`` Greet the King , and tell him that , if he is too good to come to me , I am too good to come to him , '' replied the Master-maid . So the King had to go himself , and the Master-maid went with him immediately , and , as the King believed that she was more than she appeared to be , he seated her in the place of honor by the youngest bridegroom . When they had sat at the table for a short time , the Master-maid took out the cock , and the hen , and the golden apple which she had brought away with her from the giant 's house , and set them on the table in front of her , and instantly the cock and the hen began to fight with each other for the golden apple . `` Oh ! look how those two there are fighting for the golden apple , '' said the King 's son . `` Yes , and so did we two fight to get out that time when we were in the mountain , '' said the Master-maid . So the Prince knew her again , and you may imagine how delighted he was . He ordered the troll-witch who had rolled the apple to him to be torn in pieces between four-and-twenty horses , so that not a bit of her was left , and then for the first time they began really to keep the wedding , and , weary as they were , the sheriff , the attorney , and the bailiff kept it up too . -LRB- 1 -RRB- -LRB- 1 -RRB- Asbjornsen and Moe . WHY THE SEA IS SALT Once upon a time , long , long ago , there were two brothers , the one rich and the other poor . When Christmas Eve came , the poor one had not a bite in the house , either of meat or bread ; so he went to his brother , and begged him , in God 's name , to give him something for Christmas Day . It was by no means the first time that the brother had been forced to give something to him , and he was not better pleased at being asked now than he generally was . `` If you will do what I ask you , you shall have a whole ham , '' said he . The poor one immediately thanked him , and promised this . `` Well , here is the ham , and now you must go straight to Dead Man 's Hall , '' said the rich brother , throwing the ham to him . `` Well , I will do what I have promised , '' said the other , and he took the ham and set off . He went on and on for the livelong day , and at nightfall he came to a place where there was a bright light . `` I have no doubt this is the place , '' thought the man with the ham . An old man with a long white beard was standing in the outhouse , chopping Yule logs . `` Good-evening , '' said the man with the ham .
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