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Now as the king to whom the wood belonged was hunting in it, his

dogs came to the tree, and began to snuff about, and run round

and round, and bark. 'Look sharp!' said the king to the huntsmen,

'and see what sort of game lies there.' And the huntsmen went up

to the tree, and when they came back again said, 'In the hollow

tree there lies a most wonderful beast, such as we never saw

before; its skin seems to be of a thousand kinds of fur, but

there it lies fast asleep.' 'See,' said the king, 'if you can

catch it alive, and we will take it with us.' So the huntsmen

took it up, and the maiden awoke and was greatly frightened, and

said, 'I am a poor child that has neither father nor mother left;

have pity on me and take me with you.' Then they said, 'Yes, Miss

Cat-skin, you will do for the kitchen; you can sweep up the

ashes, and do things of that sort.' So they put her into the

coach, and took her home to the king's palace.