The very day she was finished her lover came. She heard the trample of his horse and ran out to meet him.
“Have you spun enough for your wedding shift?” he asked her as he took her to his heart.
“Yes,” Dobrunka said, “I have.”
“Then you can ride away with me this moment.”
“This moment!” Dobrunka gasped. “Why so quickly?”
“It has to be, my dear one. Tomorrow I go off to war and want you to take my place at home. Then when I come back you’ll be there to greet me as my wife.”
“But what will my mother say to this?”
“She will have to consent.”
They went into the cottage and spoke to the old woman. She was far from pleased with this arrangement, for she had worked out a very different plan in her mind. But what could she do? A rich young bridegroom always has his own way. So she hid her disappointment with a false smile and gave them her blessing.
Then the young man said to her: “Get your things together, mother, and follow Dobrunka, for I don’t want her to be lonely while I’m gone. When you get to the city, go to the palace and ask for Dobromil. The people there will tell you where to go.”