The dog, who knew of the plotting of the old woman, told the girl to put on a pleasant face, and not to hesitate to go to the river with her companion, “for,” he said, “no sooner will you be near the water than I will get among the flock, and so you will have to jump up and run after the sheep, and there will be no more question of bathing.” As the dog said, so he did, and again the young man did not know what to make of his companion. The mother then told him to go with his companion to the forest, and to find a big tree, and to ask his companion what it would be good for. If he replied for distaff and spindle, then it is a girl; but if he answered it was good to make carts out of, then it was a boy.” So he took her into the forest, and, finding a big tree, he asked her what could be best made out of the wood. The girl replied “carts.” When the girl saw that the boy troubled her too much, she went to the sea-shore, and, smiting the waves with her shepherd’s staff, she rent the waters in twain, and passed dryshod with her flock and dog to the other shore of the sea. The other shepherd—the demon—came to the sea-shore just when she had already passed over to the other side. She removed her fur cap, and her long golden hair fell down to her knees. Then she moved her wand, and the waters again closed up. When he saw that she had escaped him, he was very angry, and he went to his mother and told her all that had happened. She said to him, “Do not mind; I will help you to get her into your hands.” So the old woman went to the sea and built there a huge ship. This she filled with all kinds of merchandise, and told the young man to sail in it across the sea, and try and find his beloved; and she told him how to get hold of her when he had found her. So sailing along in the boat he got across, and anchored near a great town. The people came out to look at the wares which he had brought. The last to come—led by curiosity—was the girl. As soon as he saw that she had entered the boat, he set sail, and off he went. When the girl saw what had happened, she recognised him, and, finding herself in his power, she offered no resistance. But when they were in the middle of the sea, she took off the ring which she had on her finger, and, casting it into the sea, she said to him, “From this day onward I shall remain dumb. I shall not speak to thee until this ring is brought back to me”; and she kept her word faithfully. For many a year she lived with him, but never spoke a word. One day her mother-in-law thought that it would be better to get rid of her. As she herself dared not kill her, she sent the girl with a message to her elder sister to bring her the sword and the threads, knowing full well that her sister would kill her. When her husband heard the errand on which she was sent, he came out quietly, and, meeting her outside the house, he whispered:
“When you go to my mother’s sister, she is sure to offer you some food; take the first bite, and keep it under your tongue. Then you may eat; otherwise you will be lost.” The girl never replied, but listened attentively to what he had said. So she came to the old crone, who was ever so much worse than her own mother-in-law, and she certainly was bad enough. As soon as she entered the house, the young woman greeted her. Great was the surprise of the old woman, who said, “Now who is to believe my sister; she made that girl out to be dumb, and now she speaks so sweetly. Come in, my child.”
Then she went out, killed a cock, grilled it, and gave it to her to eat.
The young woman, remembering her husband’s advice, took the first bite and put it under her tongue; then she sat down and made a hearty meal of the cock. When she had finished, the old woman said, “I do not have the sword or the threads; they are with my younger sister. She lives not very far from here; you just go to her.”
Taking leave, she went a little way further, and she came to the second sister, who was worse than the other. She saluted her when she came in, and this sister also said:
“How is one to believe your mother-in-law? She made you out to be dumb, and now you speak so sweetly and so nicely. What have you come for?”
She said, “I have come for the sword and the threads.”
“Sit down and eat, my child,” she said, and, going out, she took a young lamb and killed it and prepared it for her. Remembering the advice given to her, she put the first bite under her tongue, and then she went on eating until she had satisfied her hunger.
When she had finished eating, the old woman said, “I do not have that sword; it is with my younger sister. You must go further; she lives quite close by, and she will give it to you.”
So she went to the third sister, and greeting this third one, who was the worst of all and the ugliest of all, said to her, “Sit down and eat.” Then she took out the hand of a dead man and gave it to her to eat. But this the wife could not do.