She tried to be sure to pick up the grains of barley , but she soon saw how useless her labour was ; and so she went in her sore trouble to the birch tree on her mother 's grave , and cried and cried , because her mother lay dead beneath the sod and could help her no longer . In the midst of her grief she suddenly heard her mother 's voice speak from the grave , and say to her : ` Why do you weep , little daughter ? ' ` The witch has scattered barleycorns on the hearth , and bid me pick them out of the ashes , ' said the girl ; ` that is why I weep , dear little mother . ' ` Do not weep , ' said her mother consolingly . ` Break off one of my branches , and strike the hearth with it crosswise , and all will be put right . ' The girl did so . She struck the hearth with the birchen branch , and lo ! the barleycorns flew into the pot , and the hearth was clean . Then she went back to the birch tree and laid the branch upon the grave . Then her mother bade her bathe on one side of the stem , dry herself on another , and dress on the third . When the girl had done all that , she had grown so lovely that no one on earth could rival her . Splendid clothing was given to her , and a horse , with hair partly of gold , partly of silver , and partly of something more precious still . The girl sprang into the saddle , and rode as swift as an arrow to the palace . As she turned into the courtyard of the castle the King 's son came out to meet her , tied her steed to a pillar , and led her in . He never left her side as they passed through the castle rooms ; and all the people gazed at her , and wondered who the lovely maiden was , and from what castle she came ; but no one knew her -- no one knew anything about her . At the banquet the Prince invited her to sit next him in the place of honour ; but the witch 's daughter gnawed the bones under the table . The Prince did not see her , and thinking it was a dog , he gave her such a push with his foot that her arm was broken . Are you not sorry for the witch 's daughter ? It was not her fault that her mother was a witch . Towards evening the good man 's daughter thought it was time to go home ; but as she went , her ring caught on the latch of the door , for the King 's son had had it smeared with tar .
She did not take time to pull it off , but , hastily unfastening her horse XXXXX the pillar , she rode away beyond the castle walls as swift as an arrow .
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