the Prince, but no Prince came; so at last she went up from the
shore, and after she had gone a bit she came to a little hut which
lay by itself in a copse close by the king's palace. She went in and
asked if she might lodge there. It was an old dame that owned the
hut, and a cross-grained scolding hag she was as ever you saw. At
first she would not hear of the Mastermaid's lodging in her house,
but at last, for fair words and high rent, the Mastermaid got leave
to be there. Now the but was as dark and dirty as a pigsty, so the
Mastermaid said she would smarten it up a little, that their house
might look inside like other people's. The old hag did not like this
either, and showed her teeth, and was cross; but the Mastermaid did
not mind her. She took her chest of gold, and threw a handful or so
into the fire, and lo! the gold melted, and bubbled and boiled over
out of the grate, and spread itself over the whole hut, till it was
gilded both outside and in. But as soon as the gold began to bubble
and boil, the old hag got so afraid that she tried to run out as if
the Evil One were at her heels; and as she ran out at the door, she
forgot to stoop, and gave her head such a knock against the lintel,
that she broke her neck, and that was the end of her.

Next morning the Constable passed that way, and you may fancy he
could scarce believe his eyes when he saw the golden hut shining and
glistening away in the copse; but he was still more astonished when
he went in and saw the lovely maiden who sat there. To make a long
story short, he fell over head and ears in love with her, and begged
and prayed her to become his wife.

'Well, but have you much money?' asked the Mastermaid.

Yes, for that matter, he said, he was not so badly off, and off he