` Lineik , my sister , ' he called , softly , ` Laufer is weeping ; help her , I pray you . ' ` Have you forgotten the wrongs her mother did to us ' answered Lineik , ` and that it is owing to her that we are banished from home ? ' But she was not really unforgiving , and very soon she slid quietly out of her hiding-place , and taking the silk from Laufer 's hands began to weave it . So quick and clever was she that the blue dress was not only woven but embroidered , and Lineik was safe back in her tree before the prince returned . ` It is the most beautiful work I have ever seen , ' said he , taking up a bit . ` And I am sure that the red one will be still better , because the stuff is richer , ' and with a low bow he left the room . Laufer had hoped secretly that when the prince had seen the blue dress finished he would have let her off the other two ; but when she found she was expected to fulfil the whole task , her heart sank and she began to cry loudly . Again Sigurd heard her , and begged Lineik to come to her help , and Lineik , feeling sorry for her distress , wove and embroidered the second dress as she had done the first , mixing gold thread and precious stones till you could hardly see the red of the stuff . When it was done she glided into her tree just as the prince came in . ` You are as quick as you are clever , ' said he , admiringly . ` This looks as if it had been embroidered by the fairies ! But as the green robe must outshine the other two I will give you three days in which to finish it . After it is ready we will be married at once . ' Now , as he spoke , there rose up in Laufer 's mind all the unkind things that she and her mother had done to Lineik . Could she hope that they would be forgotten , and that Lineik would come to her rescue for the third time ? And perhaps Lineik , who had not forgotten the past either , might have left her alone , to get on as best she could , had not Sigurd , her brother , implored her to help just once more . So Lineik again slid out of her tree , and , to Laufer 's great relief , set herself to work . When the shining green silk was ready she caught the sun 's rays and the moon 's beams on the point of her needle and wove them into a pattern such as no man had ever seen . But it took a long time , and on the third morning , just as she was putting the last stitches into the last flower the prince came in . Lineik jumped up quickly , and tried to get past him back to her tree ; but the folds of the silk were wrapped round her , and she would have fallen had not the prince caught her . '
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