The first thing she set him to was to pick feathers . ` The heap of feathers that you see here , ' said she , ` you must get finished before I come home in the evening , otherwise you shall be set to harder work . ' He started to the feathers , and picked and picked until there was only a single feather left that had not passed through his hands . But then there came a whirlwind and sent all the feathers flying , and swept them along the floor into a heap , where they lay as if they were trampled together . He had now to begin all his work over again , but by this time it only wanted an hour of evening , when the witch was to be expected home , and he easily saw that it was impossible for him to be finished by that time . Then he heard something tapping at the window pane , and a thin voice said , ` Let me in , and I will help you . ' It was a white dove , which sat outside the window , and was pecking at it with its beak . He opened the window , and the dove came in and set to work at once , and picked all the feathers out of the heap with its beak . Before the hour was past the feathers were all nicely arranged : the dove flew out at the window , and at , the same moment the witch came in at the door . ` Well , well , ' said she , ` it was more than I would have expected of you to get all the feathers put in order so nicely . However , such a prince might be expected to have neat fingers . ' Next morning the witch said to the prince , ` To-day you shall have some easy work to do . Outside the door I have some firewood lying ; you must split that for me into little bits that I can kindle the fire with . That will soon be done , but you must be finished before I come home . ' The prince got a little axe and set to work at once . He split and clove away , and thought that he was getting on fast ; but the day wore on until it was long past midday , and he was still very far from having finished . He thought , in fact , that the pile of wood rather grew bigger than smaller , in spite of what he took off it ; so he let his hands fall by his side , and dried the sweat from his forehead , and was ill at ease , for he knew that it would be bad for him if he was not finished with the work before the witch came home . Then the white dove came flying and settled down on the pile of wood , and cooed and said , ` Shall I help you ? ' ` Yes , ' said the prince , ` many thanks for your help yesterday , and for what you offer to-day . ' Thereupon the little dove seized one piece of wood after another and split it with its beak .
The prince could not take away the wood as quickly as the dove could split it , and XXXXX a short time it was all cleft into little sticks .
Before along by in into on over past until with