A state ceremonial in a city some distance off caused the prince to ride away at daybreak , and he left without seeing his wife again . ` Perhaps she may have come to her senses by to-morrow , ' said he to himself ; ` and , anyhow , if I am going to send her back to her father , it might be better if we did not meet in the meantime ! Then he put the matter from his mind , and kept his thoughts on the duty that lay before him . It was nearly midnight before he returned to the palace , but , instead of entering , he went down to the shore and hid behind a rock . He had scarcely done so when the girl came out of the sea , and stretched out her arms towards his window . In an instant the prince had seized her hand , and though she made a frightened struggle to reach the water -- for she in her turn had had a spell laid upon her -- he held her fast . ` You are my own wife , and I shall never let you go , ' he said . But the words were hardly out of his mouth when he found that it was a hare that he was holding by the paw . Then the hare changed into a fish , and the fish into a bird , and the bird into a slimy wriggling snake . This time the prince 's hand nearly opened of itself , but with a strong effort he kept his fingers shut , and drawing his sword cut off its head , when the spell was broken , and the girl stood before him as he had seen her first , the wreath upon her head and the birds singing for joy . The very next morning the stepmother arrived at the palace with an ointment that the old witch had given her to place upon her daughter 's tongue , which would break the dove 's spell , if the rightful bride had really been drowned in the sea ; if not , then it would be useless . The mother assured her that she had seen her stepdaughter sink , and that there was no fear that she would ever come up again ; but , to make all quite safe , the old woman might bewitch the girl ; and so she did . After that the wicked stepmother travelled all through the night to get to the palace as soon as possible , and made her way straight into her daughter 's room . ' I have got it ! I have got it ! ' she cried triumphantly , and laid the ointment on her daughter 's tongue . ` Now what do you say ? ' she asked proudly . ` Dirty creatures ! dirty creatures ! '
answered the daughter ; and the mother wrung her hands and wept , as she knew XXXXX all her plans had failed .
as at before from if so that though to without