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 as soon as she reached the door she cracked her nut and drew out of it the most beautiful mantle in the world . Then she rang the bell , and asked : ` Is not the princess to be married to-day ? ' ` Yes , she is . ' ` Ask her if she would like to buy this mantle . ' And when the princess saw the mantle she was delighted , for her wedding mantle had been spoilt with all the other things , and it was too late to make another . So she told the maiden to ask what price she would , and it should be given her . The maiden fixed a large sum , many pieces of gold , but the princess had set her heart on the mantle , and gave it readily . Now the maiden hid her gold in the pocket of her dress , and turned away from the castle . The moment she was out of sight she broke her almond , and drew from it the most magnificent petticoats that ever were seen . Then she went back to the castle , and asked if the princess wished to buy any petticoats . No sooner did the princess cast her eyes on the petticoats than she declared they were even more beautiful than the mantle , and that she would give the maiden whatever price she wanted for them . And the maiden named many pieces of gold , which the princess paid her gladly , so pleased was she with her new possessions . Then the girl went down the steps where none could watch her and cracked her walnut , and out came the most splendid court dress that any dressmaker had ever invented ; and , carrying it carefully in her arms , she knocked at the door , and asked if the princess wished to buy a court dress . When the message was delivered the princess sprang to her feet with delight , for she had been thinking that after all it was not much use to have a lovely mantle and elegant petticoats if she had no dress , and she knew the tailors would never be ready in time . So she sent at once to say she would buy the dress , and what sum did the maiden want for it . This time the maiden answered that the price of the dress was the permission to see the bridegroom .
The princess was not at all pleased when she heard the maiden 's reply , but , XXXXX she could not do without the dress , she was forced to give in , and contented herself with thinking that after all it did not matter much .
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