At night , when the husband came home , he found his wife lying dead upon the ground , her body all swollen and disfigured , but the girl was nowhere to be seen . His screams brought the neighbours from their cottages , but they were unable to explain how it had all come about . It was true , they said , that about mid-day they had heard a great noise , but as that was a matter of daily occurrence they did not think much of it . The rest of the day all was still , but no one had seen anything of the daughter . The body of the dead woman was then prepared for burial , and her tired husband went to bed , rejoicing in his heart that he had been delivered from the firebrand who had made his home unpleasant . On the table he saw a slice of bread lying , and , being hungry , he ate it before going to sleep . In the morning he too was found dead , and as swollen as his wife , for the bread had been placed in the body of the figure by the old man who made it . A few days later he was placed in the grave beside his wife , but nothing more was ever heard of their daughter . All night long after her talk with the lady Elsa had wept and wailed her hard fate in being cast out from her home which she loved . Next morning , when she got up , the lady placed a gold seal ring on her finger , strung a little golden box on a ribbon , and placed it round her neck ; then she called the old man , and , forcing back her tears , took leave of Elsa . The girl tried to speak , but before she could sob out her thanks the old man had touched her softly on the head three times with his silver staff . In an instant Elsa knew that she was turning into a bird : wings sprang from beneath her arms ; her feet were the feet of eagles , with long claws ; her nose curved itself into a sharp beak , and feathers covered her body . Then she soared high in the air , and floated up towards the clouds , as if she had really been hatched an eagle . For several days she flew steadily south , resting from time to time when her wings grew tired , for hunger she never felt . And so it happened that one day she was flying over a dense forest , and below hounds were barking fiercely , because , not having wings themselves , she was out of their reach . Suddenly a sharp pain quivered through her body , and she fell to the ground , pierced by an arrow . When Elsa recovered her senses , she found herself lying under a bush in her own proper form . What had befallen her , and how she got there , lay behind her like a bad dream . As she was wondering what she should do next the king 's son came riding by , and , seeing Elsa , sprang from his horse , and took her by the hand , sawing , ` Ah ! it was a happy chance that brought me here this morning .
Every night , for half a year , have I dreamed , dear lady , XXXXX I should one day find you in this wood .
For below by from in of so that under upon