The youth then want straight down the staircase till he reached the door ; then he turned and demanded that the key should be brought . So the king was forced to unlock the door , and the next and the next and the next , till all seven were open , and they entered into the hall where the twelve maidens were standing all in a row , so like that none might tell them apart . But as he looked one of them silently drew a white sash from her pocket and slipped it round her waist , and the young man sprang to her and said , ` This is the princess , and I claim her for my wife . ' And the king owned himself beaten , and commanded that the wedding feast should be held . After eight days the bridal pair said farewell to the king , and set sail for the youth 's own country , taking with them a whole shipload of treasures as the princess 's dowry . But they did not forget the old woman who had brought about all their happiness , and they gave her enough money to make her comfortable to the end of her days . The Sprig of Rosemary Cuentos Populars Catalans , per lo Dr. D. Francisco de S. Maspons y Labros -LRB- Barcelona : Libreria de Don Alvar Verdaguer 1885 -RRB- . Once upon a time there lived a man with one daughter and he made her work hard all the day . One morning when she had finished everything he had set her to do , he told her to go out into the woods and get some dry leaves and sticks to kindle a fire . The girl went out , and soon collected a large bundle , and then she plucked at a sprig of sweet-smelling rosemary for herself . But the harder she pulled the firmer seemed the plant , and at last , determined not to be beaten , she gave one great tug , and the rosemary remained in her hands . Then she heard a voice close to her saying , ` Well ? ' and turning she saw before her a handsome young man , who asked why she had come to steal his firewood . The girl , who felt much confused , only managed to stammer out as an excuse that her father had sent her . ` Very well , ' replied the young man ; ` then come with me . ' So he took her through the opening made by the torn-up root , and they travelled till they reached a beautiful palace , splendidly furnished , but only lighted from the top . And when they had entered he told her that he was a great lord , and that never had he seen a maiden so beautiful as she , and that if she would give him her heart they would be married and live happy for ever after . And the maiden said ` yes , she would , ' and so they were married . The next day the old dame who looked after the house handed her all the keys , but pointed her out one that she would do well never to use , for if she did the whole palace would fall to the ground , and the grass would grow over it , and the damsel herself would be remembered no more . The bride promised to be careful , but in a little while , when there was nothing left for her to do , she began to wonder what could be in the chest , which was opened by the key .
As everybody knows , if we once begin to think we soon begin to do , and it was not very long XXXXX the key was no longer in the maiden 's hand but in the lock of the chest .
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