He ordered his horse to be saddled and, without saying a word to anybody, he rode off to the castle. As soon as he entered the castle he saw his brother and his dog turned to stone. He saw, too, all the petrified knights and their horses, and the hag sitting and keeping up the fire.
He said: “You old hag, unless you bring my brother to life again I’ll hew you in pieces with this sword of mine.”
The hag knew that the sword had magical virtues, and so she said:
“Pray, sir, do not be angry with me. Take that box there and rub the ointment beneath his nose and he will come to life again.”
“Curse you, you evil old hag; do it yourself, and instantly.”
And he went and caught hold of her wand and struck her with it, and at once she was turned into stone. He had not meant to do that, for he did not know that the wand had such power. He took the box and rubbed the ointment beneath his brother’s nose, and the brother came to life again. Then he anointed all the others who had been turned to stone, and they all came to life again. As for the hag, he left her there just as she was.
Then the brothers rode off to the princess. When she saw them, she did not know which of them was her husband, they were so like one another.
So she said: “What am I to do now? Which of you is my lord?”
They came before her and bade her choose the right one. But still she hesitated. So her husband went up to her and took her by the hand and said: “I am the right one and that is my brother.”
He told her everything, and she was glad that her real husband had come again. So they lived happily together, and, as for the other brother, he went to seek his fortune elsewhere.