"Oh yes, I think so," was her reply.
"Let me see thy hands and I will know whether thou speakest truth," he said, as he opened her clenched hands. And there was the blood on them!
"Oho!" he said to the terrified girl. "So that is the way of it!" And he took an axe and chopped her head clean off, and he threw her into the forbidden room---and went on with his meal.
Next morning the grey horse was feeding once more on the widow s kale; and the second daughter said to her mother:
"Well, mother, I am going out this morning to see if I cannot drive that beast from among our precious kale."
And the widow said: "That's you for a brave lassie!"
So out the second daughter went, takingwith her a seam she was sewing, and she went right up to the horse and stabbed him with her needle. But could she get it away again ? No---nor the hand that held the needle! And away the horse went, and the girl with him, to the green hillock.
He stamped his hoofs and called out as before: "Open, open, green hillock, and let in the grey horse that is son of a King! Open, open, green hillock, and let in the widow's second daughter!"
And the hillock opened, and in they went; and everything happened as it had done before.
Next morning the grey horse gave the widow's second daughter the keys of the Palace, warning her by all she ever saw not to use the key of the closed chamber. And, telling her to have a fine dinner ready for him when he returned from the hunting, he went away and left her preparing the dinner. |
