"aye, aye," said halvor, "you always thought yourselves so pretty and neat, no one could come near you; but now you should just see the eldest princess i have set free; against her you look just like milkmaids, and the midmost is prettier still; but the youngest, who is my sweetheart, she's fairer than both sun and moon. would to heaven they were only here," said halvor, "then you'd see what you would see."