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In a moment he disappeared, and when his wife came in and looked

for him, she found only a white dove; and it said to her, 'Seven

years must I fly up and down over the face of the earth, but

every now and then I will let fall a white feather, that will

show you the way I am going; follow it, and at last you may

overtake and set me free.'

This said, he flew out at the door, and poor Lily followed; and

every now and then a white feather fell, and showed her the way

she was to journey. Thus she went roving on through the wide

world, and looked neither to the right hand nor to the left, nor

took any rest, for seven years. Then she began to be glad, and

thought to herself that the time was fast coming when all her

troubles should end; yet repose was still far off, for one day as

she was travelling on she missed the white feather, and when she

lifted up her eyes she could nowhere see the dove. 'Now,' thought

she to herself, 'no aid of man can be of use to me.' So she went

to the sun and said, 'Thou shinest everywhere, on the hill's top

and the valley's depth--hast thou anywhere seen my white dove?'

'No,' said the sun, 'I have not seen it; but I will give thee a

casket--open it when thy hour of need comes.'