s in as quickly as he could. At last, however,
the bride's sister rolled an apple across the yard to him, and said: "As
you won't eat anything else, you may like to take a bite of that, for
you must be both hungry and thirsty after your long journey." And he
took up the apple and bit a piece out of it. But no sooner had he got
the piece of apple in his mouth than he forgot the Master-maid and that
he was to go back in the coach to fetch her.

"I think I must be mad! what do I want with this coach and horses?" said
he; and then he put the horses back into the stable, and went into the
King's palace, and there it was settled that he should marry the bride's
sister, who had rolled the apple to him.

The Master-maid sat by the sea-shore for a long, long time, waiting
for the Prince, but no Prince came. So she went away, and when she had
walked a short distance she came to a little hut which stood all alone
in a small wood, hard by the King's palace. She entered it and asked if
she might be allowed to stay there. The hut belonged to an old crone,
who was also an ill-tempered and malicious troll. At first she would not
let the Master-maid remain with her; but at last, after a long time, by
means of good words and good payment, she obtained leave. But the hut
was as dirty and black inside as a pigsty, so the Master-maid said that
she would smarten it up a little, that it might look a little more like
what other people's houses looked inside. The old crone did not like
this either. She scowled, and was very cross, but the Master-maid did
not trouble herself about that. She took out her chest of gold, and
flung a handful of it or so into the fire, and the gold boiled up and
poured out over the whole of the hut, until every part of it both inside
and out was gilded. But when the gold began to bubble up the old hag
grew so terrified that she fled as if the Evil One himself were pursuing
her, and she did not remember to stoop down as she went through the
doorway, and so she split her head and died. Next morning the sheriff
came traveling by there. He was greatly astonished when he saw the gold
hut shining and glittering there in the copse, and he was still more
astonished when he went in and caught sight of the beautiful young
maiden who was sitting there; he fell in love with her at once, and
straightway on the spot he begged her, both prettily and kindly, to
marry him.

"Well, but have you a great deal of money?" said the Maste