` Ah ! my son , ' cried she , ` we will do anything in the world to save your life -- and ours too , for if you die , we shall die also . ' ` Well , then , ' replied the prince , ' I will tell you the only thing that will cure me -- a cake made by the hand of `` Donkey Skin . '' ' ` Donkey Skin ? ' exclaimed the queen , who thought her son had gone mad ; ` and who or what is that ? ' ` Madam , ' answered one of the attendants present , who had been with the prince at the farm , ' `` Donkey Skin '' is , next to the wolf , the most disgusting creature on the face of the earth . She is a girl who wears a black , greasy skin , and lives at your farmer 's as hen-wife . ' ` Never mind , ' said the queen ; ` my son seems to have eaten some of her pastry . It is the whim of a sick man , no doubt ; but send at once and let her bake a cake . ' The attendant bowed and ordered a page to ride with the message . Now it is by no means certain that ` Donkey Skin ' had not caught a glimpse of the prince , either when his eyes looked through the keyhole , or else from her little window , which was over the road . But whether she had actually seen him or only heard him spoken of , directly she received the queen 's command , she flung off the dirty skin , washed herself from head to foot , and put on a skirt and bodice of shining silver . Then , locking herself into her room , she took the richest cream , the finest flour , and the freshest eggs on the farm , and set about making her cake . As she was stirring the mixture in the saucepan a ring that she sometimes wore in secret slipped from her finger and fell into the dough . Perhaps ` Donkey Skin ' saw it , or perhaps she did not ; but , any way , she went on stirring , and soon the cake was ready to be put in the oven . When it was nice and brown she took off her dress and put on her dirty skin , and gave the cake to the page , asking at the same time for news of the prince . But the page turned his head aside , and would not even condescend to answer . The page rode like the wind , and as soon as he arrived at the palace he snatched up a silver tray and hastened to present the cake to the prince . The sick man began to eat it so fast that the doctors thought he would choke ; and , indeed , he very nearly did , for the ring was in one of the bits which he broke off , though he managed to extract it from his mouth without anyone seeing him . The moment the prince was left alone he drew the ring from under his pillow and kissed it a thousand times .
Then he set his mind XXXXX find how he was to see the owner -- for even he did not dare to confess that he had only beheld ` Donkey Skin ' through a keyhole , lest they should laugh at this sudden passion .
As about by from into of over through to without