Afterwards he and the three girls set off for the opening which led upwards to the earth . The basket was still there , dangling from the rope , but it was only big enough to hold the three girls , so Paul sent them up , and told them to be sure and let down the basket for him . Unluckily , at the sight of the maidens ' beauty , so far beyond anything they had ever seen , the friends forgot all about Paul , and carried the girls straight away into a far country , so that they were not much better off than before . Meanwhile Paul , mad with rage at the ingratitude of the three sisters , vowed he would be revenged upon them , and set about finding some way of getting back to earth . But it was not very easy , and for months , and months , and months , he wandered about underground , and , at the end , seemed no nearer to fulfilling his purpose than he was at the beginning . At length , one day , he happened to pass the nest of a huge griffin , who had left her young ones all alone . Just as Paul came along a cloud containing fire instead of rain burst overhead , and all the little griffins would certainly have been killed had not Paul spread his cloak over the nest and saved them . When their father returned the young ones told him what Paul had done , and he lost no time in flying after Paul , and asking how he could reward him for his goodness . ` By carrying me up to the earth , ' answered Paul ; and the griffin agreed , but first went to get some food to eat on the way , as it was a long journey . ` Now get on my back , ' he said to Paul , ` and when I turn my head to the right , cut a slice off the bullock that hangs on that side , and put it in my mouth , and when I turn my head to the left , draw a cupful of wine from the cask that hangs on that side , and pour it down my throat . ' For three days and three nights Paul and the griffin flew upwards , and on the fourth morning it touched the ground just outside the city where Paul 's friends had gone to live . Then Paul thanked him and bade him farewell , and he returned home again . At first Paul was too tired to do anything but sleep , but as soon as he was rested he started off in search of the three faithless ones , who almost died from fright at the sight of him , for they had thought he would never come back to reproach them for their wickedness . ` You know what to expect , ' Paul said to them quietly . ` You shall never see me again . Off with you ! ' He next took the three apples out of his pocket and placed them all in the prettiest places he could find ; after which he tapped them with his golden rod , and they became castles again . He gave two of the castles to the eldest sisters , and kept the other for himself and the youngest , whom he married , and there they are living still . -LSB- From Ungarische Mahrchen . -RSB- How The Wicked Tanuki Was Punished The hunters had hunted the wood for so many years that no wild animal was any more to be found in it .
You might walk XXXXX one end to the other without ever seeing a hare , or a deer , or a boar , or hearing the cooing of the doves in their nest .
At about beyond for from of off on than to