Now , three days ' journey from the hut on the pastures two brothers Sodno dwelt in a small cottage with their sister Lyma , who tended a large herd of reindeer while they were out hunting . Of late it had been whispered from one to another that the three young Stalos were to be seen on the pastures , but the Sodno brothers did not disturb themselves , the danger seemed too far away . Unluckily , however , one day , when Lyma was left by herself in the hut , the three Stalos came down and carried her and the reindeer off to their own cottage . The country was very lonely , and perhaps no one would have known in which direction she had gone had not the girl managed to tie a ball of thread to the handle of a door at the back of the cottage and let it trail behind her . Of course the ball was not long enough to go all the way , but it lay on the edge of a snowy track which led straight to the Stalos ' house . When the brothers returned from their hunting they found both the hut and the sheds empty . Loudly they cried : ` Lyma ! Lyma ! ' But no voice answered them ; and they fell to searching all about , lest perchance their sister might have dropped some clue to guide them . At length their eyes dropped on the thread which lay on the snow , and they set out to follow it . On and on they went , and when at length the thread stopped the brothers knew that another day 's journey would bring them to the Stalos ' dwelling . Of course they did not dare to approach it openly , for the Stalos had the strength of giants , and besides , there were three of them ; so the two Sodnos climbed into a big bushy tree which overhung a well . ` Perhaps our sister may be sent to draw water here , ' they said to each other . But it was not till the moon had risen that the sister came , and as she let down her bucket into the well , the leaves seemed to whisper ` Lyma ! Lyma ! ' The girl started and looked up , but could see nothing , and in a moment the voice came again . ` Be careful -- take no notice , fill your buckets , but listen carefully all the while , and we will tell you what to do so that you may escape yourself and set free the reindeer also . ' So Lyman bent over the well lower than before , and seemed busier than ever . ` You know , ' said her brother , ` that when a Stalo finds that anything has been dropped into his food he will not eat a morsel , but throws it to his dogs . Now , after the pot has been hanging some time over the fire , and the broth is nearly cooked , just rake up the log of wood so that some of the ashes fly into the pot .
The Stalo will soon notice this , and will call you XXXXX give all the food to the dogs ; but , instead , you must bring it straight to us , as it is three days since we have eaten or drunk .
Of as by for from on over till to with