'Well, then, she'd better sit down with us to the feast', said the
Prince; but, to tell you the truth, both he and the rest thought she
was a loathsome woman to have next you.

But just then in came another ugly old hag. She had a back so humped
and broad, she had hard work to get through the door. Up jumped
the bride in a trice, and greeted her with 'Good-day, Auntie!'

And the Prince asked again if that were his bride's aunt. They both
said Yes; so the Prince said, if that were so, she too had better sit
down with them to the feast.

But they had scarce taken their seats before another ugly old hag
came in, with eyes as large as saucers, and so red and bleared, 'twas
gruesome to look at her. But up jumped the bride again, with her
'Good-day, Auntie', and her, too, the Prince asked to sit down; but I
can't say he was very glad, for he thought to himself: 'Heaven shield
me from such Aunties as my bride has!' So when he had sat awhile,
he could not keep his thoughts to himself any longer, but asked,

'But how, in all the world, can my bride, who is such a lovely
lassie, have such loathsome, misshapen Aunts?'

'I'll soon tell you how it is', said the first. 'I was just as good-
looking when I was her age; but the reason why I've got this long
nose is, because I was always kept sitting, and poking, and nodding
over my spinning, and so my nose got stretched and stretched, until
it got as long as you now see it.'