“Oh, sisters,” she said, “look at that poor man: shall we draw him up and feed him and warm him?” “Do as you like,” said they; “we won’t be answerable for the results.” So the girl bade the man get into the basket, drew him up, made a blazing fire, warmed him thoroughly, and gave him some dinner. “Now you must go,” she said after a time, “you are warm, you have been fed, you have rested; what more do you want?” “I must have supper with you.” To that the girl agreed, and then again told him to go away. “I must sleep with you to-night,” said he. Well, the girl did not know what to do, so she submitted. The next morning after breakfast, the second daughter said to the man:— “Now be off, we’ve had enough of you.” “No, I am going to stay to dinner”: and after dinner it was:—“No, I am going to stay to supper,” and after supper the same thing as before. The next day it was the third sister’s turn. Now the younger sisters are always more cunning than the elder ones, and this was no exception to the rule. As before, the man stopped to breakfast, dinner and supper; but after supper the girl went to her room, saying to him:—“Wait till I call you.” Now the tower had been built in a hurry and the floors were of plank only, not of brick or stone. Of this the maiden took advantage. She raised three or four planks just inside the door and then called:—“My light’s out, come and light it.” The man ran to do so, but fell down the hole to the bottom of the tower; and as it was a high one he was killed by the fall. The next morning the three sisters looked at their rings, but only that of the youngest was bright, the others were dull and clouded. “What shall we do?” said the girls. “I’ll tell you,” said the youngest; “we’ll sit all in a row, and pass my ring from one to another so cleverly that nobody shall notice.” Presently their father came back. They did as their sister advised, and he was quite satisfied. Then they all went home to live in their old house and had a merry time of it. One day, as the eldest was looking out of the window she saw the king’s baker. “Ah, what a handsome man,” said she. “If he were to marry me I would make, in one day, enough bread to last the court for a year.” These words were repeated to the baker; he married her and she managed to keep her promise. A little while afterwards the second daughter was looking out of window when she spied the king’s pastry-cook. “How I should like to marry that fine-looking man,” said she. “I would make enough cakes in a day to last a year.” As before, the words were repeated; the girl had her wish, and managed to keep her promise. But the third daughter saw the king’s son, and said, “If the king’s son were to marry me I would bring him three children, two boys and a girl, each with the red cross of a knight on his chest.”