d.

After that Plavachek traveled long and far into a black forest. Deep
in the forest he came upon a broad green meadow full of beautiful
flowers and in its midst a golden palace glittering as though it were
on fire. This was the palace of Grandfather Knowitall.

Plavachek entered and found nobody there but an old woman who sat
spinning in a corner.

"Welcome, Plavachek," she said. "I am delighted to see you again."

He looked at the old woman and saw that she was his godmother with
whom he had spent the night when he was carrying the letter to the
palace.

"What has brought you here, Plavachek?" she asked.

"The king, godmother. He says I can't be his son-in-law for nothing. I
have to give a dowry. So he has sent me to old Grandfather Knowitall
to get three of his golden hairs."

The old woman smiled and said: "Do you know who Grandfather Knowitall
is? Why, he's the bright Sun who goes everywhere and sees everything.
I am his mother. In the morning he's a little lad, at noon he's a
grown man, and in the evening an old grandfather. I will get you three
of the golden hairs from his golden head, for I must not be a
godmother for nothing! But, my lad, you mustn't remain where you are.
My son is kind, but if he comes home hungry he might want to roast you
and eat you for his supper. There's an empty tub over there and I'll
just cover you with it."

Plavachek begged his godmother to get from Grandfather Knowitall the
answers for the three questions he had promised to ask.

"I will," said the old woman, "and do you listen carefully to what he
says."

Suddenly there was the rushing sound of a mighty wind outside and the
Sun, an old grandfather with a golden head, flew in by the western
window. He sniffed the air suspiciously.

"Phew! Phew!" he cried. "I smell human flesh! Have you any one here,
mother?"

"Star of the day, whom could I have here without your seeing him? The
truth is you've been flying all day long over God's world and your
nose is filled with the smell of human flesh. That's why you still
smell it when you come home in the evening."

The old man said nothing more and sat down to his supper.

After supper he laid his head on the old woman's lap and fell sound
asleep. The old woman pulled out a golden hair and threw it on the
floor. It twanged like the string of a violin.

"What is it, mother?" the old man said. "What is it?"

"Nothing, my boy, nothing. I was asleep and had a wonderful dream