“Won’t you come sit beside me?”
“Me? Me?” Veikko stammered, too dazed to think.
The beautiful creature smiled.
“You were not ashamed to have me for a sweetheart when I was a mouse,” she said, “and surely now that I am a Princess again you won’t desert me!”
“A mouse!” Veikko gasped. “Were you the little mouse?”
The Princess nodded.
“Yes, I was the little mouse under an evil enchantment which could never have been broken if you had not taken me for a sweetheart and if another human being had not drowned me. Now the enchantment is broken forever. So come, we will go to your father and after he has given us his blessing we will get married and go home to my kingdom.”
And that’s exactly what they did. They drove at once to the farmer’s house and when Veikko’s father and his brothers and his brothers’ sweethearts saw the Princess’ coach stopping at their gate they all came out bowing and scraping to see what such grand folk could want of them.
“Father!” Veikko cried, “don’t you know me?”
The farmer stopped bowing long enough to look up.