"may god help you with your fishing," said the maiden. when the old woman heard that, she became quite friendly, and carried her over the water, gave her a wand, and said to her, "go, my daughter, ever onwards by this road, and when you come to a great black dog, you must pass it silently and boldly, without either laughing or looking at it. then you will come to a great high castle, on the threshold of which you must let the wand fall, and go straight through the castle, and out again on the other side. there you will see an old fountain out of which a large tree has grown, whereon hangs a bird in a cage which you must take down. take likewise a glass of water out of the fountain, and with these two things go back by the same way. pick up the wand again from the threshold and take it with you, and when you again pass by the dog, strike him in the face with it, but be sure that you hit him, and then just come back here to me." the maiden found everything exactly as the old woman had said, and on her way back she found her two brothers who had sought each other over half the world. they went together to the place where the black dog was lying on the road; she struck it in the face, and it turned into a handsome prince who went with them to the river. there the old woman was still standing. she rejoiced much to see them again, and carried them all over the water, and then she too went away, for now she was freed. the others, however, went to the old fisherman, and all were glad that they had found each other again, but they hung the bird on the wall.