no brothers did not disturb themselves, the danger
seemed too far away.

Unluckily, however, one day, when Lyma was left by herself in the hut,
the three Stalos came down and carried her and the reindeer off to their
own cottage. The country was very lonely, and perhaps no one would have
known in which direction she had gone had not the girl managed to tie
a ball of thread to the handle of a door at the back of the cottage and
let it trail behind her. Of course the ball was not long enough to go
all the way, but it lay on the edge of a snowy track which led straight
to the Stalos' house.

When the brothers returned from their hunting they found both the hut
and the sheds empty. Loudly they cried: 'Lyma! Lyma!' But no voice
answered them; and they fell to searching all about, lest perchance
their sister might have dropped some clue to guide them. At length their
eyes dropped on the thread which lay on the snow, and they set out to
follow it.

On and on they went, and when at length the thread stopped the brothers
knew that another day's journey would bring them to the Stalos'
dwelling. Of course they did not dare to approach it openly, for the
Stalos had the strength of giants, and besides, there were three of
them; so the two Sodnos climbed into a big bushy tree which overhung a
well.

'Perhaps our sister may be sent to draw water here,' they said to each
other.

But it was not till the moon had risen that the sister came, and as she
let down her bucket into the well, the leaves seemed to whisper 'Lyma!
Lyma!'

The girl started and looked up, but could see nothing, and in a moment
the voice came again.

'Be careful--take no notice, fill your buckets, but listen carefully
all the while, and we will tell you what to do so that you may escape
yourself and set free the reindeer also.'

So Lyman bent over the well lower than before, and seemed busier than
ever.

'You know,' said her brother, 'that when a Stalo finds that anything has
been dropped into his food he will not eat a morsel, but throws it to
his dogs. Now, after the pot has been hanging some time over the fire,
and the broth is nearly cooked, just rake up the log of wood so that
some of the ashes fly into the pot. The Stalo will soon notice this, and
will call you to give all the food to the dogs; but, instead, you must
bring it straight to us, as it is three days since we have eaten or
drunk. That is all you need do for the present.'

Then Lyma too