Yarmil at first evaded her questions; but when she urged him vehemently to tell from what land came his bride, he said: “Dear mother, I will do everything according to thy wish, but of this one thing ask me not.”
“I know well whence she comes,” smiled the queen; “I know, too, that thou didst not see her first in her present form.”
“Of course not; but I am proud that I liberated her.”
“Oh, my dear son!” exclaimed the queen, compassionately. “I pity thee greatly for letting thyself be so duped; but dost thou know that that beauty of hers is pure deceit?”
“Why?” asked Yarmil in fright.
“Because she is a witch,” whispered the queen in his ear, with an anxious look. “There is still time,” continued she, when she saw that Yarmil as it were believed, “to extricate thyself from her snares; and I wish to aid thee in every way. But thou must tell me what form she had before.”
Yarmil said that he would not tell, but the queen did not abandon her plan. When she could not discover from him directly, she began to name every kind of beast, looking with exceeding quickness at his face. Yarmil shook his head unceasingly, but was confused when she said “toad.”
“Then she was a toad before,” cried in horror the queen. “Ah! dear son, it is ill, very ill with thee; but it may be well yet if only I know in how many skins she was living.”
Again Yarmil answered decidedly that he would not tell, but the queen tried so long that at last she discovered. Now she knew what she wanted, and went from Yarmil. It is a wonder that he was not suspicious, but he said nothing to the princess.
Next morning a number of guests went with the king and his sons to the chase, and stayed in the forest till evening; thus the queen could act freely.