never to speak to the prince; and when he speaks to you,
you must be dumb, unless he swears "by the head of Buk Ettemsuch." Then
you may speak.'

'Very well,' answered the girl.

They set out; and when they reached the palace, the prince led his bride
to the room he had prepared for her, and said 'Speak to me, my wife,'
but she was silent; and by-and-by he left her, thinking that perhaps she
was shy. The next day the same thing happened, and the next.

At last he said, 'Well, if you won't speak, I shall go and get another
wife who will.' And he did.

Now when the new wife was brought to the palace the daughter of Buk
Ettemsuch rose, and spoke to the ladies who had come to attend on the
second bride. 'Go and sit down. I will make ready the feast.' And the
ladies sat down as they were told, and waited.

The maiden sat down too, and called out, 'Come here, firewood,' and the
firewood came. 'Come here, fire,' and the fire came and kindled the
wood. 'Come here, pot.' 'Come here, oil;' and the pot and the oil came.
'Get into the pot, oil!' said she, and the oil did it. When the oil was
boiling, the maiden dipped all her fingers in it, and they became ten
fried fishes. 'Come here, oven,' she cried next, and the oven came.
'Fire, heat the oven.' And the fire heated it. When it was hot enough,
the maiden jumped in, just as she was, with her beautiful silver and
gold dress, and all her jewels. In a minute or two she had turned into a
snow-white loaf, that made your mouth water.

Said the loaf to the ladies, 'You can eat now; do not stand so far off;'
but they only stared at each other, speechless with surprise.

'What are you staring at?' asked the new bride.

'At all these wonders,' replied the ladies.

'Do you call _these_ wonders?' said she scornfully; 'I can do that too,'
and she jumped straight into the oven, and was burnt up in a moment.

Then they ran to the prince and said: 'Come quickly, your wife is dead!'

'Bury her, then!' returned he. 'But why did she do it? I am sure I said
nothing to make her throw herself into the oven.'

Accordingly the burnt woman was buried, but the prince would not go to
the funeral as all his thoughts were still with the wife who would not
speak to him. The next night he said to her, 'Dear wife, are you afraid
that something dreadful will happen if you speak to me? If you still
persist in being dumb, I shall be forced to get another wife.' The poor
girl longed to speak, but drea