rs, she fetched
the golden spinning-wheel and put it in the dish so that the soup was
poured over it. It was brought to the King, who ate it, and liked it as
much as the last time. He had the cook sent to him, and again he had to
confess that the Many-furred Creature had cooked the soup. Then the
Many-furred Creature came before the King, but she said again that she
was of no use except to have boots thrown at her head, and that she knew
nothing at all of the golden spinning-wheel.

When the King had a feast for the third time, things did not turn out
quite the same as at the other two. The cook said, 'You must be a witch,
Many-furred Creature, for you always put something in the soup, so that
it is much better and tastes nicer to the King than any that I cook.'
But because she begged hard, he let her go up for the usual time. Now
she put on the dress as shining as the stars, and stepped into the hall
in it.

The King danced again with the beautiful maiden, and thought she had
never looked so beautiful. And while he was dancing, he put a gold ring
on her finger without her seeing it, and he commanded that the dance
should last longer than usual. When it was finished he wanted to keep
her hands in his, but she broke from him, and sprang so quickly away
among the people that she vanished from his sight. She ran as fast as
she could to her little room under the stairs, but because she had
stayed too long beyond the half-hour, she could not stop to take off the
beautiful dress, but only threw the fur cloak over it, and in her haste
she did not make herself quite black with the soot, one finger remaining
white. The Many-furred Creature now ran into the kitchen, cooked the
King's bread-soup, and when the cook had gone, she laid the gold reel in
the dish. When the King found the reel at the bottom, he had the
Many-furred Creature brought to him, and then he saw the white finger,
and the ring which he had put on her hand in the dance. Then he took her
hand and held her tightly, and as she was trying to get away, she undid
the fur-cloak a little bit and the star-dress shone out. The King seized
the cloak and tore it off her. Her golden hair came down, and she stood
there in her full splendour, and could not hide herself away any more.
And when the soot and ashes had been washed from her face, she looked
more beautiful than anyone in the world. But the King said, 'You are my
dear bride, and we will never be separated from one an