asked the birds sleepily . ` That is our secret , ' said the doves . Meanwhile the girl had reached home crosser than ever ; but as soon as her mother heard her lift the latch of the door she ran out to hear her adventures . ` Well , did you get the wreath ? ' cried she . ` Dirty creatures ! ' answered her daughter . ` Do n't speak to me like that ! What do you mean ? ' asked the mother again . ` Dirty creatures ! ' repeated the daughter , and nothing else could she say . Then the woman saw that something evil had befallen her , and turned in her rage to her stepdaughter . ` You are at the bottom of this , I know , ' she cried ; and as the father was out of the way she took a stick and beat the girl till she screamed with pain and went to bed sobbing . If the poor girl 's life had been miserable before , it was ten times worse now , for the moment her father 's back was turned the others teased and tormented her from morning till night ; and their fury was increased by the sight of her wreath , which the doves had placed again on her head . Things went on like this for some weeks , when , one day , as the king 's son was riding through the forest , he heard some strange birds singing more sweetly than birds had ever sung before . He tied his horse to a tree , and followed where the sound led him , and , to his surprise , he saw before him a beautiful girl chopping wood , with a wreath of pink rose-buds , out of which the singing came . Standing in the shelter of a tree , he watched her a long while , and then , hat in hand , he went up and spoke to her . ` Fair maiden , who are you , and who gave you that wreath of singing roses ? ' asked he , for the birds were so tiny that till you looked closely you never saw them . '
I live XXXXX a hut on the edge of the forest , ' she answered , blushing , for she had never spoken to a prince before .
If as before by in like of on that while