326 SLAV TALES

“The idle girl can do nothing but spin hemp into gold
thread.”

“Really?” cried he. ‘‘ Does she really know how to spin
gold thread out of hemp? If that be so, sell her to me.”

‘ Willingly ; how much will you give me for her?”

“ Half a measure of gold.”

“Take her,” said the mother; and she gave him her
daughter as soon as the money was paid.

The prince placed the girl behind him on the saddle, put
spurs to his horse, and took her home.

On reaching the Red Castle, the prince led Helen into a
room filled from floor to ceiling with hemp, and having supplied
her with distaff and spinning-wheel, said, ‘‘When you have
spun all this hemp into gold thread I will make you my wife.”

Then he went out, locking the door after him.

On finding herself a prisoner, the poor girl wept as if her
heart would break. Suddenly she saw a very odd-looking
little man seated on the window-sill. He wore a red cap,
and his boots were made of some strange sort of material.

“Why do you weep so?” he asked.

“‘T cannot help it,” she replied, “I am but a miserable
slave. I have been ordered to spin all this hemp into gold
thread, but it is impossible, I can never do it, and I know
not what will become of me.”

“J will do it for you in three days, on condition that at
the end of that time you guess my right name, and tell me
what the boots I am wearing now are made of.”

Without for one moment reflecting as to whether she would
be able to guess aright she consented. The uncanny little man
burst out laughing, and taking her distaff set to work at once.