He was too tired to keep awake all night , yet his anxiety prevented him from sleeping soundly , and when with the earliest dawn he looked up to the tree-top , he was glad to see his feathered companions still asleep with their heads under their wings . He ate his breakfast , and waited until the birds should start , but they did not leave the place all day . They hopped about from one tree to another looking for food , all day long until the evening , when they went back to their old perch to sleep . The next day the same thing happened , but on the third morning one bird said to the other , ` To-day we must go to the spring to see the Witch-maiden wash her face . ' They remained on the tree till noon ; then they flew away and went towards the south . The young man 's heart beat with anxiety lest he should lose sight of his guides , but he managed to keep the birds in view until they again perched upon a tree . The young man ran after them until he was quite exhausted and out of breath , and after three short rests the birds at length reached a small open space in the forest , on the edge of which they placed themselves on the top of a high tree . When the youth had overtaken them , he saw that there was a clear spring in the middle of the space . He sat down at the foot of the tree upon which the birds were perched , and listened attentively to what they were saying to each other . ` The sun is not down yet , ' said the first bird ; ` we must wait yet awhile till the moon rises and the maiden comes to the spring . Do you think she will see that young man sitting under the tree ? ' ` Nothing is likely to escape her eyes , certainly not a young man , said the other bird . ` Will the youth have the sense not to let himself be caught in her toils ? ' ` We will wait , ' said the first bird , ` and see how they get on together . ' The evening light had quite faded , and the full moon was already shining down upon the forest , when the young man heard a slight rustling sound . After a few moments there came out of the forest a maiden , gliding over the grass so lightly that her feet seemed scarcely to touch the ground , and stood beside the spring . The youth could not turn away his eyes from the maiden , for he had never in his life seen a woman so beautiful . Without seeming to notice anything , she went to the spring , looked up to the full moon , then knelt down and bathed her face nine times , then looked up to the moon again and walked nine times round the well , and as she walked she sang this song : ` Full-faced moon with light unshaded , Let my beauty ne'er be faded . Never let my cheek grow pale ! While the moon is waning nightly , May the maiden bloom more brightly , May her freshness never fail ! '
Then she dried her face with her long hair , and was about to XXXXX away , when her eye suddenly fell upon the spot where the young man was sitting , and she turned towards the tree .
faded fail go grow lose perched sat saw start waning