The daughter pushed her away crossly. “Be quiet,” she said. “I saw no old woman, and all I got for my pains is a——”
The mother started back with a shriek of dismay; for every word her daughter had spoken, a spider or an adder had fallen from her lips.
“What is this!” she cried, wringing her hands. “What evil spell has been laid upon my precious beauty?”
“I do not know,” answered the frightened girl. Then as she saw more spiders fall from her lips she began to bawl aloud in her wrath and terror.
“It is all the fault of your sister, the hussy!” cried the mother. “Not another night shall she spend in the house to bring fresh misfortunes on us.”
She ran back home and began to beat the girl. Then she thrust her from the door.
“Go, go!” she cried, “and never let me see your face again.”
Frightened and weeping, the poor girl ran away into the forest, and as she went, the diamonds she shed marked the way she had gone. They lay among the grasses sparkling like dewdrops, and lucky were those who next came by that way; a whole fortune lay there at their feet.
The Fair One wandered on and on through the forest until she was completely lost and did not know which way to turn. It began to grow dark, and she was terrified at the thought that soon the wild beasts would begin to leave their lairs. She met no one, and there seemed nothing for her to do but climb a tree and prepare to spend the night in the forest, when suddenly she heard a sound of voices and the trampling of horses. Presently the riders came breaking through the bushes. They were magnificently dressed, and at their head rode one, handsomer and more magnificent than them all. It was the young prince of that country, who was returning late from a hunt, with his attendants.
When he saw the young girl he reined in his steed and gazed at her with wonder. Never before had he seen such beauty; it seemed to shine around her like a soft light.