great noise, but as that was
a matter of daily occurrence they did not think much of it. The rest of
the day all was still, but no one had seen anything of the daughter.
The body of the dead woman was then prepared for burial, and her tired
husband went to bed, rejoicing in his heart that he had been delivered
from the firebrand who had made his home unpleasant. On the table he
saw a slice of bread lying, and, being hungry, he ate it before going to
sleep.

In the morning he too was found dead, and as swollen as his wife, for
the bread had been placed in the body of the figure by the old man who
made it. A few days later he was placed in the grave beside his wife,
but nothing more was ever heard of their daughter.

All night long after her talk with the lady Elsa had wept and wailed her
hard fate in being cast out from her home which she loved.

Next morning, when she got up, the lady placed a gold seal ring on her
finger, strung a little golden box on a ribbon, and placed it round her
neck; then she called the old man, and, forcing back her tears, took
leave of Elsa. The girl tried to speak, but before she could sob out her
thanks the old man had touched her softly on the head three times with
his silver staff. In an instant Elsa knew that she was turning into
a bird: wings sprang from beneath her arms; her feet were the feet of
eagles, with long claws; her nose curved itself into a sharp beak, and
feathers covered her body. Then she soared high in the air, and floated
up towards the clouds, as if she had really been hatched an eagle.

For several days she flew steadily south, resting from time to time when
her wings grew tired, for hunger she never felt. And so it happened
that one day she was flying over a dense forest, and below hounds were
barking fiercely, because, not having wings themselves, she was out of
their reach. Suddenly a sharp pain quivered through her body, and she
fell to the ground, pierced by an arrow.

When Elsa recovered her senses, she found herself lying under a bush in
her own proper form. What had befallen her, and how she got there, lay
behind her like a bad dream.

As she was wondering what she should do next the king's son came riding
by, and, seeing Elsa, sprang from his horse, and took her by the hand,
sawing, 'Ah! it was a happy chance that brought me here this morning.
Every night, for half a year, have I dreamed, dear lady, that I should
one day find you in this wood. And althou