And the Wind looked on her and knew her again , for he had seen her in the cottage and in the palace , and he spake to her and said : ` Do you , rich as you are , want help ? ' And she told him the whole story . And the Wind listened , and was sorry for her , and he gave her a walnut that she was to eat in time of need . But the girl did not go as the Wind expected . She was tired and sad , and knew not where to turn , so she began to weep bitterly . The Wind wept too for company , and said : ` Do n't be frightened ; I will go and see if I can find out something . ' And the Wind departed with a great noise and fuss , and in the twinkling of an eye he was back again , beaming with delight . ` From what one person and another have let fall , ' he exclaimed , ' I have contrived to learn that he is in the palace of the king , who keeps him hidden lest anyone should see him ; and that to-morrow he is to marry the princess , who , ugly creature that she is , has not been able to find any man to wed her . ' Who can tell the despair which seized the poor maiden when she heard this news ! As soon as she could speak she implored the Wind to do all he could to get the wedding put off for two or three days , for it would take her all that time to reach the palace of the king . The Wind gladly promised to do what he could , and as he travelled much faster than the maiden he soon arrived at the palace , where he found five tailors working night and day at the wedding clothes of the princess . Down came the Wind right in the middle of their lace and satin and trimmings of pearl ! Away they all went whiz ! through the open windows , right up into the tops of the trees , across the river , among the dancing ears of corn ! After them ran the tailors , catching , jumping , climbing , but all to no purpose ! The lace was torn , the satin stained , the pearls knocked off ! There was nothing for it but to go to the shops to buy fresh , and to begin all over again ! It was plainly quite impossible that the wedding clothes could be ready next day . However , the king was much too anxious to see his daughter married to listen to any excuses , and he declared that a dress must be put together somehow for the bride to wear . But when he went to look at the princess , she was such a figure that he agreed that it would be unfitting for her position to be seen in such a gown , and he ordered the ceremony and the banquet to be postponed for a few hours , so that the tailors might take the dress to pieces and make it fit .
But by this time the maiden had arrived footsore and weary at the castle , and XXXXX soon as she reached the door she cracked her nut and drew out of it the most beautiful mantle in the world .
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