ister
looked at her ring, and it had become black, and she knew that
something had befallen him. Poor child! not having anything else to
do, she dressed herself like a page and set out.

Like her brother, she met the three hermits, and received their
instructions. The third concluded thus: "Beware, for if you answer
when the bird speaks you will lose your life, but if you speak not, it
will come to you; take one of its feathers and dip it in the jar you
will see there and anoint your brother's nostril with it." She
continued her way, followed exactly the hermit's directions, and
reached the garden in safety. When the bird saw her it exclaimed: "Ah!
you here, too? Now you will meet the same fate as your brother. Do you
see him lying there? Your father is at the war. Your mother is in the
tread-mill. Your aunts are rejoicing."

But the sister made no reply, but let the bird sing on. When it had
nothing more to say it flew down, and the young girl caught it, pulled
a feather from its wing, dipped it into the jar, and anointed her
brother's nostrils, and he at once came to life again. Then she did
the same with all the other statues, with the lions and the giants,
until all became alive again. Then she departed with her brother, and
all the noblemen, princes, barons, and kings' sons rejoiced greatly.
Now when they had all come to life again the palace disappeared, and
the hermits disappeared, for they were the three fairies.

The day after the brother and sister reached the city where they
lived, they summoned a goldsmith, and had him make a gold chain, and
fasten the bird with it. The next time the aunts looked out they saw
in the window of the palace opposite the Dancing Water, the Singing
Apple, and the Speaking Bird. "Well," said they, "the real trouble is
coming now!"

The bird directed the brother and sister to procure a carriage finer
than the king's, with twenty-four attendants, and to have the service
of their palace, cooks, and servants, more numerous and better than
the king's. All of which the brother and sister did at once. And when
the aunts saw these things they were ready to die of rage.

At last the king returned from the war, and his subjects told him all
the news of the kingdom, and the thing they talked about the least was
his wife and children. One day the king looked out of the window and
saw the palace opposite furnished in a magnificent manner. "Who lives
there?" he asked, but no one could answ