Without that last step the whole ladder was useless . She must have lost one of the bones . Then suddenly an idea came to her . Taking a knife she chopped off her little finger , and placing it on the last step , it stuck as the bones had done . The ladder was complete , and with her child on her arm she entered the door of the house . Here she found everything in perfect order . Having taken some food , she laid the child down to sleep in a trough that was on the floor , and sat down herself to rest . When her husband , the Pig , came back to his house , he was startled by what he saw . At first he could not believe his eyes , and stared at the ladder of bones , and at the little finger on the top of it . He felt that some fresh magic must be at work , and in his terror he almost turned away from the house ; but then a better idea came to him , and he changed himself into a dove , so that no witchcraft could have power over him , and flew into the room without touching the ladder . Here he found a woman rocking a child . At the sight of her , looking so changed by all that she had suffered for his sake , his heart was moved by such love and longing and by so great a pity that he suddenly became a man . The Princess stood up when she saw him , and her heart beat with fear , for she did not know him . But when he had told her who he was , in her great joy she forgot all her sufferings , and they seemed as nothing to her . He was a very handsome man , as straight as a fir tree . They sat down together and she told him all her adventures , and he wept with pity at the tale . And then he told her his own history . ' I am a King 's son . Once when my father was fighting against some dragons , who were the scourge of our country , I slew the youngest dragon . His mother , who was a witch , cast a spell over me and changed me into a Pig .
It was she who in the disguise of an old woman gave you the thread XXXXX bind round my foot .
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