At length , one morning early , a cock began to crow so loud that she could sleep no longer and as he continued to crow she seemed to understand what he was saying , and that he was telling her that Djulung was dead , killed and eaten by her sisters , and that his bones lay buried under the kitchen fire . Very softly she got up , and took up the large stone under the fire , and creeping out carried the bones to the cave by the fountain , where she dug a hole and buried them anew . And as she scooped out the hole with a stick she sang a song , bidding the bones grow till they became a tree -- a tree that reached up so high into the heavens that its leaves would fall across the sea into another island , whose king would pick them up . As there was no Djulung to give her rice to , the girl soon became fat again , and as she was able to do her work as of old , her sisters did not trouble about her . They never guessed that when she went into the forest to gather her sticks , she never failed to pay a visit to the tree , which grew taller and more wonderful day by day . Never was such a tree seen before . Its trunk was of iron , its leaves were of silk , its flowers of gold , and its fruit of diamonds , and one evening , though the girl did not know it , a soft breeze took one of the leaves , and blew it across the sea to the feet of one of the king 's attendants . ` What a curious leaf ! I have never beheld one like it before . I must show it to the king , ' he said , and when the king saw it he declared he would never rest until he had found the tree which bore it , even if he had to spend the rest of his life in visiting the islands that lay all round . Happily for him , he began with the island that was nearest , and here in the forest he suddenly saw standing before him the iron tree , its boughs covered with shining leaves like the one he carried about him . ` But what sort of a tree is it , and how did it get here ? ' he asked of the attendants he had with him . No one could answer him , but as they were about to pass out of the forest a little boy went by , and the king stopped and inquired if there was anyone living in the neighbourhood whom he might question . ` Seven girls live in a hut down there , ' replied the boy , pointing with his finger to where the sun was setting . ` Then go and bring them here , and I will wait , ' said the king , and the boy ran off and told the sisters that a great chief , with strings of jewels round his neck , had sent for them . Pleased and excited the six elder sisters at once followed the boy , but the youngest , who was busy , and who did not care about strangers , stayed behind , to finish the work she was doing . The king welcomed the girls eagerly , and asked them all manner of questions about the tree , but as they had never even heard of its existence , they could tell him nothing . ` And if we , who live close by the forest , do not know , you may be sure no one does , ' added the eldest , who was rather cross at finding this was all that the king wanted of them . ` But the boy told me there were seven of you , and there are only six here , ' said the king .
` Oh , the youngest is at home , but she is always half asleep , and is XXXXX no use except to cut wood for the fire , ' replied they in a breath .
As about before for in like of that under with