` She shall be spared , ' they promised , ` only tell us the news . ' Then Benjamin said : ` Our sister is here ! ' and he lifted up the tub and the Princess stepped forward , with her royal robes and with the golden star on her forehead , looking so lovely and sweet and charming that they all fell in love with her on the spot . They arranged that she should stay at home with Benjamin and help him in the house work , while the rest of the brothers went out into the wood and shot hares and roe-deer , birds and wood-pigeons . And Benjamin and his sister cooked their meals for them . She gathered herbs to cook the vegetables in , fetched the wood , and watched the pots on the fire , and always when her eleven brothers returned she had their supper ready for them . Besides this , she kept the house in order , tidied all the rooms , and made herself so generally useful that her brothers were delighted , and they all lived happily together . One day the two at home prepared a fine feast , and when they were all assembled they sat down and ate and drank and made merry . Now there was a little garden round the enchanted house , in which grew twelve tall lilies . The girl , wishing to please her brothers , plucked the twelve flowers , meaning to present one to each of them as they sat at supper . But hardly had she plucked the flowers when her brothers were turned into twelve ravens , who flew croaking over the wood , and the house and garden vanished also . So the poor girl found herself left all alone in the wood , and as she looked round her she noticed an old woman standing close beside her , who said : ` My child , what have you done ? Why did n't you leave the flowers alone ? They were your twelve brothers . Now they are changed for ever into ravens . ' The girl asked , sobbing : ` Is there no means of setting them free ? ' ` No , ' said the old woman , ` there is only one way in the whole world , and that is so difficult that you wo n't free them by it , for you would have to be dumb and not laugh for seven years , and if you spoke a single word , though but an hour were wanting to the time , your silence would all have been in vain , and that one word would slay your brothers . ' Then the girl said to herself : ` If that is all I am quite sure I can free my brothers . ' So she searched for a high tree , and when she had found one she climbed up it and spun all day long , never laughing or speaking one word . Now it happened one day that a King who was hunting in the wood had a large greyhound , who ran sniffing to the tree on which the girl sat , and jumped round it , yelping and barking furiously .
The King 's attention was attracted , and when he looked up and beheld the beautiful Princess XXXXX the golden star on her forehead , he was so enchanted by her beauty that he asked her on the spot to be his wife .
Besides So beside by for on that though up with