e them, he
stooped down and snipped off the ends of the tongues, and then rowed
back to the other bank. Next morning he carried them into the royal
kitchen, and when the king entered, as was his custom, to see what he
was going to have for dinner, the bridegroom flung them in his face,
saying: 'Here is a gift for you in return for the services you asked of
me.' And, opening the kitchen door, he fled to the ship. Unluckily
he missed the way, and in his excitement ran backwards and forwards,
without knowing whither he was going. At last, in despair, he looked
round, and saw to his amazement that both the city and palace had
vanished completely. Then he turned his eyes in the other direction,
and, far, far away, he caught sight of the ship with her sails spread,
and a fair wind behind her.

This dreadful spectacle seemed to take away his senses, and all day
long he wandered about, without knowing where he was going, till, in
the evening, he noticed some smoke from a little hut of turf near by. He
went straight up to it and cried: 'O mother, let me come in for pity's
sake!' The old woman who lived in the hut beckoned to him to enter, and
hardly was he inside when he cried again: 'O mother, can you tell me
anything of the Sister of the Sun?'

But the woman only shook her head. 'No, I know nothing of her,' said
she.

The young man turned to leave the hut, but the old woman stopped him,
and, giving him a letter, begged him to carry it to her next eldest
sister, saying: 'If you should get tired on the way, take out the letter
and rustle the paper.'

This advice surprised the young man a good deal, as he did not see how
it could help him; but he did not answer, and went down the road without
knowing where he was going. At length he grew so tired he could walk
no more; then he remembered what the old woman had said. After he had
rustled the leaves only once all fatigue disappeared, and he strode over
the grass till he came to another little turf hut.

'Let me in, I pray you, dear mother,' cried he. And the door opened in
front of him. 'Your sister has sent you this letter,' he said, and added
quickly: 'O mother! can you tell me anything of the Sister of the Sun?'

'No, I know nothing of her,' answered she. But as he turned hopelessly
away, she stopped him.

'If you happen to pass my eldest sister's house, will you give her this
letter?' said she. 'And if you should get tired on the road, just take
it out of your pocket a