` Well , I will marry you , ' she said , ` if you will tell me why it is that you can never die . ' Then the old man burst into peals of laughter . ` Ah , ah , ah ! You are thinking how you would be able to kill me ? Well , to do that , you would have to find an iron casket which lies at the bottom of the sea , and has a white dove inside , and then you would have to find the egg which the dove laid , and bring it here , and dash it against my head . ' And he laughed again in his certainty that no one had ever got down to the bottom of the sea , and that if they did , they would never find the casket , or be able to open it . When he could speak once more , he said , ` Now you will be obliged to marry me , as you know my secret . ' But she begged so hard that the wedding might be put off for three days , that he consented , and went away rejoicing at his victory . When he had disappeared , the brother took off the cap which had kept him invisible all this time , and told his sister not to lose heart as he hoped in three days she would be free . Then he drew on his boots , and wished himself at the seashore , and there he was directly . Drawing out the fish-scale , he cried , ` Come and help me , King of the Fishes ! ' and his brother-in-law swam up , and asked what he could do . The young man related the story , and when he had finished his listener summoned all the fishes to his presence . The last to arrive was a little sardine , who apologised for being so late , but said she had hurt herself by knocking her head against an iron casket that lay in the bottom of the sea . The king ordered several of the largest and strongest of his subjects to take the little sardine as a guide , and bring him the iron casket . They soon returned with the box placed across their backs and laid it down before him . Then the youth produced the key and said , ` Key , open that box ! ' and the key opened it , and though they were all crowding round , ready to catch it , the white dove within flew away . -LSB- Illustration : HOW THE WHITE DOVE ESCAPED -RSB- It was useless to go after it , and for a moment the young man 's heart sank . The next minute , however , he remembered that he had still his feather , and drew it out crying , ` Come to me , King of the Birds ! '
and a rushing noise was heard , and the King XXXXX the Birds perched on his shoulder , and asked what he could do to help him .
against as at by for in of that with within