms that she serves Tünde, but will not delay her own return to the fairy realm to give him directions.
Ilma offers only a riddle: on the plain, the middle road reaches the goal. Csongor decides to leave his parents and pursue Tünde, driven by the belief that life has no meaning while she remains beyond his reach.
after Csongor sets out
The Three Devils’ Quarrel
At the crossroads, the three little devils—[Kurrah](entity:character-recall-character-kurrah-4b54e77e3b91), [Berreh](entity:character-recall-character-berreh-21e92be25893), and [Duzzog](entity:character-recall-character-duzzog-8f059b9315c6)—bicker over their petty hunts, stolen food, and the miserable tricks they play on animals and people. Their squabbling turns into a fight after [Mirígy](entity:character-recall-character-mir-gy-becd2f88cbe9)’s curse inflames their anger.
The quarrel gives Mirígy a chance to pursue her own schemes, including the search for her daughter, whom she had hidden in a fox’s skin. Their comic disorder also introduces the supernatural companions whose enchanted possessions will later speed [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9)’s travels.
during Csongor’s early search
Tünde Leaves a Trail
Still grieving her separation from [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9), [Tünde](entity:character-recall-character-t-nde-21c29d98ca2c) asks [Ilma](entity:character-recall-character-ilma-30a998279bda) what they can do when he reaches the three roads. Ilma suggests leaving a sign in the sand, and Tünde agrees to mark the way with her small footprints.
Ilma adds her own tracks, including the conspicuous sign of her large feet, hoping [Balga](entity:character-recall-character-balga-b93ddc020403) might recognize them. The marks give Csongor a tangible clue amid an otherwise bewildering pursuit.
after Tünde and Ilma depart
Mirígy’s Grudge
[Mirígy](entity:character-recall-character-mir-gy-becd2f88cbe9) returns with the devils and angrily blames them for eating the fox that contained her daughter. She turns her spite against them, but their bickering prevents any lasting reconciliation.
Her plans remain directed at [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9) and [Tünde](entity:character-recall-character-t-nde-21c29d98ca2c): she means to use her daughter and the stolen lock of golden hair to divert Csongor from his beloved.
soon after the separation
The Crossroads’ Riddle
At the three roads, [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9) reflects on how a single point can open into countless distant paths. Unsure which route truly leads to [Tünde](entity:character-recall-character-t-nde-21c29d98ca2c), he watches a procession of travelers and hopes that experience or knowledge may guide him.
The crossroads becomes a test of competing promises of happiness. The visitors he meets describe wealth, political power, and learning, but none can provide the direct answer he wants.
at the crossroads
The Merchant’s Riches
[Kalmár](entity:character-recall-character-kalm-r-090aa4b649af) boasts that his ships and wealth give him access to the world’s markets and that he expects money to open even the secret doors of love. [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9) asks whether he knows the way to [Tündérhon](entity:location-recall-location-t-nd-rhon-4a89f820128a).
Kalmár points instead to the riches he carries and treats the fairy realm as another possession to be bought. Csongor rejects his cold faith in wealth, unwilling to exchange love for any quantity of gold.
at the crossroads, after Kalmár
The Ruler’s Ambition
[Fejedelem](entity:character-recall-character-fejedelem-f6c0f70c87f5) arrives imagining a realm so vast that daylight will never leave his dominion. His ambition depends on armies and conquest, and he assumes that [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9) is too insignificant to interrupt him.
Asked for the way to [Tündérhon](entity:location-recall-location-t-nd-rhon-4a89f820128a), the ruler can offer no real direction. He claims that the fairy realm is wherever he stands and proposes that he might conquer it if Csongor found it, exposing power as another substitute for the happiness Csongor seeks.
at the crossroads, after Fejedelem
The Scholar’s Limits
[Tudós](entity:character-recall-character-tud-s-f988804fc605) wrestles aloud with the nature of God, force, nature, and the soul. He knows much about the observable world but admits that he cannot grasp the deepest questions that give human life meaning.
When [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9) asks for directions to [Tündérhon](entity:location-recall-location-t-nd-rhon-4a89f820128a), Tudós dismisses the fairy realm as a childish dream and urges him to accept reality or seek oblivion. Csongor refuses to abandon the one desire that keeps life from becoming empty.
after the three travelers
Balga Joins Csongor
[Balga](entity:character-recall-character-balga-b93ddc020403) appears after falling from a tree while trying to follow the woman he calls Böske, unaware that she is now [Ilma](entity:character-recall-character-ilma-30a998279bda) and has gone to [Tündérhon](entity:location-recall-location-t-nd-rhon-4a89f820128a). He explains that his barren, weed-choked farm has left him with little reason to return to his old life.
