he third day, when the parents and the step-children had set off,
Aschenputtel went again to her mother's grave, and said to the tree,

"Little tree, little tree, shake over me,
That silver and gold may come down and cover me."

Then the bird cast down a dress, the like of which had never been seen
for splendour and brilliancy, and slippers that were of gold.

And when she appeared in this dress at the feast nobody knew what to say
for wonderment. The prince danced with her alone, and if any one else
asked her he answered,

"She is my partner."

And when it was evening Aschenputtel wanted to go home, and the prince
was about to go with her, when she ran past him so quickly that he could
not follow her. But he had laid a plan, and had caused all the steps to
be spread with pitch, so that as she rushed down them the left shoe of
the maiden remained sticking in it. The prince picked it up, and saw
that it was of gold, and very small and slender. The next morning he
went to the father and told him that none should be his bride save the
one whose foot the golden shoe should fit. Then the two sisters were
very glad, because they had pretty feet. The eldest went to her room to
try on the shoe, and her mother stood by. But she could not get her
great toe into it, for the shoe was too small; then her mother handed
her a knife, and said,

"Cut the toe off, for when you are queen you will never have to go on
foot." So the girl cut her toe off, squeezed her foot into the shoe,
concealed the pain, and went down to the prince. Then he took her with
him on his horse as his bride, and rode off. They had to pass by the
grave, and there sat the two pigeons on the hazel bush, and cried,

"There they go, there they go!
There is blood on her shoe;
The shoe is too small,
--Not the right bride at all!"

Then the prince looked at her shoe, and saw the blood flowing. And he
turned his horse round and took the false bride home again, saying she
was not the right one, and that the other sister must try on the shoe.
So she went into her room to do so, and got her toes comfortably in, but
her heel was too large. Then her mother handed her the knife, saying,
"Cut a piece off your heel; when you are queen you will never have to
go on foot."

So the girl cut a piece off her heel, and thrust her foot into the shoe,
concealed the pain, and went down to the prince, who took his bride
before him on his horse and rode of