in the meantime the youngest huntsman was wandering about the three chambers in great trouble, fully expecting to have to end his days there, when he saw, hanging on the wall, a flute; then said he, "why dost thou hang there, no one can be merry here?" he looked at the dragons, heads likewise and said, "you too cannot help me now." he walked backwards and forwards for such a long time that he made the surface of the ground quite smooth. but at last other thoughts came to his mind, and he took the flute from the wall, and played a few notes on it, and suddenly a number of elves appeared, and with every note that he sounded one more came. then he played until the room was entirely filled. they all asked what he desired, so he said he wished to get above ground back to daylight, on which they seized him by every hair that grew on his head, and thus they flew with him onto the earth again. when he was above ground, he at once went to the king’s palace, just as the wedding of one princess was about to be celebrated, and he went to the room where the king and his three daughters were. when the princesses saw him they fainted. hereupon the king was angry, and ordered him to be put in prison at once, because he thought he must have done some injury to the children. when the princesses came to themselves, however, they entreated the king to set him free again. the king asked why, and they said that they were not allowed to tell that, but their father said that they were to tell it to the stove. and he went out, listened at the door, and heard everything. then he caused the two brothers to be hanged on the gallows, and to the third he gave his youngest daughter, and on that occasion i wore a pair of glass shoes, and i struck them against a stone, and they said, "klink," and were broken.