nstead of Lucy, and one day when this servant dipped the jar into the
water the fish swam into it, and she carried it back to the castle
with her.

It was so pretty that she showed it to the Prince, hoping it might
cheer him for a moment.

No sooner had the Prince looked upon the fish than he grew quite light
and happy. He would not let the servant take the fish away but kept it
with him in a crystal bowl and now he no longer grieved so bitterly
about his bride.

Lucy did not know why the Prince had grown happier. She thought
perhaps he had begun to love her. But when she found that he scarcely
ever came to see her, but spent all his time watching the fish, she
became very angry.

She bribed a servant to steal the fish from the Prince's room and
bring it to her. Then she had a fire built and threw the fish into it
to burn.

No sooner did the flames touch the fish, however, than it changed into
a beautiful silver bird and flew out of the window.

The false Princess was frightened. "There is some magic here," thought
she, "and magic that will prove my ruin."

And now the silver bird sat on a branch outside the Princess's window
and sang and sang. The Prince heard it, and his heart was filled with
joy, he knew not why, and he forgot the fish that had disappeared from
the bowl.

Lucy also heard it and was more frightened than ever. She sent for the
servant who had stolen the fish and bribed him to set a net to catch
the bird. This he did one day when the Prince was away, and then he
brought the bird to the false Princess. But she shuddered at sight of
it as though she were cold, and bade him take it outside and wring its
neck.

This the servant was loath to do, but he dared not disobey her. He
carried the bird outside and did as she commanded, and three drops of
blood fell on the ground just below the Prince's window.

The next morning when the Prince awoke he saw with amazement that a
beautiful citron tree was growing outside of his window. Its trunk was
silver, and its leaves were silver, and on the branch nearest his
window hung three silver citrons, and they were exactly like the
silver citrons he had brought from the Troll's home under the
mountain.

The Prince saw them hanging there, and his heart was filled with joy
and hope as he looked at them. He reached out and plucked them and hid
them in his bosom. Then he took the silver knife and the golden cup
and hastened down to the stream where he had open