Then the bear laughed beneath the table and muttered to itself . And the prince continued : ' I am tired to death . Order some soup to be made for me , but I do n't want that bear to meddle with it . Every time I speak of my love the brute mutters and laughs , and seems to mock at me . I hate the sight of the creature ! ' When the soup was ready , the bear brought it to the prince ; but before handing it to him , she dropped into the plate the ring the prince had given her the night before at the ball . The prince began to eat his soup very slowly and languidly , for he was sad at heart , and all his thoughts were busy , wondering how and where he could see the lovely stranger again . Suddenly he noticed the ring at the bottom of the plate . In a moment he recognised it , and was dumb with surprise . Then he saw the bear standing beside him , looking at him with gentle , beseeching eyes , and something in the eyes of the bear made him say : ` Take off that skin , some mystery is hidden beneath it . ' And the bear 's skin dropped off , and the beautiful girl stood before him , in the dress woven out of the starlight , and he saw that she was the stranger with whom he had fallen so deeply in love . And now she appeared to him a thousand times more beautiful than ever , and he led her to his mother . And the princess told them her story , and how she had been kept shut up by her father in his palace , and how she had wearied of her imprisonment . And the prince 's mother loved her , and rejoiced that her son should have so good and beautiful a wife . So they were married , and lived happily for many years , and reigned wisely over their kingdom . THE SUNCHILD Once there was a woman who had no children , and this made her very unhappy . So she spoke one day to the Sunball , saying : ` Dear Sunball , send me only a little girl now , and when she is twelve years old you may take her back again . ' So soon after this the Sunball sent her a little girl , whom the woman called Letiko , and watched over with great care till she was twelve years old . Soon after that , while Letiko was away one day gathering herbs , the Sunball came to her , and said : ` Letiko , when you go home , tell your mother that she must bethink herself of what she promised me . ' Then Letiko went straight home , and said to her mother : ` While I was gathering herbs a fine tall gentleman came to me and charged me to tell you that you should remember what you promised him . '
When the woman heard XXXXX she was sore afraid , and immediately shut all the doors and windows of the house , stopped up all the chinks and holes , and kept Letiko hidden away , that the Sunball should not come and take her away .
So While after at beside by for of that to