When [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9) says that Ilma has become a fairy, Balga doubts the claim but gladly accepts service. He joins Csongor’s search, binding the lovers’ quest to his own hope of finding his wife again.
during the journey from the crossroads
Footprints in the Sand
[Balga](entity:character-recall-character-balga-b93ddc020403) notices marks in the sand, including the large footprint he associates with [Ilma](entity:character-recall-character-ilma-30a998279bda). [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9) recognizes the smaller tracks as [Tünde](entity:character-recall-character-t-nde-21c29d98ca2c)’s and turns them into a cherished sign that she has passed nearby.
Their different readings produce both comedy and a moment of renewed hope. Csongor carries the trace with him and resolves to follow it, while Balga remains more concerned with his own wife and the discomforts of travel.
during the journey
The Inheritance Dispute
The three devils are fighting again over three inherited objects: a whip, a pair of boots, and a cloak. [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9) understands that the items work best together, since the cloak conceals its wearer while the boots and whip carry him swiftly wherever he wishes.
He proposes that the devils race to three distant hills, promising the full inheritance to whoever returns first. The devils accept, leaving their enchanted equipment behind with [Balga](entity:character-recall-character-balga-b93ddc020403) as the supposed keeper.
immediately after the inheritance dispute
The Enchanted Equipment
As the devils race away, [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9) takes the cloak, boots, and whip, intending to use their combined magic to reach [Tünde](entity:character-recall-character-t-nde-21c29d98ca2c). He tells [Balga](entity:character-recall-character-balga-b93ddc020403) to keep the devils occupied and promises to return for him.
The plan leaves Balga facing the returning devils alone. They run him down, accuse him of theft, and force him to guide them onward, even as he invents an implausible account of how their possessions disappeared.
during Csongor’s enchanted journey
Mirígy’s Counterplot
[Mirígy](entity:character-recall-character-mir-gy-becd2f88cbe9) takes advantage of [Balga](entity:character-recall-character-balga-b93ddc020403)’s captivity and disguises herself as a stone while the devils haul him in a cart. Balga manages to reverse the cart and pile the supposed stone over the sleepers, escaping while they remain unaware.
When [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9) arrives, he describes a vision of worlds and countless living forms seen during his rapid passage. Balga, meanwhile, insists that his own journey consisted of taverns and drink, bringing their contrasting experiences together before they continue.
later in the journey
The Road to Dawn
[Mirígy](entity:character-recall-character-mir-gy-becd2f88cbe9) discovers that [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9) and [Tünde](entity:character-recall-character-t-nde-21c29d98ca2c) are approaching the same region and hides herself as a stone to overhear what happens. [Balga](entity:character-recall-character-balga-b93ddc020403) encounters the disguised witch and unwittingly helps the devils carry her away beneath him.
Csongor and Balga reach the vicinity of the dawn palace. Tünde and [Ilma](entity:character-recall-character-ilma-30a998279bda) are there too, but a local prohibition on women speaking to men makes a direct meeting perilous and forces them to rely on a go-between.
near midday at Hajnal birodalma
The Dawn Country’s Ban
[Tünde](entity:character-recall-character-t-nde-21c29d98ca2c) explains that in the dawn realm a maiden who speaks to her beloved risks losing him. At midday, when Hajnal is away, she can steal only a short hour of love in the garden; the rule makes her reunion with [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9) all the more urgent.
The lovers approach one another from opposite sides of the narrow path. [Balga](entity:character-recall-character-balga-b93ddc020403) kneels to deliver Csongor’s appeal, but [Ilma](entity:character-recall-character-ilma-30a998279bda) and Tünde mistake or mock his appearance, and Ilma finally crosses over him as an improvised bridge.
near midday at Hajnal birodalma
The Lovers Pass By
[Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9) leaves his hiding place to plead directly with the veiled maiden. He speaks with reverence and longing, but [Tünde](entity:character-recall-character-t-nde-21c29d98ca2c) cannot answer without violating the country’s prohibition on lovers’ speech.
