‘And what is the good of the pin you always keep here so carefully?’
‘If I throw that pin in front of me, it turns into an iron mountain.’
‘That becomes a thorn hedge, which no one can pass through. But why do you ask all these questions? I am sure you have something in your head.’
‘Oh, I just wanted to know; and how could anyone find me out here?’ and she began to cry.
‘Oh, don’t cry, I was only in fun,’ said the ogre.
He was soon asleep again, and a yellow light shone through the castle.
‘Come quick!’ called Dschemil from the chest; ‘we must fly now while the ogre is asleep.’
‘Not yet,’ she said, ‘there is a yellow light shining. I don’t think he is asleep.’
So they waited for an hour. Then Dschemil whispered again: ‘Wake up! There is no time to lose!’
‘Let me see if he is asleep,’ said she, and she peeped in, and saw a red light shining. Then she stole back to her cousin, and asked, ‘But how are we to get out?’
So she fetched the rope, the hatchet, and the pin and the needles, and said, ‘Take them, and put them in the pocket of your cloak, and be sure not to lose them.’
Dschemil put them carefully in his pocket, and tied the rope round her, and let her down over the wall.
‘Then untie the rope, so that I may draw it up.’
And Dschemila did as she was told, and in a few minutes he stood beside her.
Now all this time the ogre was asleep, and had heard nothing. Then his dog came to him and said, ‘O, sleeper, are you having pleasant dreams? Dschemila has forsaken you and run away.’
The ogre got out of bed, gave the dog a kick, then went back again, and slept till morning.
When it grew light, he rose, and called, ‘Dschemila! Dschemila!’ but he only heard the echo of his own voice! Then he dressed himself quickly; buckled on his sword and whistled to his dog, and followed the road which he knew the fugitives must have taken. ‘Cousin,’ said Dschemila suddenly, and turning round as she spoke.
‘The ogre is coming after us. I saw him.’
‘Over there. He only looks about as tall as a needle.’
Then they both began to run as fast as they could, while the ogre and his dog kept drawing always nearer. A few more steps, and he would have been by their side, when Dschemila threw the darning needle behind her. In a moment it became an iron mountain between them and their enemy.