when the devil had gone away, bearskin was quite lighthearted. he went into the town, put on a magnificent velvet coat, seated himself in a carriage drawn by four white horses, and drove to his bride’s house. no one recognized him, the father took him for a distinguished general, and led him into the room where his daughters were sitting. he was forced to place himself between the two eldest, they helped him to wine, gave him the best pieces of meat, and thought that in all the world they had never seen a handsomer man. the bride, however, sat opposite to him in her black dress, and never raised her eyes, nor spoke a word. when at length he asked the father if he would give him one of his daughters to wife, the two eldest jumped up, ran into their bedrooms to put on splendid dresses, for each of them fancied she was the chosen one. the stranger, as soon as he was alone with his bride, brought out his half of the ring, and threw it in a glass of wine which he reached across the table to her. she took the wine, but when she had drunk it, and found the half ring lying at the bottom, her heart began to beat. she got the other half, which she wore on a ribbon round her neck, joined them, and saw that the two pieces fitted exactly together.