And on his return the old fellow asked what it all meant . ' I did it to show my love for your heart , ' said the girl . And again the old man smiled , saying , ` You are a dear child , but my heart is not in the doorway . ' Then the poor young bride was very vexed , and said , ` Ah , my dear ! you really have a heart somewhere , so you may die and leave me all alone . ' The old man did his best to comfort her by repeating all he had said before , but she begged him afresh to tell her truly where his heart was and at last he told her . ` Far , far from here , ' said he , ` in a lonely spot , stands a great church , as old as old can be . Its doors are of iron , and round it runs a deep moat , spanned by no bridge . Within that church is a bird which flies up and down ; it never eats , and never drinks , and never dies . No one can catch it , and while that bird lives so shall I , for in it is my heart . ' It made the little bride quite sad to think she could do nothing to show her love for the old man 's heart . She used to think about it as she sat all alone during the long days , for her husband was almost always out . One day a young traveller came past the house , and seeing such a pretty girl he wished her ` Good day . ' She returned his greeting , and as he drew near she asked him whence he came and where he was going . ` Alas ! ' sighed the youth , ' I am very sorrowful . I had six brothers , who went away to find brides for themselves and one for me ; but they have never come home , so now I am going to look for them . ' ` Oh , good friend , ' said the girl , ` you need go no farther . Come , sit down , eat and drink , and afterwards I 'll tell you all about it . ' She gave him food , and when he had finished his meal she told him how his brothers had come to the town where she lived with her sisters , how they had each chosen a bride , and , taking herself with them , had started for home .
She wept XXXXX she told how the others were turned to stone , and how she was kept as the old man 's bride .
Within as for from in near so to while with