"Then I will give her away if you two
refuse. Have you already forgotten our father's command?" And taking
his sister by the hand he gave her to the stranger, saying, "May she
live happily with you and be ever faithful!"

As the sister crossed the threshold every one in the building fell to
the ground in fear and horror. It lightened, it thundered, it crashed,
it quaked, the whole fortress swayed heavily, as if heaven and earth
were falling together. Gradually the uproar died away, and the rosy
eastern light announced the coming morning.

As soon as day had broken the brothers searched for the traces which
they supposed would have been left by their tremendous nocturnal
visitor; but not a trace, not a footprint had he left behind. All was
swept away.

On the following night, at the selfsame hour, the selfsame flashing,
crashing din was heard around the imperial fortress, and a voice
without cried loudly, "Open the door, you princes!"

Paralyzed with terror, they threw open the door and a fearful Form
rushed in, crying in a loud voice, "Give me here the maiden, your
second sister! I have come to marry her!"

Said the eldest brother, "I will not give you my sister!"

Said the second, "I will not let my sister--"

But the youngest broke in with, "Then I will! Will you never remember
what our father commanded?"

He took his sister by the hand and led her to the wooer. "Take her;
she will be happy with you and always good."

At this the powerful apparition vanished, and the maiden with him.

As soon as morning dawned the brothers sought around the castle for
traces of the direction which the apparition had taken; but they found
nothing under the blessed sun, nor was there the slightest clue from
which they could make any sort of guess any more than if no one had
been there!

On the third night, at the same hour, the whole castle was again
shaken to the foundation by a horrible uproar and earthquake, and a
voice called out, "Open the door, ye princes!"

The Emperor's sons sprang nimbly to their feet and drew the bolts,
upon which a monstrous Form entered, exclaiming "We are come to demand
the hand of your youngest sister!"

"Never!" shrieked the eldest and second brothers with one voice. "We
will not let this one go away thus by night. Surely we must at least
know of this our youngest sister whom she marries and where she goes,
that we may be able to visit her!"

But up spoke the youngest brother, "Then I wi