to obey, and with
groaning and pain cast off one skin after another, and for each skin the
maiden threw off one of her shirts, until there lay on the floor seven
lindorm skins and six snow-white shirts; the seventh she still had on.
The lindorm now lay before her as a formless, slimy mass, which she with
all her might began to scrub with the lye and new scrubbing brushes.

When she had nearly worn out the last of these there stood before her
the loveliest youth in the world. He thanked her for having saved him
from his enchantment, and told her that he was the king and queen's
eldest son, and heir to the kingdom. Then he asked her whether she would
keep the promise she had made to the lindorm, to share everything with
him. To this she was well content to answer 'Yes.'

Each time that the lindorm had held his wedding one of the king's
retainers was sent next morning to open the door of the bridal chamber
and see whether the bride was alive. This next morning also he peeped
in at the door, but what he saw there surprised him so much that he
shut the door in a hurry, and hastened to the king and queen, who were
waiting for his report. He told them of the wonderful sight he had seen.
On the floor lay seven lindorm skins and six snow-white shirts, and
beside these three worn-out scrubbing brushes, while in the bed a
beautiful youth was lying asleep beside the fair young maiden.

The king and queen marvelled greatly what this could mean; but just then
the old woman who was spoken of in the beginning of the story was again
brought in to the queen. She reminded her how she had not followed her
instructions, but had eaten the first onion with all its skins, on which
account her first-born had been a lindorm. The waiting-woman was then
summoned, and admitted that she had thrown it out through the window
into the forest. The king and queen now sent for their eldest son and
his young bride. They took them both in their arms, and asked him to
tell about his sorrowful lot during the twenty years he had lived in the
forest as a hideous lindorm. This he did, and then his parents had it
proclaimed over the whole country that he was their eldest son, and
along with his spouse should inherit the country and kingdom after them.

Prince Lindorm and his beautiful wife now lived in joy and prosperity
for a time in the palace; and when his father was laid in the grave,
not long after this, he obtained the whole kingdom. Soon afterwards his