When she now heard that there was in the king 's palace a lindorm which tore in pieces all the women that were married to him , and demanded a beautiful maiden for his bride , she went to the king , and said that her stepdaughter wished to wed the lindorm , so that the country 's only prince might travel and seek a bride . At this the king was greatly delighted , and gave orders that the young girl should be brought to the palace . When the messengers came to fetch her she was terribly frightened , for she knew that it was her wicked stepmother who in this way was aiming at her life . She begged that she might be allowed to spend another night in her father 's house . This was granted her , and she went to her mother 's grave . There she lamented her hard fate in being given over to the lindorm , and earnestly prayed her mother for counsel . How long she lay there by the grave and wept one can not tell , but sure it is that she fell asleep and slept until the sun rose . Then she rose up from the grave , quite happy at heart , and began to search about in the fields . There she found three nuts , which she carefully put away in her pocket . ` When I come into very great danger I must break one of these , ' she said to herself . Then she went home , and set out quite willingly with the king 's messengers . When these arrived at the palace with the beautiful young maiden everyone pitied her fate ; but she herself was of good courage , and asked the queen for another bridal chamber than the one the lindorm had had before . She got this , and then she requested them to put a pot full of strong lye on the fire and lay down three new scrubbing brushes . The queen gave orders that everything should be done as she desired ; and then the maiden dressed herself in seven clean snow-white shirts , and held her wedding with the lindorm . When they were left alone in the bridal chamber the lindorm , in a threatening voice , ordered her to undress herself . ` Undress yourself first ! ' said she . ` None of the others bade me do that , ' said he in surprise . ` But I bid you , ' said she . Then the lindorm began to writhe , and groan , and breathe heavily ; and after a little he had cast his outer skin , which lay on the floor , hideous to behold .
Then his bride took off one XXXXX her snow-white shirts , and cast it on the lindorm 's skin .
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