handsome young knight, they were overjoyed at their good fortune. "The
wonderful tree belongs to us now," they said; "even if we cannot break
off a branch, yet everybody who passes will stop to admire it, and make
acquaintance with us, and, who knows? we may get husbands after all."

But when they rose the next morning, lo! the tree had vanished, and with
it all their hopes. And on this very morning, when little Two Eyes
looked out of her chamber window of the castle, she saw, to her great
joy, that the tree had followed her.

Little Two Eyes lived for a long time in great happiness; but she heard
nothing of her sisters, till one day two poor women came to the castle,
to beg for alms. Little Two Eyes saw them, and, looking earnestly in
their faces, she recognised her two sisters, who had become so poor that
they were obliged to beg their bread from door to door.

But the good sister received them most kindly, and promised to take care
of them and give them all they wanted. And then they did indeed repent
and feel sorry for having treated her so badly in their youthful days.




CHAPTER II

THE MAGIC MIRROR


One day in the middle of winter, when the snowflakes fell from the sky
like feathers, a queen sat at a window netting. Her netting-needle was