o her that we are banished from home?'

But she was not really unforgiving, and very soon she slid quietly out
of her hiding-place, and taking the silk from Laufer's hands began to
weave it. So quick and clever was she that the blue dress was not only
woven but embroidered, and Lineik was safe back in her tree before the
prince returned.

'It is the most beautiful work I have ever seen,' said he, taking up a
bit. 'And I am sure that the red one will be still better, because the
stuff is richer,' and with a low bow he left the room.

Laufer had hoped secretly that when the prince had seen the blue dress
finished he would have let her off the other two; but when she found she
was expected to fulfil the whole task, her heart sank and she began to
cry loudly. Again Sigurd heard her, and begged Lineik to come to her
help, and Lineik, feeling sorry for her distress, wove and embroidered
the second dress as she had done the first, mixing gold thread and
precious stones till you could hardly see the red of the stuff. When it
was done she glided into her tree just as the prince came in.

'You are as quick as you are clever,' said he, admiringly. 'This looks
as if it had been embroidered by the fairies! But as the green robe must
outshine the other two I will give you three days in which to finish it.
After it is ready we will be married at once.'

Now, as he spoke, there rose up in Laufer's mind all the unkind things
that she and her mother had done to Lineik. Could she hope that they
would be forgotten, and that Lineik would come to her rescue for the
third time? And perhaps Lineik, who had not forgotten the past either,
might have left her alone, to get on as best she could, had not Sigurd,
her brother, implored her to help just once more. So Lineik again slid
out of her tree, and, to Laufer's great relief, set herself to work.
When the shining green silk was ready she caught the sun's rays and the
moon's beams on the point of her needle and wove them into a pattern
such as no man had ever seen. But it took a long time, and on the third
morning, just as she was putting the last stitches into the last flower
the prince came in.

Lineik jumped up quickly, and tried to get past him back to her tree;
but the folds of the silk were wrapped round her, and she would have
fallen had not the prince caught her.

'I have thought for some time that all was not quite straight here,'
said he. 'Tell me who you are, and where you come