One day the eldest was walking in a water-meadow , when she saw a pink growing in the stream . She stooped to pick the flower , but her hand had scarcely touched it , when she vanished altogether . The next morning the second sister went out into the meadow , to see if she could find any traces of the lost girl , and as a branch of lovely roses lay trailing across her path , she bent down to move it away , and in so doing , could not resist plucking one of the roses . In a moment she too had disappeared . Wondering what could have become of her two sisters , the youngest followed in their footsteps , and fell a victim to a branch of delicious white jessamine . So the old woman was left without any daughters at all . She wept , and wept , and wept , all day and all night , and went on weeping so long , that her son , who had been a little boy when his sisters disappeared , grew up to be a tall youth . Then one night he asked his mother to tell him what was the matter . When he had heard the whole story , he said , ` Give me your blessing , mother , and I will go and search the world till I find them . ' So he set forth , and after he had travelled several miles without any adventures , he came upon three big boys fighting in the road . He stopped and inquired what they were fighting about , and one of them answered : ` My lord ! our father left to us , when he died , a pair of boots , a key , and a cap . Whoever puts on the boots and wishes himself in any place , will find himself there . The key will open every door in the world , and with the cap on your head no one can see you . Now our eldest brother wants to have all three things for himself , and we wish to draw lots for them . ' ` Oh , that is easily settled , ' said the youth . ' I will throw this stone as far as I can , and the one who picks it up first , shall have the three things . ' So he took the stone and flung it , and while the three brothers were running after it , he drew hastily on the boots , and said , ` Boots , take me to the place where I shall find my eldest sister . ' The next moment the young man was standing on a steep mountain before the gates of a strong castle guarded by bolts and bars and iron chains . The key , which he had not forgotten to put in his pocket , opened the doors one by one , and he walked through a number of halls and corridors , till he met a beautiful and richly-dressed young lady who started back in surprise at the sight of him , and exclaimed , ` Oh , sir , how did you contrive to get in here ? '
The young man replied that he was her brother , and told her XXXXX what means he had been able to pass through the doors .
In after at by into on that till while with