WhentheHuntercamenearerhesawthemaiden，andsaidtohimself，’IhavetravelledsofarnowthatIwillrest，andturnintothisbeautifulcastle；moneyIhaveinplenty。’Buttherealreasonwasthathehadcaughtsightofthelovelyface。
Hewentintothehouse，andwaskindlyreceivedandhospitablyentertained。Itwasnotlongbeforehewassomuchinlovewiththewitch-maidenthathethoughtofnothingelse，andonlylookedinhereyes，andwhatevershewanted，thathegladlydid。Thentheoldwitchsaid，’Nowwemusthavethebird-heart；hewillnotfeelwhenitisgone。’Shepreparedadrink，andwhenitwasreadyshepoureditinagobletandgaveittothemaiden，whohadtohandittothehunter。
’Drinktomenow，mydearest，’shesaid。Thenhetookthegoblet，andwhenhehadswallowedthedrinkthebird-heartcameoutofhismouth。Themaidenhadtogetholdofitsecretlyandthenswallowitherself，fortheoldwitchwantedtohaveit。
Thenceforwardhefoundnomoregoldunderhispillow，anditlayunderthemaiden’s；buthewassomuchinloveandsomuchbewitchedthathethoughtofnothingexceptspendingallhistimewiththemaiden。
Thentheoldwitchsaid，’Wehavethebird-heart，butwemustalsogetthewishing-cloakfromhim。’
Themaidenanswered，’Wewillleavehimthat；hehasalreadylosthiswealth！’
Theoldwitchgrewangry，andsaid，’Suchacloakisawonderfulthing，itisseldomtobehadintheworld，andhaveitImustandwill。’Shebeatthemaiden，andsaidthatifshedidnotobeyitwouldgoillwithher。
Soshedidhermother’sbidding，and，standingonedaybythewindow，shelookedawayintothefardistanceasifshewereverysad。
’Whyareyoustandingtherelookingsosad？’askedtheHunter。
’Alas，mylove，’shereplied，’overthereliesthegranitemountainwherethecostlypreciousstonesgrow。Ihaveagreatlongingtogothere，sothatwhenIthinkofitIamverysad。
Forwhocanfetchthem？Onlythebirdswhofly；aman，never。’
’Ifyouhavenoothertrouble，’saidtheHunter，’thatoneIcaneasilyremovefromyourheart。’
Sohewrappedherroundinhiscloakandwishedthemselvestothegranitemountain，andinaninstanttheretheywere，sittingonit！Thepreciousstonessparkledsobrightlyonallsidesthatitwasapleasuretoseethem，andtheycollectedthemostbeautifulandcostlytogether。ButnowtheoldwitchhadthroughhercausedtheHunter’seyestobecomeheavy。
Hesaidtothemaiden，’Wewillsitdownforalittlewhileandrest；IamsotiredthatIcanhardlystandonmyfeet。’
Sotheysatdown，andhelaidhisheadonherlapandfellasleep。Assoonashewassoundasleepsheunfastenedthecloakfromhisshoulders，threwitonherown，leftthegraniteandstones，andwishedherselfhomeagain。
ButwhentheHunterhadfinishedhissleepandawoke，hefoundthathislovehadbetrayedhimandlefthimaloneonthewildmountain。’Oh，’saidhe，’whyisfaithlessnesssogreatintheworld？’andhesatdowninsorrowandtrouble，notknowingwhattodo。
Butthemountainbelongedtofierceandhugegiants，wholivedonitandtradedthere，andhehadnotsatlongbeforehesawthreeofthemstridingtowardshim。Sohelaydownasifhehadfallenintoadeepsleep。
Thegiantscameup，andthefirstpushedhimwithhisfoot，andsaid，’Whatsortofanearthwormisthat？’
Thesecondsaid，’Crushhimdead。’
Butthethirdsaidcontemptuously，’Itisnotworththetrouble！
Lethimlive；hecannotremainhere，andifhegoeshigherupthemountainthecloudswilltakehimandcarryhimoff。’
