and began to spin moss into silk. And as she spun the
new bride passed by, and seeing the moss turn into silk, she said to
the old woman: 'Little mother, I wish you would give me that
spinning-wheel.'

And the princess answered, 'I will give it to you if you will allow me
to sleep to-night on the mat outside the prince's door.'

And the bride replied, 'Yes, you may sleep on the mat outside the door.'

So the princess gave her the spinning-wheel. And that night, winding the
shawl all round her, so that no one could recognise her, she lay down on
the mat outside the white wolf's door. And when everyone in the palace
was asleep she began to tell the whole of her story. She told how she
had been one of three sisters, and that she had been the youngest and
the fairest of the three, and that her father had betrothed her to a
white wolf. And she told how she had gone first to the wedding of one
sister, and then with her husband to the wedding of the other sister,
and how her mother had ordered the servant to throw the white fur skin
into the kitchen fire. And then she told of her wanderings through the
forest; and of how she had sought the white wolf weeping; and how the
wind and star and moon and sun had befriended her, and had helped her to
reach his palace. And when the white wolf heard all the story, he knew
that it was his first wife, who had sought him, and had found him, after
such great dangers and difficulties.

But he said nothing, for he waited till the next day, when many
guests--kings and princes from far countries--were coming to his
wedding. Then, when all the guests were assembled in the banqueting
hall, he spoke to them and said: 'Hearken to me, ye kings and princes,
for I have something to tell you. I had lost the key of my treasure
casket, so I ordered a new one to be made; but I have since found the
old one. Now, which of these keys is the better?'

Then all the kings and royal guests answered: 'Certainly the old key is
better than the new one.'

'Then,' said the wolf, 'if that is so, my former bride is better than my
new one.'

And he sent for the new bride, and he gave her in marriage to one of
the princes who was present, and then he turned to his guests, and said:
'And here is my former bride'--and the beautiful princess was led
into the room and seated beside him on his throne. 'I thought she had
forgotten me, and that she would never return. But she has sought
me everywhere, and now we are to