Brick Fairy Tales: Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Hansel and Gretel, and More (67 page)

and the eldest said, “He, too, might as well have saved his life.”

With that they got up, opened wardrobes, presses, cupboards, and brought out pretty dresses;

dressed themselves before the mirrors,

sprang about, and rejoiced at the prospect of the dance.

Only the youngest said, “I know not how it is; you are very happy, but I feel very strange; some misfortune is certainly about to befall us.”

“Thou art a goose, who art always frightened,” said the eldest. “Hast thou forgotten how many Kings’ sons have already come here in vain?

I had hardly any need to give the soldier a sleeping-draught, in any case the clown would not have awakened.”

When they were all ready they looked carefully at the soldier, but he had closed his eyes and did not move or stir, so they felt themselves quite secure.

The eldest then went to her bed and tapped it;

it immediately sank into the earth,

and one after the other they descended through the opening, the eldest going first.

The soldier, who had watched everything, tarried no longer,

put on his little cloak,