The order was immediately carried out, and, as the three trembling girls stood before him, they wondered much why they had been summoned.
“Now,” said he, “tell me what you three were talking about last night?”
Terribly alarmed, the eldest confessed that she had said she would like to be the wife of one of the servants, so as to get nice things to eat. The second said she had wished to be the wife of his cook.
The third sister hesitated, and then said timidly that she had dared to say she would like best to be the wife of the Prince himself.
On this the Prince said: “You may have your wishes.”
He then ordered the one to be married to one of his servants, and the other to his cook; but the third he married himself.
Some time after this, a son was born; but his wife’s two sisters, who had begged to be present upon the occasion, and who were very jealous of their sister’s position, quietly removed the baby, and put a dog’s puppy in its place. The baby they put into a box and flung into the river.
Now the Prince’s gardener found the box and opened it; and, when he saw what it contained, he was overjoyed, and took the child to his wife, telling her that God had at last given her a son which he would keep and bring up as his own son.
Meantime, the Prince was very angry indeed, but forgave his wife at the request of her friends.
Some time after this another son was born, which the sisters changed for a kitten, and, putting the babe into a box, threw it into the river as before; but again the gardener found the child and carried him to his wife.