heart was
filled with pleasure at the sight of him, she did not know why. After
that a woman bade her enter, and set food before her, and gave her
a soft bed to lie in. And when the sun rose she got up, and left the
house, in search of the hoodie. This day everything befell as on the
two other days, but when she reached the small house, the woman bade her
keep awake, and if the hoodie flew into the room, to try to seize him.

But the wife had walked far, and was very tired, and strive as she
would, she fell sound asleep.

Many hours she slept, and the hoodie entered through a window, and let
fall a ring on her hand. The girl awoke with a start, and leant forward
to grasp him, but he was already flying off, and she only seized a
feather from his wing. And when dawn came, she got up and told the
woman.

'He has gone over the hill of poison,' said she, 'and there you cannot
follow him without horse-shoes on your hands and feet. But I will help
you. Put on this suit of men's clothes, and go down this road till you
come to the smithy, and there you can learn to make horse-shoes for
yourself.'

The girl thanked her, and put on the cloths and went down the road to
do her bidding. So hard did she work, that in a few days she was able
to make the horse-shoes. Early one morning she set out for the hill of
poison. On her hands and feet she went, but even with the horse-shoes
on she had to be very careful not to stumble, lest some poisoned thorns
should enter into her flesh, and she should die. But when at last she
was over, it was only to hear that her husband was to be married that
day to the daughter of a great lord.

Now there was to be a race in the town, and everyone meant to be there,
except the stranger who had come over the hill of poison--everyone, that
is, but the cook, who was to make the bridal supper. Greatly he loved
races, and sore was his heart to think that one should be run without
his seeing it, so when he beheld a woman whom he did not know coming
along the street, hope sprang up in him.

'Will you cook the wedding feast in place of me?' he said, 'and I will
pay you well when I return from the race.'

Gladly she agreed, and cooked the feast in a kitchen that looked into
the great hall, where the company were to eat it. After that she watched
the seat where the bridegroom was sitting, and taking a plateful of the
broth, she dropped the ring and the feather into it, and set if herself
before him.

With