She and [Ilma](entity:character-recall-character-ilma-30a998279bda) escape before he can learn where they are going. Only afterward does Csongor realize that [Balga](entity:character-recall-character-balga-b93ddc020403)’s back carries the imprint of Tünde’s footprint; he follows the sign again, while Balga jokes that sand seems to appear on every road.
after the missed meeting at Hajnal birodalma
Mirígy Recruits Kurrah
[Mirígy](entity:character-recall-character-mir-gy-becd2f88cbe9) reveals herself to [Kurrah](entity:character-recall-character-kurrah-4b54e77e3b91) and persuades him to help punish [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9). She instructs him to impersonate [Balga](entity:character-recall-character-balga-b93ddc020403), keep Csongor unsuspecting, and dust him with a sleeping powder when they reach a garden at midday.
Kurrah agrees for the promised reward, while Mirígy turns to another scheme against Csongor. Her plans now manipulate not only appearances but also the timing of the lovers’ meetings.
after Mirígy recruits Kurrah
Ledér Is Lured
[Mirígy](entity:character-recall-character-mir-gy-becd2f88cbe9) intercepts [Ledér](entity:character-recall-character-led-r-395770e501a5), first mocking her vanity and then inventing a story about a sick father and hungry children who supposedly need her help. Ledér is distressed by the tale, though Mirígy admits it was a trick.
The witch exploits Ledér’s uncertainty and offers her the stolen golden hair and the prospect of a handsome young man. Ledér hesitates between going home and following Mirígy, who intends to use her as bait for [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9).
at midday, after the dawn-country encounter
The False Servant
At [Mirígy](entity:character-recall-character-mir-gy-becd2f88cbe9)’s house, [Kurrah](entity:character-recall-character-kurrah-4b54e77e3b91) has trapped the real [Balga](entity:character-recall-character-balga-b93ddc020403) in a stable and appears in his clothes. [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9) calls for Balga, hears the imprisoned man answering from within, but accepts Kurrah’s evasions and departs with the impostor.
The deception removes Csongor’s genuine companion at the precise moment when he needs a trustworthy guide. Mirígy’s plot has placed the enchanted sleep and the false seduction within reach of her intended victim.
while Csongor is away with Kurrah
The Stolen Heirlooms
[Berreh](entity:character-recall-character-berreh-21e92be25893) and [Duzzog](entity:character-recall-character-duzzog-8f059b9315c6) recover the devils’ supposed inheritance and replace the enchanted equipment with worthless imitations. They expect [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9) and [Balga](entity:character-recall-character-balga-b93ddc020403) to be fooled when they try to use the boots, whip, and cloak.
Their switch compounds [Mirígy](entity:character-recall-character-mir-gy-becd2f88cbe9)’s deception: Csongor is being led into danger by a false servant while the means of escape are being sabotaged.
at midday in Mirígy’s garden
The Enchanted Sleep
[Kurrah](entity:character-recall-character-kurrah-4b54e77e3b91) leads [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9) into a garden and urges him to rest. Exhausted and longing for [Tünde](entity:character-recall-character-t-nde-21c29d98ca2c), Csongor falls asleep, despite asking the supposed [Balga](entity:character-recall-character-balga-b93ddc020403) to wake him if she comes.
Tünde arrives while he lies unconscious. She tries to wake him with kisses and speaks of the love and pain that have brought her there, but the spell holds him beyond the reach of her voice and touch.
after the failed midday reunion
Tünde Departs Again
Convinced that [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9) cannot hear her, [Tünde](entity:character-recall-character-t-nde-21c29d98ca2c) leaves him with a message: he should hang his shining sword one nail higher. She suspects the servant’s treachery but has no time to uncover it before the brief meeting hour ends.
When Csongor awakens, [Kurrah](entity:character-recall-character-kurrah-4b54e77e3b91) claims that the fairies tried everything to rouse him. Csongor realizes that the servant has betrayed him, but the revelation comes too late to recover the lost moment.
soon after the failed reunion
Ledér’s Disappointment
[Ledér](entity:character-recall-character-led-r-395770e501a5) waits in [Mirígy](entity:character-recall-character-mir-gy-becd2f88cbe9)’s house dressed with the golden hair, expecting the handsome young man her mother promised. As the hours pass without [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9)’s arrival, her confidence collapses into loneliness and self-reproach.
