第9章

WhentheHuntercamenearerhesawthemaiden，andsaidtohimself，’IhavetravelledsofarnowthatIwillrest，andturnintothisbeautifulcastle；moneyIhaveinplenty。’Buttherealreasonwasthathehadcaughtsightofthelovelyface。

Hewentintothehouse，andwaskindlyreceivedandhospitablyentertained。Itwasnotlongbeforehewassomuchinlovewiththewitch-maidenthathethoughtofnothingelse，andonlylookedinhereyes，andwhatevershewanted，thathegladlydid。Thentheoldwitchsaid，’Nowwemusthavethebird-heart；hewillnotfeelwhenitisgone。’Shepreparedadrink，andwhenitwasreadyshepoureditinagobletandgaveittothemaiden，whohadtohandittothehunter。

’Drinktomenow，mydearest，’shesaid。Thenhetookthegoblet，andwhenhehadswallowedthedrinkthebird-heartcameoutofhismouth。Themaidenhadtogetholdofitsecretlyandthenswallowitherself，fortheoldwitchwantedtohaveit。

Thenceforwardhefoundnomoregoldunderhispillow，anditlayunderthemaiden’s；buthewassomuchinloveandsomuchbewitchedthathethoughtofnothingexceptspendingallhistimewiththemaiden。

Thentheoldwitchsaid，’Wehavethebird-heart，butwemustalsogetthewishing-cloakfromhim。’

Themaidenanswered，’Wewillleavehimthat；hehasalreadylosthiswealth！’

Theoldwitchgrewangry，andsaid，’Suchacloakisawonderfulthing，itisseldomtobehadintheworld，andhaveitImustandwill。’Shebeatthemaiden，andsaidthatifshedidnotobeyitwouldgoillwithher。

Soshedidhermother’sbidding，and，standingonedaybythewindow，shelookedawayintothefardistanceasifshewereverysad。

’Whyareyoustandingtherelookingsosad？’askedtheHunter。

’Alas，mylove，’shereplied，’overthereliesthegranitemountainwherethecostlypreciousstonesgrow。Ihaveagreatlongingtogothere，sothatwhenIthinkofitIamverysad。

Forwhocanfetchthem？Onlythebirdswhofly；aman，never。’

’Ifyouhavenoothertrouble，’saidtheHunter，’thatoneIcaneasilyremovefromyourheart。’

Sohewrappedherroundinhiscloakandwishedthemselvestothegranitemountain，andinaninstanttheretheywere，sittingonit！Thepreciousstonessparkledsobrightlyonallsidesthatitwasapleasuretoseethem，andtheycollectedthemostbeautifulandcostlytogether。ButnowtheoldwitchhadthroughhercausedtheHunter’seyestobecomeheavy。

Hesaidtothemaiden，’Wewillsitdownforalittlewhileandrest；IamsotiredthatIcanhardlystandonmyfeet。’

Sotheysatdown，andhelaidhisheadonherlapandfellasleep。Assoonashewassoundasleepsheunfastenedthecloakfromhisshoulders，threwitonherown，leftthegraniteandstones，andwishedherselfhomeagain。

ButwhentheHunterhadfinishedhissleepandawoke，hefoundthathislovehadbetrayedhimandlefthimaloneonthewildmountain。’Oh，’saidhe，’whyisfaithlessnesssogreatintheworld？’andhesatdowninsorrowandtrouble，notknowingwhattodo。

Butthemountainbelongedtofierceandhugegiants，wholivedonitandtradedthere，andhehadnotsatlongbeforehesawthreeofthemstridingtowardshim。Sohelaydownasifhehadfallenintoadeepsleep。

Thegiantscameup，andthefirstpushedhimwithhisfoot，andsaid，’Whatsortofanearthwormisthat？’

Thesecondsaid，’Crushhimdead。’

Butthethirdsaidcontemptuously，’Itisnotworththetrouble！

Lethimlive；hecannotremainhere，andifhegoeshigherupthemountainthecloudswilltakehimandcarryhimoff。’

Talkingthustheywentaway。ButtheHunterhadlistenedtotheirtalk，andassoonastheyhadgoneheroseandclimbedtothesummit。Whenhehadsattherealittlewhileacloudsweptby，and，seizinghim，carriedhimaway。Ittravelledforatimeinthesky，andthenitsankdownandhoveredoveralargevegetablegardensurroundedbywalls，sothathecamesafelytothegroundamidstcabbagesandvegetables。TheHunterthenlookedabouthim，saying，’IfonlyIhadsomethingtoeat！Iamsohungry，anditwillgobadlywithmeinthefuture，forIseeherenotanappleorpearorfruitofanykind——nothingbutvegetableseverywhere。’Atlasthethought，’AtapinchIcaneatasalad；itdoesnottasteparticularlynice，butitwillrefreshme。’Sohelookedaboutforagoodheadandateit，butnosoonerhadheswallowedacoupleofmouthfulsthanhefeltverystrange，andfoundhimselfwonderfullychanged。Fourlegsbegantogrowonhim，athickhead，andtwolongears，andhesawwithhorrorthathehadchangedintoadonkey。Butashewasstillveryhungryandthisjuicysaladtastedverygoodtohispresentnature，hewentoneatingwithastillgreaterappetite。

Atlasthegotholdofanotherkindofcabbage，butscarcelyhadswalloweditwhenhefeltanotherchange，andheoncemoreregainedhishumanform。

TheHunternowlaydownandsleptoffhisweariness。Whenheawokethenextmorninghebrokeoffaheadofthebadandaheadofthegoodcabbage，thinking，’Thiswillhelpmetoregainmyown，andtopunishfaithlessness。’Thenheputtheheadsinhispockets，climbedthewall，andstartedofftoseekthecastleofhislove。Whenhehadwanderedaboutforacoupleofdayshefounditquiteeasily。Hethenbrownedhisfacequickly，sothathisownmotherwouldnothaveknownhim，andwentintothecastle，wherehebeggedforalodging。

’Iamsotired，’hesaid，’Icangonofarther。’

Thewitchasked，’Countryman，whoareyou，andwhatisyourbusiness？’

Heanswered，’IamamessengeroftheKing，andhavebeensenttoseekthefinestsaladthatgrowsunderthesun。Ihavebeensoluckyastofindit，andambringingitwithme；buttheheatofthesunissogreatthatthetendercabbagethreatenstogrowsoft，andIdonotknowifIshallbeabletobringitanyfarther。’

Whentheoldwitchheardofthefinesaladshewantedtoeatit，andsaid，’Dearcountryman，justletmetastethewonderfulsalad。’

’Whynot？’heanswered；’Ihavebroughttwoheadswithme，andwillgiveyouone。’

Sosaying，heopenedhissackandgaveherthebadone。Thewitchsuspectednoevil，andhermouthwateredtotastethenewdish，sothatshewentintothekitchentoprepareitherself。

Whenitwasreadyshecouldnotwaittillitwasservedatthetable，butsheimmediatelytookacoupleofleavesandputtheminhermouth。Nosooner，however，hadsheswallowedthemthanshelosthumanform，andranintothecourtyardintheshapeofadonkey。

Nowtheservantcameintothekitchen，andwhenshesawthesaladstandingtherereadycookedshewasabouttocarryitup，butontheway，accordingtoheroldhabit，shetasteditandateacoupleofleaves。Immediatelythecharmworked，andshebecameadonkey，andranouttojointheoldwitch，andthedishwiththesaladinitfelltotheground。Inthemeantime，themessengerwassittingwiththelovelymaiden，andasnoonecamewiththesalad，andshewantedverymuchtotasteit，shesaid，’Idon’tknowwherethesaladis。’

ThenthoughttheHunter，’Thecabbagemusthavealreadybeguntowork。’Andhesaid，’Iwillgotothekitchenandfetchitmyself。’

Whenhecametherehesawthetwodonkeysrunningaboutinthecourtyard，butthesaladwaslyingontheground。

’That’sallright，’saidhe；’twohavehadtheirshare！’Andliftingtheremainingleavesup，helaidthemonthedishandbroughtthemtothemaiden。

’Iambringingyouthedeliciousfoodmyownself，’hesaid，’sothatyouneednotwaitanylonger。’

Thensheate，and，astheothershaddone，sheatoncelostherhumanform，andranasadonkeyintotheyard。

WhentheHunterhadwashedhisface，sothatthechangedonesmightknowhim，hewentintotheyard，saying，’Nowyoushallreceivearewardforyourfaithlessness。’