d everything else that he
required, and sailed home for his sister. As soon as the stepmother
heard what his errand was she at once said to herself, 'This will never
come about if I can do anything to hinder it. She must not be allowed to
come to such honour.'

She then got a dress made for her own daughter, like the finest robe for
a queen, and she had a mask prepared and put upon her face, so that she
looked quite pretty, and gave her strict orders not to take it off until
the king had promised to wed her.

The brother now set sail with his two sisters, for the stepmother
pretended that the ugly one wanted to see the other a bit on her way.
But when they got out to sea, and Maiden Bright-eye came up on deck,
the sister did as her mother had instructed her--she gave her a push and
made her fall into the water. When the brother learned what had happened
he was greatly distressed, and did not know what to do. He could not
bring himself to tell the truth about what had happened, nor did he
expect that the king would believe it. In the long run he decided to
hold on his way, and let things go as they liked. What he had expected
happened--the king received his sister and wedded her at once, but
repented it after the first night, as he could scarcely put down his
foot in the morning for all the toads that were about the room, and when
he saw her real face he was so enraged against the brother that he had
him thrown into a pit full of serpents. He was so angry, not merely
because he had been deceived, but because he could not get rid of the
ugly wretch that was now tied to him for life.

Now we shall hear a little about Maiden Bright-eye When she fell into
the water she was fortunate enough to get the bergman's cap put on
her head, for now she was in danger of her life, and she was at once
transformed into a duck. The duck swam away after the ship, and came to
the king's palace on the next evening. There it waddled up the drain,
and so into the kitchen, where her little dog lay on the hearth-stone;
it could not bear to stay in the fine chambers along with the ugly
sister, and had taken refuge down here. The duck hopped up till it could
talk to the dog.

'Good evening,' it said.

'Thanks, Maiden Bright-eye,' said the dog.

'Where is my brother?'

'He is in the serpent-pit.'

'Where is my wicked sister?'

'She is with the noble king.'

'Alas! alas! I am here this evening, and shall be for two evenings yet,
and the