‘What do I know about spinning!’ said each of the other two; and they let the flax lie without touching it.
But she took hers in a basket and went to the palace of Monsu Mostro, and knocked.
‘Who’s there?’ asked he.
‘It’s I!’ she replied in her doleful voice, and told him her new difficulty. Monsu Mostro looked at the flax, but refused to admit her, and saying, ‘Away with you, you horned wretch!’ shut the door against her.
This basket, too, she sent by a servant to the queen, and when the queen opened it she found it full of gold thread.
‘You must allow she has done better than the others this time!’ said the prince.
‘No! it is as bad as before,’ answered the queen; ‘it is not natural! It won’t do for me!’
‘After that the queen sent out a notice that whichever of them had her hair growing down to her heels should marry the prince.
‘My hair does not reach down to my waist,’ said each of the other two. ‘How can I make it grow down to my heels?’
But she went to the palace of Monsu Mostro, and knocked.