buttheroseswouldshaketheirheads,andsay,"elizais."andwhentheoldwomansatatthecottagedooronsunday,andreadherhymn-book,thewindwouldfluttertheleaves,andsaytothebook,"whocanbemorepiousthanyou?"andthenthehymn-bookwouldanswer"eliza."andtherosesandthehymn-booktoldtherealtruth.atfifteenshereturnedhome,butwhenthequeensawhowbeautifulshewas,shebecamefullofspiteandhatredtowardsher.willinglywouldshehaveturnedherintoaswan,likeherbrothers,butshedidnotdaretodosoyet,becausethekingwishedtoseehisdaughter.earlyonemorningthequeenwentintothebath-room;itwasbuiltofmarble,andhadsoftcushions,trimmedwiththemostbeautifultapestry.shetookthreetoadswithher,andkissedthem,andsaidtoone,"whenelizacomestothebath,seatyourselfuponherhead,thatshemaybecomeasstupidasyouare."thenshesaidtoanother,"placeyourselfonherforehead,thatshemaybecomeasuglyasyouare,andthatherfathermaynotknowher.""restonherheart,"shewhisperedtothethird,"thenshewillhaveevilinclinations,andsufferinconsequence."sosheputthetoadsintotheclearwater,andtheyturnedgreenimmediately.shenextcalledeliza,andhelpedhertoundressandgetintothebath.aselizadippedherheadunderthewater,oneofthetoadssatonherhair,asecondonherforehead,andathirdonherbreast,butshedidnotseemtonoticethem,andwhensheroseoutofthewater,therewerethreeredpoppiesfloatinguponit.hadnotthecreaturesbeenvenomousorbeenkissedbythewitch,theywouldhavebeenchangedintoredroses.atalleventstheybecameflowers,becausetheyhadrestedoneliza'shead,andonherheart.shewastoogoodandtooinnocentforwitchcrafttohaveanypoweroverher.whenthewickedqueensawthis,sherubbedherfacewithwalnut-juice,sothatshewasquitebrown;thenshetangledherbeautifulhairandsmeareditwithdisgustingointment,tillitwasquiteimpossibletorecognizethebeautifuleliza.

whenherfathersawher,hewasmuchshocked,anddeclaredshewasnothisdaughter.noonebutthewatch-dogandtheswallowsknewher;andtheywereonlypooranimals,andcouldsaynothing.thenpoorelizawept,andthoughtofherelevenbrothers,whowereallaway.sorrowfully,shestoleawayfromthepalace,andwalked,thewholeday,overfieldsandmoors,tillshecametothegreatforest.sheknewnotinwhatdirectiontogo;butshewassounhappy,andlongedsoforherbrothers,whohadbeen,likeherself,drivenoutintotheworld,thatshewasdeterminedtoseekthem.shehadbeenbutashorttimeinthewoodwhennightcameon,andshequitelostthepath;soshelaidherselfdownonthesoftmoss,offereduphereveningprayer,andleanedherheadagainstthestumpofatree.allnaturewasstill,andthesoft,mildairfannedherforehead.thelightofhundredsofglow-wormsshoneamidstthegrassandthemoss,likegreenfire;andifshetouchedatwigwithherhand,eversolightly,thebrilliantinsectsfelldownaroundher,likeshooting-stars.

allnightlongshedreamtofherbrothers.sheandtheywerechildrenagain,playingtogether.shesawthemwritingwiththeirdiamondpencilsongoldenslates,whileshelookedatthebeautifulpicture-bookwhichhadcosthalfakingdom.theywerenotwritinglinesandletters,astheyusedtodo;butdescriptionsofthenobledeedstheyhadperformed,andofalltheyhaddiscoveredandthepicture-book,too,everythingwasliving.thebirdssang,andthepeoplecameoutofthebook,andspoketoelizaandherbrothers;but,astheleavesturnedover,theydartedbackagaintotheirplaces,thatallmightbeinorder.

whensheawoke,thesunwashighintheheavens;yetshecouldnotseehim,fortheloftytreesspreadtheirbranchesthicklyoverherhead;buthisbeamswereglancingthroughtheleaveshereandthere,likeagoldenmist.therewasasweetfragrancefromthefreshgreenverdure,andthebirdsalmostpercheduponhershoulders.sheheardwaterripplingfromanumberofsprings,allflowinginalakewithgoldensands.bushesgrewthicklyroundthelake,andatonespotanopeninghadbeenmadebyadeer,throughwhichelizawentdowntothewater.thelakewassoclearthat,hadnotthewindrustledthebranchesofthetreesandthebushes,sothattheymoved,theywouldhaveappearedasifpaintedinthedepthsofthelake;foreveryleafwasreflectedinthewater,whetheritstoodintheshadeorthesunshine.assoonaselizasawherownface,shewasquiteterrifiedatfindingitsobrownandugly;butwhenshewettedherlittlehand,andrubbedhereyesandforehead,thewhiteskingleamedforthoncemore;and,aftershehadundressed,anddippedherselfinthefreshwater,amorebeautifulking'sdaughtercouldnotbefoundinthewideworld.assoonasshehaddressedherselfagain,andbraidedherlonghair,shewenttothebubblingspring,anddranksomewateroutofthehollowofherhand.thenshewanderedfarintotheforest,notknowingwhithershewent.shethoughtofherbrothers,andfeltsurethatgodwouldnotforsakeher.itisgodwhomakesthewildapplesgrowinthewood,tosatisfythehungry,andhenowledhertooneofthesetrees,whichwassoloadedwithfruit,thattheboughsbentbeneaththeweight.heresheheldhernoondayrepast,placedpropsundertheboughs,andthenwentintothegloomiestdepthsoftheforest.itwassostillthatshecouldhearthesoundofherownfootsteps,aswellastherustlingofeverywitheredleafwhichshecrushedunderherfeet.notabirdwastobeseen,notasunbeamcouldpenetratethroughthelarge,darkboughsofthetrees.theirloftytrunksstoodsoclosetogether,that,whenshelookedbeforeher,itseemedasifshewereenclosedwithintrellis-work.suchsolitudeshehadneverknownbefore.thenightwasverydark.notasingleglow-wormglitteredinthemoss.

sorrowfullyshelaidherselfdowntosleep;and,afterawhile,itseemedtoherasifthebranchesofthetreespartedoverherhead,andthatthemildeyesofangelslookeddownuponherfromsheawokeinthemorning,sheknewnotwhethershehaddreamtthis,orifithadreallybeenso.thenshecontinuedherwandering;butshehadnotgonemanystepsforward,whenshemetanoldwomanwithberriesinherbasket,andshegaveherafewtoeat.thenelizaaskedherifshehadnotseenelevenprincesridingthroughtheforest.

"no,"repliedtheoldwoman,"butisawyesterdayelevenswans,withgoldcrownsontheirheads,swimmingontherivercloseby."thensheledelizaalittledistancefarthertoaslopingbank,andatthefootofitwoundalittleriver.thetreesonitsbanksstretchedtheirlongleafybranchesacrossthewatertowardseachother,andwherethegrowthpreventedthemfrommeetingnaturally,therootshadtornthemselvesawayfromtheground,sothatthebranchesmightmingletheirfoliageastheyhungoverthewater.elizabadetheoldwomanfarewell,andwalkedbytheflowingriver,tillshereachedtheshoreoftheopensea.andthere,beforetheyoungmaiden'seyes,laythegloriousocean,butnotasailappearedonitssurface,notevenaboatcouldbeseen.howwasshetogofarther?