GRIMM'S FAIRY TALES - online book

130 Fairy Stories Adapted & Arranged for young people

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THE ENCHANTED TREE.
419
find clothes !" And when she did so, there she saw beautiful dresses embroidered with gold and precious stones, such as none but a king's daughter could wear.
She remained after this for a long time in the wood, and the dove came every day and took care of her. She was poor, but it was a peaceable and happy life.
At last the dove came one day,1 and said to her: " Will you do something for me, only for love ?"
* With all my heart," she replied.
Then said the dove : " I will take you to a small cottage on the heath, in which lives an old woman. When you go in she will say 'Good; day* to you; for your'life give her no reply, let her do what she may, but turn away to the right, and you will see a door, which you must open, and in the room on a table lies a heap of rings of all sorts and descriptions, some of them set with beauti­ful and glittering precious stones. But leave all these alone, and look only for a plain gold ring which must be among them, and bring it to me as quickly as you can."
The maiden hastened to do the commands of the little dove. He led her to the house, and she stepped in.
There sat the old woman, and said: "Good day, my child." But she gave no reply, and went on to the other door. As she was opening it the old woman cried : " Where are you going ? jThis is my house—no one can enter there without my permission," and she seized her by the dress, and tried to hold her fast. But the maiden kept silent, freed herself from the old woman's grasp, and went right into the room.
There on the table lay an immense number of rings that shone and glittered before her eyes ; but she threw them on one side, and searched for the plain one, which, however, she could not find.
While she was searching, she happened to look up, and saw the old woman slipping away with a bird-cage in her hand. The maiden followed her out quickly, took the cage from her, and, as she opened it, and looked inside, there was a bird with the plain ring in its beak.
She took the ring, and went away full of joy from the house, and was soon back to the tree where she expected to see the white dove waiting for her; for she expected him to fetch the ring, but he did not come. While she waited, she leaned against the tree, and, as
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