hat lie beyond the third hill from the village. There
you will find a brook. Follow it until you come to a beautiful maiden
who is bathing in its waters. You will know her from the great masses of
golden hair that fall down over her shoulders. She will speak to you
but do you be careful not to answer. If you say a word to her she will
be able to bewitch you. She will hold out a comb to you and ask you to
comb her hair. Take the comb and do as she asks. Then part her back hair
carefully and you will see one hair that is coarser than the others and
as red as blood. Wrap this firmly around one of your fingers and jerk it
out. Then flee as fast as you can. She will pursue you and each time as
she is about to overtake you drop first the embroidered scarf, then the
red handkerchief, and last the mirror. If you reach the hill nearest
your own village you are safe for she can pursue you no farther. Take
good care of the single hair for it great value and you can sell it for
many golden ducats."

In the morning when the poor man awoke and put his hand under his pillow
he found the mirror and the handkerchief and the scarf just as the angel
had said he would. So he hid them carefully in his shirt and without
telling any one where he was going he went to the woods beyond the third
hill from the village. Here he found the brook and followed it until he
came to a pool where he saw a lovely maiden bathing.

"Good day to you!" she said politely.

The poor man remembering the angel's warning made no answer.

[Illustration: _The Mirror, the Handkerchief, and the Embroidered
Scarf_]

The maiden held out a golden comb.

"Please comb my hair for me, won't you?"

The man nodded and took the comb. Then he parted the long tresses behind
and searched here and there and everywhere until he found the one hair
that was blood-red in color and coarser than the others. He twisted this
firmly around his finger, jerked it quickly out, and fled.

"Oh!" cried the maiden. "What are you doing? Give me back my one red
hair!"

She jumped to her feet and ran swiftly after him. As she came close to
him, he dropped behind him the embroidered scarf. She stooped and picked
it up and examined it awhile. Then she saw the man was escaping, so she
tossed the scarf aside and again ran after him. This time he dropped the
red handkerchief. Its bright color caught the maiden's eye and she
picked it up and lost a few more minutes admiring it while the man raced