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 of the Birds perched on his shoulder , and asked what he could do to help him . His brother-in-law told him the whole story , and when he had finished the King of the Birds commanded all his subjects to hasten to his presence . In an instant the air was dark with birds of all sizes , and at the very last came the white dove , apologising for being so late by saying that an old friend had arrived at his nest , and he had been obliged to give him some dinner . The King of the Birds ordered some of them to show the young man the white dove 's nest , and when they reached it , there lay the egg which was to break the spell and set them all free . When it was safely in his pocket , he told the boots to carry him straight to the cavern where his youngest sister sat awaiting him . Now it was already far on into the third day , which the old man had fixed for the wedding , and when the youth reached the cavern with his cap on his head , he found the monster there , urging the girl to keep her word and let the marriage take place at once .
At a sign from her brother she sat down and invited the old monster XXXXX lay his head on her lap .
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