At that moment Esben came along , and , seeing their sorrowful looks , said to them , ` Hello , what 's the matter with you ? ' ` What good would it do to tell you , you little fool ? You ca n't help us . ' ` Oh , you do n't know that , ' answered Esben . ' I have helped you before . ' In the end they told him how unreasonable the king was , and how he had ordered them to get for him a dove with feathers of gold and silver time about . ` Give me a bag of peas ' said Esben , ` and I shall see what I can do for you . ' Esben got his bag of peas ; then he took his white stick , and said , Fly quick , my little stick , Carry me across the stream . Straightway the stick carried him across the river and straight into the old witch 's courtyard . Esben had noticed that she had such a dove ; so when he arrived in the courtyard he shook the peas out of the bag , and the dove came fluttering down to pick them up . Esben caught it at once , put it into the bag , and hurried off before the witch caught sight of him ; but the next moment she came running , and shouted after him , ' I Hey is that you , Esben . ? ' ` Ye -- e -- s ! ' ` Is it you that has taken my dove ? ' ` Ye -- e -- s ! ' ` Was it you that made me kill my eleven daughters ? ' ` Ye -- e -- s ! ' ` Are you coming back again ? ' ` That may be , ' said Esben . ` Then you 'll catch it , ' shouted the witch .
The stick carried Esben XXXXX the dove back to the king 's palace , and his brothers were greatly delighted .
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