Page:Turkish fairy tales and folk tales (1901).djvu/263

 what grieved her most was that she was all alone, with none at hand to aid her in her hour of need.

One day, however, she saw an old long-nosed witch pass by that way. Now as she had seen no human creature for a long time, she was full of joy, and called to her, and they had a long talk together.

"Tell me now, old woman," cried she, "the meaning of this marvel. In the daytime my husband is a hog, but when he sleeps beside me at night he is a man. Explain this marvel to me!"

"I'll tell thee that later on, but in the meanwhile shall I give thee some medicines that will put an end to the spell that holds him?"

"Oh, do, little mother, and I'll pay thee for them whatever thou wilt, for I hate to see him as he is now."

"Very well, then. Take this bit of rope, my little chicken, but let him not know anything about it, or it will lose its effect. Now when he is asleep, rise up, and going to him very very softly, tie his left leg as hard as thou canst, and thou wilt see, dear heart, that on the morrow he'll remain a man. Money I do not want. I shall be more than repaid if I release him from this scourge. My very heart-strings are bursting with compassion for thy lord, my rose-bud, and I grieve, oh how bitterly I grieve, that I did not come this way before, so as to help thee sooner."