ady of the silver
dress, and would never rest till he had found her. So another ball was
soon arranged for in hope that the beautiful maid would appear again. So
Catskin said to the cook, "Oh, how I should like to go!" Whereupon the
cook screamed out in a rage, "What, you, you dirty impudent slut! you
would cut a fine figure among all the fine lords and ladies." And with
that she up with a ladle and broke it across Catskin's back. But she
only shook her ears, and ran off to the forest, where she first of all
bathed, and then put on her coat of beaten gold, and off she went to the
ball-room.

As soon as she entered all eyes were upon her; and the young lord soon
recognised her as the lady of the "Basin of Water," and claimed her hand
for the first dance, and did not leave her till the last. When that
came, he again asked her where she lived. But all that she would say
was:

"Kind sir, if the truth I must tell,
At the sign of the 'Broken Ladle' I dwell."

and with that she curtsied, and flew from the ball, off with her golden
robe, on with her catskin, and into the scullery without the cook's
knowing.

Next day when the young lord could not find where was the sign of the
"Basin of Water," or of the "Broken Ladle," he begged his mother to have
another grand ball, so that he might meet the beautiful maid once more.

All happened as before. Catskin told the cook how much she would like to
go to the ball, the cook called her "a dirty slut," and broke the
skimmer across her head. But she only shook her ears, and went off to
the forest, where she first bathed in the crystal spring, and then
donned her coat of feathers, and so off to the ball-room.

When she entered every one was surprised at so beautiful a face and form
dressed in so rich and rare a dress; but the young lord soon recognised
his beautiful sweetheart, and would dance with none but her the whole
evening. When the ball came to an end, he pressed her to tell him where
she lived, but all she would answer was:

"Kind sir, if the truth I must tell,
At the sign of the 'Broken Skimmer' I dwell;"

and with that she curtsied, and was off to the forest. But this time the
young lord followed her, and watched her change her fine dress of
feathers for her catskin dress, and then he knew her for his own
scullery-maid.

Next day he went to his mother, the lady of the castle, and told her
that he wished to marry the scullery-maid, Catskin. "Never