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'Ah, do not go!' cried the wife. 'I feel as if the whole house

were in flames!'

But the man went out and looked at the bird.

She laid her kerchief over me, And took my bones that they might

lie Underneath the juniper-tree Kywitt, Kywitt, what a beautiful

bird am I!'

With that the bird let fall the gold chain, and it fell just

round the man's neck, so that it fitted him exactly.

He went inside, and said, 'See, what a splendid bird that is; he

has given me this beautiful gold chain, and looks so beautiful

himself.'

But the wife was in such fear and trouble, that she fell on the

floor, and her cap fell from her head.

Then the bird began again:

'My mother killed her little son;

'Ah me!' cried the wife, 'if I were but a thousand feet beneath

the earth, that I might not hear that song.'

My father grieved when I was gone;

then the woman fell down again as if dead.

My sister loved me best of all;

'Well,' said little Marleen, 'I will go out too and see if the

bird will give me anything.'

So she went out.