oman to come and talk to her. Among other
things the witch told her that she understood all magic arts, and that
she could foretell the future, and knew the healing powers of herbs and
plants.
'I shall be grateful to you all my life, old dame,' said the Princess,
'if you will tell me what is the matter with my husband. Why is he a Pig
by day and a human being by night?'
'I was just going to tell you that one thing, my dear, to show you what
a good fortune-teller I am. If you like, I will give you a herb to break
the spell.'
'If you will only give it to me,' said the Princess, 'I will give you
anything you choose to ask for, for I cannot bear to see him in this
state.'
'Here, then, my dear child,' said the witch, 'take this thread, but
do not let him know about it, for if he did it would lose its healing
power. At night, when he is asleep, you must get up very quietly, and
fasten the thread round his left foot as firmly as possible; and you
will see in the morning he will not have changed back into a Pig, but
will still be a man. I do not want any reward. I shall be sufficiently
repaid by knowing that you are happy. It almost breaks my heart to think
of all you have suffered, and I only wish I had known it sooner, as I
should have come to your rescue at once.'
When the old witch had gone away the Princess hid the thread very
carefully, and at night she got up quietly, and with a beating heart she
bound the thread round her husband's foot. Just as she was pulling the
knot tight there was a crack, and the thread broke, for it was rotten.
Her husband awoke with a start, and said to her, 'Unhappy woman, what
have you done? Three days more and this unholy spell would have fallen
from me, and now, who knows how long I may have to go about in this
disgusting shape? I must leave you at once, and we shall not meet again
until you have worn out three pairs of iron shoes and blunted a steel
staff in your search for me.' So saying he disappeared.
Now, when the Princess was left alone she began to weep and moan in a
way that was pitiful to hear; but when she saw that her tears and groans
did her no good, she got up, determined to go wherever fate should lead
her.
On reaching a town, the first thing she did was to order three pairs of
iron sandals and a steel staff, and having made these preparations
for her journey, she set out in search of her husband. On and on she
wandered over nine seas and across nine continent
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