ea, he looked--there slept the
Norka on a stone in the middle of the sea; and when it snored, the water
was agitated for seven miles around. The Prince crossed himself, went
up to it, and smote it on the head with his sword. The head jumped off,
saying the while, 'Well, I'm done for now!' and rolled far away into the
sea.

After killing the beast, the Prince went back again, picking up all the
three sisters by the way, with the intention of taking them out into the
upper world: for they all loved him and would not be separated from
him. Each of them turned her palace into an egg--for they were all
enchantresses--and they taught him how to turn the eggs into palaces,
and back again, and they handed over the eggs to him. And then they
all went to the place from which they had to be hoisted into the upper
world. And when they came to where the rope was, the Prince took hold of
it and made the maidens fast to it. Then he jerked away at the rope and
his brothers began to haul it up. And when they had hauled it up, and
had set eyes on the wondrous maidens, they went aside and said: 'Let's
lower the rope, pull our brother part of the way up, and then cut the
rope. Perhaps he'll be killed; but then if he isn't, he'll never give us
these beauties as wives.'

So when they had agreed on this, they lowered the rope. But their
brother was no fool; he guessed what they were at, so he fastened the
rope to a stone, and then gave it a pull. His brothers hoisted the stone
to a great height, and then cut the rope. Down fell the stone and broke
in pieces; the Prince poured forth tears and went away. Well, he walked
and walked. Presently a storm arose; the lightning flashed, the thunder
roared, the rain fell in torrents. He went up to a tree in order to take
shelter under it, and on that tree he saw some young birds which were
being thoroughly drenched. So he took off his coat and covered them over
with it, and he himself sat down under the tree. Presently there came
flying a bird--such a big one that the light was blotted out by it. It
had been dark there before, but now it became darker still. Now this
was the mother of those small birds which the Prince had covered up.
And when the bird had come flying up, she perceived that her little ones
were covered over, and she said, 'Who has wrapped up my nestlings?' and
presently, seeing the Prince, she added: 'Didst thou do that? Thanks! In
return, ask of me anything thou desirest. I will do an