[Balga](entity:character-recall-character-balga-b93ddc020403) escapes his confinement and wanders into the room. Ledér sees a chance to tease him and, for a moment, to flee the emptiness of her own situation.
after Ledér waits in vain
Balga’s False Embrace
Laidier pretended to respond to [Balga](entity:character-recall-character-balga-b93ddc020403)'s affection, told him to close his eyes, then replaced herself with a chair filled with cushions and slipped away. Balga tightly held onto the furniture until it collapsed, realizing he had been tricked
after Balga leaves Mirígy’s house
The Imposture Exposed
Qionger met a man who seemed to be [Balga](entity:character-recall-character-balga-b93ddc020403), and in anger grabbed him, blaming him for causing her to lose Tiende. When another Balga appeared with the Devil Boy's gear, Qionger realized that Kura had impersonated his servant. After revealing the truth
after Csongor and Balga depart
Mirígy’s Failed Defiance
Miriji found that Qionggor had escaped the trap, and she became furious at the others who seemed to mock her strength. She decided to pretend to be a prophet, using a fabricated prophecy to mislead her lover, although an invisible voice was mocking her actions
before Tünde reaches the well
The Prophetic Well Prepared
Miriaki opens the well mouth, casts a spell, burns the text written with false vows, and summons ominous signs of death and misfortune. She expects Tendr to look into the water and see a future that will make her turn against Jongo. After setting this place as a true
at the well, before Csongor arrives
Tünde Sees Betrayal
Tien De and Irmala came to the well that had been uncovered. Tien De believed that the well water could reveal the future. Irmala saw the reflection of [Balga](entity:character-recall-character-balga-b93ddc020403), and spoke to it affectionately; Tien De looked into the water and saw a girl tending to
immediately after Tünde leaves the well
Mirígy’s False Prophecy
After Tendre left the well, Mireji appeared from the well, revealing that the illusions were part of her trap. She summoned the shadows, leading Jongo to seek a fictional lover; an oral prophecy told him to follow a beautiful girl to where the sun sets. Jongo arrived and
after the well’s deception
The Night’s Creation
Tien De and Irmala enter the Night Realm to seek the goddess who guards the secrets of the future. Before they can approach the goddess, the goddess of the Night recounts how the world was born from the primordial darkness and how it ultimately returns to nothingness
during the visit to Éj országa
Tünde’s Mortal Exile
The goddess of night recognized Tiende as a spirit. In order to love in the mortal world, she left the long life she could have enjoyed. Now, the happiness of the mortal world has disappointed her, and she returns to seek help. Therefore, the goddess of night sentences her to remain
later in the search
The Vanishing Guide
Qionger followed the phantom through various places, again and again thinking he was about to catch up with it, yet always watching it disappear again. Finally, he recognized the phantom and it brought him back to the three-way intersection where he had started his search
near the end, at the crossroads
The Merchant’s Ruin
When the merchant reappeared, he was an old man poor and destitute, holding a cane, lamenting the vanished wealth. Those who once valued him because of his wealth no longer recognized him; he had to beg for food and shelter
near the end, after Kalmár
The Fallen Ruler
The monarch lost his power, entering the scene full of worry, thinking of those who once obeyed him. He recalled the loneliness of rule, and how those he had supported and strengthened had rebelled. He then implored the earth and heaven to grant him a suitable tomb for his lost greatness
near the end, after Fejedelem
The Scholar’s Final Doubt
Scholars reappear, contemplating the burden of life, death, and existence. He believes that the unfortunate may not be able to live, nor to die; while the immortal may suffer from being unable to reach an end. His reasoning neither provides an answer nor comfort. He imagines thoughts like butterflies
near the end, after the three travelers return
The Search Loses Its Way
Qionger recognized the merchant, the monarch, and the scholar; they are now all destitute because everything they once pursued has come to nothing. Wealth has vanished, political power has collapsed, and knowledge has left the seekers in deeper confusion
during Csongor’s final wandering
Tünde Restores the Tree
Tien De and Irmala returned to the desolate place where she first planted the tree of love. She revived the tree and tied its fate to Jongor's faithfulness: if he remained faithful, the wasteland might become a thriving home; if the illusion of betrayal becomes real, this
after Tünde leaves the garden
The Nemtők Guard the Tree
Nemtok fell from the sky, playing on the branches of the sacred tree, intoxicated by the fragrance of the tree and the warmth of the earth. Their light games became uneasy when Miregi arrived, and they scattered in fear of her strange appearance. After the left, Miregi
as Mirígy digs at the tree
The Devils Capture Mirígy
The three devils recognize the tree as [Tünde](entity:character-recall-character-t-nde-21c29d98ca2c)’s and decide that capturing [Mirígy](entity:character-recall-character-mir-gy-becd2f88cbe9) may win them a reward. They bind her and prepare to imprison her in a linden tree, refusing her offers to share the treasure she has been trying to steal.
