eart by her sweetness and
goodness.

The next day she sent for her mother and the old woman soon arrived
bringing with her Dobrunka's spinning wheel. So now there was no more
excuse for loneliness.

Dobrunka supposed that her mother would be made very happy to find
what good fortune had befallen her daughter. The old woman pretended
she was, but in her heart she was furious that a king had married
Dobrunka and not Zloboha.

After a few days she said, very artfully, to Dobrunka: "I know, my
dear daughter, that you think your sister, Zloboha, was not always
kind to you in times past. She's sorry now and I want you to forgive
her and invite her here to the palace."

"I should have asked her before this," said Dobrunka, "but I didn't
suppose she wanted to come. If you wish it, we'll go for her at once."

"Yes, dear daughter, I do wish it."

So the queen ordered the carriage and off they went to fetch Zloboha.
When they came to the edge of the woods they alighted and ordered the
coachman to await them there. They went on afoot to the cottage where
Zloboha was expecting them.

Zloboha came running out to meet them. She threw her arms about her
sister's neck and kissed her and wished her happiness. Then the
wicked sister and the wicked mother led poor unsuspecting Dobrunka
into the house. Once inside Zloboha took a knife that she had ready
and struck Dobrunka. Then they cut off Dobrunka's hands and feet,
gouged out her eyes, and hid her poor mutilated body in the woods.
Zloboha and her mother wrapped up the hands and the feet and the eyes
to carry them back with them to the palace because they believed that
it would be easier for them to deceive the king if they had with them
something that had belonged to Dobrunka.

Then Zloboha put on Dobrunka's clothes and she and her mother rode
back to town in the carriage and nobody could tell that she wasn't
Dobrunka. In the palace the attendants soon whispered to each other
that their mistress was kinder to them at first, but they suspected
nothing.

In the meantime poor Dobrunka, who was not quite dead, had been found
by a hermit and carried by him to a cave. She awoke to feel a kind
hand soothing her wounds and putting some reviving drops between her
lips. Of course, she could not see who it was, for she had no eyes. As
she regained consciousness she remembered what had happened and began
bitterly to upbraid her unnatural mother and her cruel sister.

"Be quiet. Do not