The next day the hunt began again, and when the roebuck once more heard the bugle-horn, and the ho. Ho. Of the huntsmen, he had no peace, but said, sister, let me out, I must be off. His sister opened the door for him, and said, but you must be here again in the evening and say your pass-word.
When the king and his huntsmen again saw the young roebuck with the golden collar, they all chased him, but he was too quick and nimble for them. This lasted the whole day, but by the evening the huntsmen had surrounded him, and one of them wounded him a little in the foot, so that he limped and ran slowly. Then a hunter crept after him to the cottage and heard how he said, my little sister, let me in, and saw that the door was opened for him, and was shut again at once. The huntsman took notice of it all, and went to the king and told him what he had seen and heard. Then the king said, to-morrow we will hunt once more.
The little sister, however, was dreadfully frightened when she saw that her fawn was hurt. She washed the blood off him, laid herbs on the wound, and said, go to your bed, dear roe, that you may get well again. But the wound was so slight that the roebuck, next morning, did not feel it any more. And when he again heard the sport outside, he said, I cannot bear it, I must be there.
They shall not find it so easy to catch me. The sister cried, and said, this time they will kill you, and here am I alone in the forest and forsaken by all the world. I will not let you out. Then you will have me die of grief, answered the roe. When I hear the bugle-horns I feel as if I must jump out of my skin. Then the sister could not do otherwise, but opened the door for him with a heavy heart, and the roebuck, full of health and joy, bounded into the forest.
When the king saw him, he said to his huntsmen, now chase him all day long till night-fall, but take care that no one does him any harm.
As soon as the sun had set, the king said to the huntsman, now come and show me the cottage in the wood. And when he was at the door, he knocked and called out, dear little sister, let me in.
Then the door opened, and the king walked in, and there stood a maiden more lovely than any he had ever seen. The maiden was frightened when she saw, not her little roe, but a man come in who wore a golden crown upon his head. But the king looked kindly at her, stretched out his hand, and said, will you go with me to my palace and be my dear wife. Yes, indeed, answered the maiden, but the little roe must go with me, I cannot leave him.
The king said, it shall stay with you as long as you live, and shall want nothing. Just then he came running in, and the sister again tied him with the cord of rushes, took it in her own hand, and went away with the king from the cottage.
The king took the lovely maiden upon his horse and carried her to his palace, where the wedding was held with great pomp.
She was now the queen, and they lived for a long time happily together. The roebuck was tended and cherished, and ran about in the palace-garden.
But the wicked step-mother, because of whom the children had gone out into the world, had never thought but that the sister had been torn to pieces by the wild beasts in the wood, and that the brother had been shot for a roebuck by the huntsmen. Now when she heard that they were so happy, and so well off, envy and jealousy rose in her heart and left her no peace, and she thought of nothing but how she could bring them again to misfortune. Her own daughter, who was ugly as night, and had only one eye, reproached her and said, a queen. That ought to have been my luck. Just be quiet, answered the old woman, and comforted her by saying, when the time comes I shall be ready.
As time went on the queen had a pretty little boy, and it happened that the king was out hunting. So the old witch took the form of the chamber maid, went into the room where the queen lay, and said to her, come the bath is ready. It will do you good, and give you fresh strength. Make haste before it gets cold.
Her daughter also was close by. So they carried the weakly queen into the bath-room, and put her into the bath. Then they shut the door and ran away. But in the bath-room they had made a fire of such hellish heat that the beautiful young queen was soon suffocated.
When this was done the old woman took her daughter, put a nightcap on her head, and laid her in bed in place of the queen.
She gave her too the shape and look of the queen, only she could not make good the lost eye. But in order that the king might not see it, she was to lie on the side on which she had no eye.
In the evening when he came home and heard that he had a son he was heartily glad, and was going to the bed of his dear wife to see how she was. But the old woman quickly called out, for your life leave the curtains closed. The queen ought not to see the light yet, and must have rest. The king went away, and did not find out that a false queen was lying in the bed.
But at midnight, when all slept, the nurse, who was sitting in the nursery by the cradle, and who was the only person awake, saw the door open and the true queen walk in. She took the child out of the cradle, laid it on her arm, and suckled it. Then she shook up its pillow, laid the child down again, and covered it with the little quilt. And she did not forget the roebuck, but went into the corner where it lay, and stroked its back. Then she went quite silently out of the door again. The next morning the nurse asked the guards whether anyone had come into the palace during the night, but they answered, no, we have seen no one.
She came thus many nights and never spoke a word. The nurse always saw her, but she did not dare to tell anyone about it.
When some time had passed in this manner, the queen began to speak in the night, and said, how fares my child, how fares my roe.
Twice shall I come, then never more.
The nurse did not answer, but when the queen had gone again, went to the king and told him all. The king said, ah, God.
What is this. To-morrow night I will watch by the child. In the evening he went into the nursery, and at midnight the queen again appeared and said, how fares my child, how fares my roe.
Once will I come, then never more.
