Now there was another servant who came down to the stream for water instead of Lucy, and one day when this servant dipped the jar into the water the fish swam into it, and she carried it back to the castle with her.
It was so pretty that she showed it to the Prince, hoping it might cheer him for a moment.
No sooner had the Prince looked upon the fish than he grew quite light and happy. He would not let the servant take the fish away but kept it with him in a crystal bowl and now he no longer grieved so bitterly about his bride.
Lucy did not know why the Prince had grown happier. She thought perhaps he had begun to love her. But when she found that he scarcely ever came to see her, but spent all his time watching the fish, she became very angry.
She bribed a servant to steal the fish from the Prince’s room and bring it to her. Then she had a fire built and threw the fish into it to burn.
No sooner did the flames touch the fish, however, than it changed into a beautiful silver bird and flew out of the window.
The false Princess was frightened. “There is some magic here,” thought she, “and magic that will prove my ruin.”
And now the silver bird sat on a branch outside the Princess’s window and sang and sang. The Prince heard it, and his heart was filled with joy, he knew not why, and he forgot the fish that had disappeared from the bowl.
Lucy also heard it and was more frightened than ever. She sent for the servant who had stolen the fish and bribed him to set a net to catch the bird. This he did one day when the Prince was away, and then he brought the bird to the false Princess. But she shuddered at sight of it as though she were cold, and bade him take it outside and wring its neck.
This the servant was loath to do, but he dared not disobey her. He carried the bird outside and did as she commanded, and three drops of blood fell on the ground just below the Prince’s window.