Page:Grimm's Fairy Tales.djvu/112

 94 betrothed sat opposite to him, with her eyes cast down and not speaking a word. When finally he asked the father if he would give him one of his daughters for wife, the two eldest sprang up and ran to their rooms to put on their richest attire, for each felt certain in her own mind that she was the chosen one. As soon as the stranger found himself alone with his betrothed, he drew out his half of the ring, and threw it into a goblet of wine which he then handed across to her. She took it from him and drank, but her heart gave a great throb as she saw the half ring at the bottom. She took her own half, which was hung round her neck by a ribbon, placed it against the other, and saw that the two pieces fitted exactly. Then he spoke and said, "I am your betrothed husband, whom you only saw as Bearskin, but, by the grace of God, my human form is returned to me, and I am clean once more." And saying this he went up to her, and embraced and kissed her. At this moment the sisters returned, clad in gorgeous apparel, but when they saw that it was their youngest sister whom the handsome man had chosen, and were told that he was Bearskin, they were so overcome with rage and envy that they both rushed out of the house, and one of them drowned herself in the well, the other hung herself on a tree.