He told them that it was because he had such a lovely sister at home . At last it came to the ears of the king what the brother said about his sister , and , besides that , the report of her beauty spread far and wide , so that the youth was summoned before the king , who asked him if everything was true that was told about the girl . He said it was quite true , for he had seen her beauty with his own eyes , and had heard with his own ears how sweetly she could sing and what a lovely voice she had . The king then took a great desire for her , and ordered her brother to go home and bring her back with him , for he trusted no one better to accomplish that errand . He got a ship , and everything else that he required , and sailed home for his sister . As soon as the stepmother heard what his errand was she at once said to herself , ` This will never come about if I can do anything to hinder it . She must not be allowed to come to such honour . ' She then got a dress made for her own daughter , like the finest robe for a queen , and she had a mask prepared and put upon her face , so that she looked quite pretty , and gave her strict orders not to take it off until the king had promised to wed her . The brother now set sail with his two sisters , for the stepmother pretended that the ugly one wanted to see the other a bit on her way . But when they got out to sea , and Maiden Bright-eye came up on deck , the sister did as her mother had instructed her -- she gave her a push and made her fall into the water . When the brother learned what had happened he was greatly distressed , and did not know what to do . He could not bring himself to tell the truth about what had happened , nor did he expect that the king would believe it . In the long run he decided to hold on his way , and let things go as they liked . What he had expected happened -- the king received his sister and wedded her at once , but repented it after the first night , as he could scarcely put down his foot in the morning for all the toads that were about the room , and when he saw her real face he was so enraged against the brother that he had him thrown into a pit full of serpents . He was so angry , not merely because he had been deceived , but because he could not get rid of the ugly wretch that was now tied to him for life . Now we shall hear a little about Maiden Bright-eye When she fell into the water she was fortunate enough to get the bergman 's cap put on her head , for now she was in danger of her life , and she was at once transformed into a duck . The duck swam away after the ship , and came to the king 's palace on the next evening . There it waddled up the drain , and so into the kitchen , where her little dog lay on the hearth-stone ; it could not bear to stay in the fine chambers along with the ugly sister , and had taken refuge down here . The duck hopped up till it could talk to the dog . ` Good evening , ' it said .
` Thanks , Maiden XXXXX , ' said the dog .
Bright-eye When bergman deck hearth-stone morning night sea sisters toads