be sure to give her a bit of everything. In seven days we shall be
back again.'

'All right,' she answered, and locked herself into the castle with the
cat.

On the eighth day the brothers came home. 'How are you?' they asked.
'You have not been anxious?'

'No, why should I be anxious? The gates were fast locked, and in the
castle are seven doors, and the seventh is of iron. What is there to
frighten me?'

'No one will try to hurt _us_,' said the brothers, 'for they fear us
greatly. But for yourself, we implore you to do nothing without
consulting the cat, who has grown up in the house, and take care never
to neglect her advice.'

'All right,' replied Udea, 'and whatever I eat she shall have half.'

'Capital! and if ever you are in danger the cat will come and tell
us--only elves and pigeons, which fly round your window, know where to
find us.'

'This is the first I have heard of the pigeons,' said Udea. 'Why did you
not speak of them before?'

'We always leave them food and water for seven days,' replied the
brothers.

'Ah,' sighed the girl, 'if I had only known, I would have given them
fresh food and fresh water; for after seven days anything becomes bad.
Would it not be better if I fed them every day?'

'Much better,' said they, 'and we shall feel any kindnesses you do
towards the cat or the pigeons exactly as if they were shown to
ourselves.'

'Set your minds at ease,' answered the girl, 'I will treat them as if
they were my brothers.'

That night the brothers slept in the castle, but after breakfast next
morning they buckled on their weapons and mounted their horses, and rode
off to their hunting grounds, calling out to their sister, 'Mind you let
nobody in till we come back.'

'Very well,' cried she, and kept the doors carefully locked for seven
days and on the eighth the brothers returned as before. Then, after
spending one evening with her, they departed as soon as they had done
breakfast.

Directly they were out of sight Udea began to clean the house, and among
the dust she found a bean which she ate.

'What are you eating?' asked the cat.

'Nothing,' said she.

'Open your mouth, and let me see,' The girl did as she was told, and
then the cat said 'Why did you not give me half?'

'I forgot,' answered she, 'but there are plenty of beans about, you can
have as many as you like.'

'No, that won't do. I want half of that particular bean.'

'But how can I give it you? I tell you I have e