rden belonging to the enchanted house, in which grew twelve
lilies; the maiden, thinking to please her brothers, went out to gather
the twelve flowers, meaning to give one to each as they sat at meat. But
as she broke off the flowers, in the same moment the brothers were
changed into twelve ravens, and flew over the wood far away, and the
house with the garden also disappeared. So the poor maiden stood alone
in the wild wood, and as she was looking around her she saw an old woman
standing by her, who said,

"My child, what hast thou done! why couldst thou not leave the twelve
flowers standing? they were thy twelve brothers, who are now changed to
ravens for ever." The maiden said, weeping,

"Is there no means of setting them free?"

"No," said the old woman, "there is in the whole world no way but one,
and that is difficult; thou canst not release them but by being dumb for
seven years: thou must neither speak nor laugh; and wert thou to speak
one single word, and it wanted but one hour of the seven years, all
would be in vain, and thy brothers would perish because of that one
word."

Then the maiden said in her heart, "I am quite sure that I can set my
brothers free," and went and sought a tall tree, climbed up, and sat
there spinning, and never spoke or laughed. Now it happened that a King,
who was hunting in the wood, had with him a large greyhound, who ran to
the tree where the maiden was, sprang up at it, and barked loudly. Up
came the King and saw the beautiful Princess with the golden star on her
forehead, and he was so charmed with her beauty that he prayed her to
become his wife. She gave no answer, only a little nod of her head. Then
he himself climbed the tree and brought her down, set her on his horse
and took her home. The wedding was held with great splendour and
rejoicing, but the bride neither spoke nor laughed. After they had lived
pleasantly together for a few years, the King's mother, who was a wicked
woman, began to slander the young Queen, and said to the King,

"She is only a low beggar-maid that you have taken to yourself; who
knows what mean tricks she is playing? Even if she is really dumb and
cannot speak she might at least laugh; not to laugh is the sign of a bad
conscience."

At first the King would believe nothing of it, but the old woman talked
so long, and suggested so many bad things, that he at last let himself
be persuaded, and condemned the Queen to death.

Now a great fire was