m invisible
all this time, and told his sister not to lose heart as he hoped in
three days she would be free. Then he drew on his boots, and wished
himself at the seashore, and there he was directly. Drawing out the
fish-scale, he cried, 'Come and help me, King of the Fishes!' and his
brother-in-law swam up, and asked what he could do. The young man
related the story, and when he had finished his listener summoned all
the fishes to his presence. The last to arrive was a little sardine, who
apologised for being so late, but said she had hurt herself by knocking
her head against an iron casket that lay in the bottom of the sea. The
king ordered several of the largest and strongest of his subjects to
take the little sardine as a guide, and bring him the iron casket. They
soon returned with the box placed across their backs and laid it down
before him. Then the youth produced the key and said, 'Key, open that
box!' and the key opened it, and though they were all crowding round,
ready to catch it, the white dove within flew away.

[Illustration: HOW THE WHITE DOVE ESCAPED]

It was useless to go after it, and for a moment the young man's heart
sank. The next minute, however, he remembered that he had still his
feather, and drew it out crying, 'Come to me, King of the Birds!' and a
rushing noise was heard, and the King of the Birds perched on his
shoulder, and asked what he could do to help him. His brother-in-law
told him the whole story, and when he had finished the King of the Birds
commanded all his subjects to hasten to his presence. In an instant the
air was dark with birds of all sizes, and at the very last came the
white dove, apologising for being so late by saying that an old friend
had arrived at his nest, and he had been obliged to give him some
dinner. The King of the Birds ordered some of them to show the young man
the white dove's nest, and when they reached it, there lay the egg which
was to break the spell and set them all free. When it was safely in his
pocket, he told the boots to carry him straight to the cavern where his
youngest sister sat awaiting him.

Now it was already far on into the third day, which the old man had
fixed for the wedding, and when the youth reached the cavern with his
cap on his head, he found the monster there, urging the girl to keep her
word and let the marriage take place at once. At a sign from her brother
she sat down and invited the old monster to lay his head on her lap. He