‘Ah, now we see that you are our sister!’ they all said. ‘What fools the negro must have thought us, to believe for an instant that we could have a sister who was black!’ And all that day and the next they remained in the castle.
But on the third morning they said to their sister: ‘Dear sister, you must lock yourself into this castle, with only the cat for company. And be very careful never to eat anything which she does not eat too. You must be sure to give her a bit of everything. In seven days we shall be back again.’
‘All right,’ she answered, and locked herself into the castle with the cat.
On the eighth day the brothers came home. ‘How are you?’ they asked. ‘You have not been anxious?’
‘No, why should I be anxious? The gates were fast locked, and in the castle are seven doors, and the seventh is of iron. What is there to frighten me?’
‘No one will try to hurt us,’ said the brothers, ‘for they fear us greatly. But for yourself, we implore you to do nothing without consulting the cat, who has grown up in the house, and take care never to neglect her advice.’
‘All right,’ replied Udea, ‘and whatever I eat she shall have half.’
‘Capital! and if ever you are in danger the cat will come and tell us—only elves and pigeons, which fly round your window, know where to find us.’
‘This is the first I have heard of the pigeons,’ said Udea. ‘Why did you not speak of them before?’
We always leave them food and water for seven days,’ replied the brothers.