kissed it. Then she drew it all out of the tub, and wound it round
her body. It was one of those dreadful creatures which few have
ever beheld--the White Snakes of Darkness.

Then she took the keys and went down to her cellar; and as she
unlocked the door she said to herself,--

"This is worth living for!"
Locking the door behind her, she descended a few steps into the
cellar, and crossing it, unlocked another door into a dark, narrow
passage. She locked this also behind her, and descended a few more
steps. If any one had followed the witch-princess, he would have
heard her unlock exactly one hundred doors, and descend a few steps
after unlocking each. When she had unlocked the last, she entered
a vast cave, the roof of which was supported by huge natural
pillars of rock. Now this roof was the under side of the bottom of
the lake.

She then untwined the snake from her body, and held it by the tail
high above her. The hideous creature stretched up its head towards
the roof of the cavern, which it was just able to reach. It then
began to move its head backwards and forwards, with a slow
oscillating motion, as if looking for something. At the same moment
the witch began to walk round and round the cavern, coming nearer
to the centre every circuit; while the head of the snake described
the same path over the roof that she did over the floor, for she
kept holding it up. And still it kept slowly oscillating. Round and
round the cavern they went, ever lessening the circuit, till at
last the snake made a sudden dart, and clung to the roof with its
mouth.