Page:Researches respecting the Book of Sindibad and Portuguese Folk-Tales.djvu/104

 82 was always watching the cabbage sprout to see when it would come to seed. One day she noticed that on the cabbage stalk there was formed a ladder by which one could descend into the ground. She went down these steps and quickly found herself in a splendid palace in which there was a table very well laid out, and a beautiful bed. The maid sat down at the table and partook of the good things laid upon it with avidity, and went up again along the cabbage stalk and returned home. Whenever she felt hungry she would secretly go down the steps on the cabbage stalk and feast upon the delicacies she found in the palace. The little maid was growing fat, much to the surprise of her father and mother, who never saw her eat anything. At night when her parents were gone to sleep she would very quietly descend the cabbage stalk, and lie down to sleep on a beautiful couch which she found prepared in the palace. The mother, who began to suspect her daughter, one night arose from her bed to follow her down the ladder. She watched and saw her daughter get upon her couch, in which there was a beast. The mother then lit a candle, went to the couch, and uncovered the bed-clothes. Three drops of candle-grease fell upon the sleeping beast and immediately it became transformed into a prince. The prince then said to the mother: "You little know the harm you have done me! You have broken my spell, and now I cannot marry your daughter I" He then told the little maid to leave the palace, and gave her a rock of gold, a pair of iron shoes, and a staff, and said when the shoes were worn out to come again to see him in the palace. The little maid departed, and walked and walked on until at last the shoes began to wear out and she went about begging for alms. She met an old woman and she asked her to give her some things whilst she related her history to her. The old woman told her that she was no longer in time to marry the prince because there was a princess already in the palace who was destined for him. The old woman then gave her a