第342页 / 共626页

The prince took the shoe, and went the next day to the king his

father, and said, 'I will take for my wife the lady that this

golden slipper fits.' Then both the sisters were overjoyed to

hear it; for they had beautiful feet, and had no doubt that they

could wear the golden slipper. The eldest went first into the

room where the slipper was, and wanted to try it on, and the

mother stood by. But her great toe could not go into it, and the

shoe was altogether much too small for her. Then the mother gave

her a knife, and said, 'Never mind, cut it off; when you are

queen you will not care about toes; you will not want to walk.'

So the silly girl cut off her great toe, and thus squeezed on the

shoe, and went to the king's son. Then he took her for his bride,

and set her beside him on his horse, and rode away with her

homewards.

But on their way home they had to pass by the hazel-tree that

Ashputtel had planted; and on the branch sat a little dove

singing: