Now, there was among the servants a little kitchen-maid named Cilla, who loved the Princess because she always spoke kindly to her, and when she knew her mistress was lost she resolved to find her at any cost.
So one night when all the people in the palace were sound asleep Cilla stole out and went to a witch who lived in the woods and asked her to help her to find the Princess.
“I can only help you a little,” said the witch, “as she is in the power of one who is more powerful than I am, but this much I can do: Here is a bean that will do magic work if used in the right way; whether it will help you to find your Princess I cannot tell. The dwarf has carried her off, and where he is I do not know.”
Cilla said she would take the bean. She thanked the witch and started off through the woods to look for the dwarf, for she was sure he must live in a cave.
For days she wandered until she was in the deep forest, and at last she came to a high rock over which she could not climb.
Cilla sat down and leaned against the rock to rest, when, to her surprise, she heard the sound of weeping. She looked all around, but could see no opening except a big crack in one side, and this was too small for her to get through.
She was just about to call out and ask who was inside weeping when she heard some one coming through the bushes.
Cilla ran behind the rock and watched, and in a minute the dwarf came bounding out of the bush and briers.
He carried in his hand an iron bar, and with this he opened the crack in the rock, which was a door, and entered the rock, leaving the door open behind him.
Cilla was a very brave girl or she would have stayed where she was, but no sooner had the dwarf disappeared than she ran in after him.