Mirígy’s attempt to take the tree is stopped before she can carry it away. Her captors’ sudden loyalty to Tünde creates the possibility that the witch’s misdeeds will finally be exposed.
after Mirígy’s capture
Tünde Learns the Truth
[Tünde](entity:character-recall-character-t-nde-21c29d98ca2c) and [Ilma](entity:character-recall-character-ilma-30a998279bda) overhear the devils capture [Mirígy](entity:character-recall-character-mir-gy-becd2f88cbe9) and realize that the witch engineered the deceptions that separated the lovers. Tünde understands that her vision of [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9)’s betrayal was not reliable evidence, and her trust begins to return.
She thanks the devils and appoints them guardians of the tree, instructing them to hold anyone who rests beneath it until she can learn who has arrived. Her hope is renewed, though she still waits for Csongor’s own appearance.
after Tünde appoints the devils as guards
Csongor Is Captured
[Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9) arrives at the tree worn down by longing and despair. The devils rush out, seize him, and bind him, mocking the once-bold traveler as his emotional exhaustion leaves him unable to resist effectively.
They leave him tied in the open, while his thoughts turn inward to his grief and sense of failure. The scene brings him to the very tree whose fate [Tünde](entity:character-recall-character-t-nde-21c29d98ca2c) has tied to his fidelity.
after the capture
Csongor Sleeps Beneath the Tree
Hearing distant music, [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9) feels his longing and hope return, then gives in to the need for rest. He lies beneath the tree and falls asleep, no longer struggling against the grief that has exhausted him.
The devils bring [Tünde](entity:character-recall-character-t-nde-21c29d98ca2c) to him. She recognizes Csongor, orders them to release him, and sends them back to their posts so that they cannot disturb his sleep.
near the ending
The Lovers Reunite
[Tünde](entity:character-recall-character-t-nde-21c29d98ca2c) watches [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9) sleep and speaks tenderly of the bond that has drawn them back together. She places a wreath of wildflowers on him and lets him rest, promising herself the fuller joy of waking him when she returns.
[Balga](entity:character-recall-character-balga-b93ddc020403) arrives dragging [Ilma](entity:character-recall-character-ilma-30a998279bda) after a jealous scolding, and Tünde sends the couple away to reconcile. The comic reunion of the servants clears the garden for Csongor and Tünde’s own renewed happiness.
moments after Csongor falls asleep
The Fairy Palace Rises
While [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9) sleeps, a radiant palace rises opposite the restored tree. The once-barren ground becomes a place of beauty, transforming [Tünde](entity:character-recall-character-t-nde-21c29d98ca2c)’s conditional hope into a home prepared for the lovers.
When Csongor wakes, he sees the changed landscape and the wreath on his shoulders but does not know who has made these wonders. Tünde approaches with her attendants, veiled, and addresses him as a stranger.
at the ending
The Lovers Choose Each Other
[Tünde](entity:character-recall-character-t-nde-21c29d98ca2c) asks the wanderer who he is and where he comes from. [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9) answers that he has become homeless through the pain of his pursuit and accepts whatever judgment she has prepared for him.
Tünde offers him two futures: continued lonely wandering or a shared life of love in the garden and palace. When she unveils, Csongor recognizes her and embraces her, and the two affirm the happiness they have struggled to reach.
the final moments
The Midnight Song
As [Csongor](entity:character-recall-character-csongor-76535dae04b9) and [Tünde](entity:character-recall-character-t-nde-21c29d98ca2c) begin their life together, the attendants withdraw and the golden apple falls from the tree. A distant song announces that midnight has come and invites the beloved into the night, where love alone remains awake.
The closing image preserves an edge of mystery inside the lovers’ apparent fulfilment. Their union offers happiness, but the night’s song keeps the world of dreams, time, and uncertainty close at hand.
