Stranica 160 [160]
I24 GRIMM’S FAIRY TALES.
piece off your heel; when you are queen you will never have
to go on foot.”
So the girl cut a piece off her heel, and thrust her foot into
the shoe, concealed the pain, and went down to the prince,
who took his bride before him on his horse and rode off.
When they passed by the hazel bush the two pigeons sat there
and cried,
‘* There they go, there they go!
. There is blood on her shoe ;
The shoe is too small,
—Not the right bride at all!”
Then the prince looked at her foot, and saw how the blood
was flowing from the shoe, and staining the white stocking.
And he turned his horse round and brought the false bride
home again.
“This is not the right one,” said he, "have you no other.
daughter? "
“No,” said the man, "only my dead wife left behind her
a little stunted Aschenputtel ; it is impossible that she can be
the bride.” But the King’s son ordered her to be sent for,
but the mother said,
“Oh no! she is much too dirty, I could not let her be
seen.”
But he would have her fetched, and so Aschenputtel had
to appear.
First she washed her face and hands quite clean, and went
in and curtseyed to the prince, who held out to her the golden
shoe. ‘Then she sat down on a stool, drew her foot out of the
heavy wooden shoe, and slipped it into the golden one, which
fitted it perfectly. And when she stood up, and the prince
looked in her face, he knew again the beautiful maiden that
had danced with him, and he cried,
“This is the right bride ! "
The step-mother and the two sisters were thunderstruck,
and grew pale with anger; but he put Aschenputtel before
him on his horse and rode off. And as they passed the
hazel bush, the two white pigeons cried,
‘* There they go, there they go!
No blood on her shoe ;