became still, and as no harm came to the maiden she lay down
again and fell asleep. But when she awoke again in broad
daylight, what a sight met her eyes! She was lying in a splendid
room furnished with royal splendour; the walls were covered with
golden flowers on a green ground; the bed was of ivory and the
counterpane of velvet, and on a stool near by lay a pair of
slippers studded with pearls. The maiden thought she must be
dreaming, but in came three servants richly dressed, who asked
what were her commands. 'Go,' said the maiden, 'I will get up at
once and cook the old man's supper for him, and then I will feed
the pretty cock and hen and the brindled cow.'

But the door opened and in came a handsome young man, who said,
'I am a king's son, and was condemned by a wicked witch to live
as an old man in this wood with no company but that of my three
servants, who were transformed into a cock, a hen, and a brindled
cow. The spell could only be broken by the arrival of a maiden
who should show herself kind not only to men but to beasts. You
are that maiden, and last night at midnight we were freed, and
this poor house was again transformed into my royal palace.

As they stood there the king's son told his three servants to go
and fetch the maiden's parents to be present at the wedding
feast.

'But where are my two sisters?' asked the maid.

'I shut them up in the cellar, but in the morning they shall be
led forth into the forest and shall serve a charcoal burner until
they have improved, and will never again suffer poor animals to