Keep your eyes and ears open , and your mouth shut , obey without questions . Be grateful if you will , but never speak unless you are spoken to . ' When the prince stepped over the threshold he caught sight of a maiden of wonderful beauty , with brown eyes and fair curly hair . ` Well ! ' the young man said to himself , ` if the old fellow has many daughters like that I should not mind being his son-in-law . This one is just what I admire ' ; and he watched her lay the table , bring in the food , and take her seat by the fire as if she had never noticed that a strange man was present . Then she took out a needle and thread , and began to darn her stockings . The master sat at table alone , and invited neither his new servant nor the maid to eat with him . Neither was the old grandmother anywhere to be seen . His appetite was tremendous : he soon cleared all the dishes , and ate enough to satisfy a dozen men . When at last he could eat no more he said to the girl , ` Now you can pick up the pieces , and take what is left in the iron pot for your own dinner , but give the bones to the dog . ' The prince did not at all like the idea of dining off scraps , which he helped the girl to pick up , but , after all , he found that there was plenty to eat , and that the food was very good . During the meal he stole many glances at the maiden , and would even have spoken to her , but she gave him no encouragement . Every time he opened his mouth for the purpose she looked at him sternly , as if to say , ` Silence , ' so he could only let his eyes speak for him . Besides , the master was stretched on a bench by the oven after his huge meal , and would have heard everything . After supper that night , the old man said to the prince , ` For two days you may rest from the fatigues of the journey , and look about the house . But the day after to-morrow you must come with me , and I will point out the work you have to do . The maid will show you where you are to sleep . ' The prince thought , from this , he had leave to speak , but his master turned on him with a face of thunder and exclaimed : ` You dog of a servant ! If you disobey the laws of the house you will soon find yourself a head shorter !
Hold your tongue , and leave me XXXXX peace . '
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