Talkingthustheywentaway。ButtheHunterhadlistenedtotheirtalk，andassoonastheyhadgoneheroseandclimbedtothesummit。Whenhehadsattherealittlewhileacloudsweptby，and，seizinghim，carriedhimaway。Ittravelledforatimeinthesky，andthenitsankdownandhoveredoveralargevegetablegardensurroundedbywalls，sothathecamesafelytothegroundamidstcabbagesandvegetables。TheHunterthenlookedabouthim，saying，’IfonlyIhadsomethingtoeat！Iamsohungry，anditwillgobadlywithmeinthefuture，forIseeherenotanappleorpearorfruitofanykind——nothingbutvegetableseverywhere。’Atlasthethought，’AtapinchIcaneatasalad；itdoesnottasteparticularlynice，butitwillrefreshme。’Sohelookedaboutforagoodheadandateit，butnosoonerhadheswallowedacoupleofmouthfulsthanhefeltverystrange，andfoundhimselfwonderfullychanged。Fourlegsbegantogrowonhim，athickhead，andtwolongears，andhesawwithhorrorthathehadchangedintoadonkey。Butashewasstillveryhungryandthisjuicysaladtastedverygoodtohispresentnature，hewentoneatingwithastillgreaterappetite。
Atlasthegotholdofanotherkindofcabbage，butscarcelyhadswalloweditwhenhefeltanotherchange，andheoncemoreregainedhishumanform。
TheHunternowlaydownandsleptoffhisweariness。Whenheawokethenextmorninghebrokeoffaheadofthebadandaheadofthegoodcabbage，thinking，’Thiswillhelpmetoregainmyown，andtopunishfaithlessness。’Thenheputtheheadsinhispockets，climbedthewall，andstartedofftoseekthecastleofhislove。Whenhehadwanderedaboutforacoupleofdayshefounditquiteeasily。Hethenbrownedhisfacequickly，sothathisownmotherwouldnothaveknownhim，andwentintothecastle，wherehebeggedforalodging。
’Iamsotired，’hesaid，’Icangonofarther。’
Thewitchasked，’Countryman，whoareyou，andwhatisyourbusiness？’
Heanswered，’IamamessengeroftheKing，andhavebeensenttoseekthefinestsaladthatgrowsunderthesun。Ihavebeensoluckyastofindit，andambringingitwithme；buttheheatofthesunissogreatthatthetendercabbagethreatenstogrowsoft，andIdonotknowifIshallbeabletobringitanyfarther。’
Whentheoldwitchheardofthefinesaladshewantedtoeatit，andsaid，’Dearcountryman，justletmetastethewonderfulsalad。’
’Whynot？’heanswered；’Ihavebroughttwoheadswithme，andwillgiveyouone。’
Sosaying，heopenedhissackandgaveherthebadone。Thewitchsuspectednoevil，andhermouthwateredtotastethenewdish，sothatshewentintothekitchentoprepareitherself。
Whenitwasreadyshecouldnotwaittillitwasservedatthetable，butsheimmediatelytookacoupleofleavesandputtheminhermouth。Nosooner，however，hadsheswallowedthemthanshelosthumanform，andranintothecourtyardintheshapeofadonkey。
Nowtheservantcameintothekitchen，andwhenshesawthesaladstandingtherereadycookedshewasabouttocarryitup，butontheway，accordingtoheroldhabit，shetasteditandateacoupleofleaves。Immediatelythecharmworked，andshebecameadonkey，andranouttojointheoldwitch，andthedishwiththesaladinitfelltotheground。Inthemeantime，themessengerwassittingwiththelovelymaiden，andasnoonecamewiththesalad，andshewantedverymuchtotasteit，shesaid，’Idon’tknowwherethesaladis。’
ThenthoughttheHunter，’Thecabbagemusthavealreadybeguntowork。’Andhesaid，’Iwillgotothekitchenandfetchitmyself。’
Whenhecametherehesawthetwodonkeysrunningaboutinthecourtyard，butthesaladwaslyingontheground。
’That’sallright，’saidhe；’twohavehadtheirshare！’Andliftingtheremainingleavesup，helaidthemonthedishandbroughtthemtothemaiden。
’Iambringingyouthedeliciousfoodmyownself，’hesaid，’sothatyouneednotwaitanylonger。’
Thensheate，and，astheothershaddone，sheatoncelostherhumanform，andranasadonkeyintotheyard。
WhentheHunterhadwashedhisface，sothatthechangedonesmightknowhim，hewentintotheyard，saying，’Nowyoushallreceivearewardforyourfaithlessness。’
