"When you go to my mother's sister, she is sure to offer you some food; take the first bite, and keep it under your tongue. Then you may eat; otherwise you will be lost." The girl never replied, but listened attentively to what he had said. So she came to the old crone, who was ever so much worse than her own mother-in-law, and she certainly was bad enough. As soon as she entered the house, the young woman greeted her. Great was the surprise of the old woman, who said, "Now who is to believe my sister; she made that girl out to be dumb, and now she speaks so sweetly. Come in, my child."
Then she went out, killed a cock, grilled it, and gave it to her to eat.
The young woman, remembering her husband's advice, took the first bite and put it under her tongue; then she sat down and made a hearty meal of the cock. When she had finished, the old woman said, "I do not have the sword or the threads; they are with my younger sister. She lives not very far from here; you just go to her."
Taking leave, she went a little way further, and she came to the second sister, who was worse than the other. She saluted her when she came in, and this sister also said:
"How is one to believe your mother-in-law? She made you out to be dumb, and now you speak so sweetly and so nicely. What have you come for?"
She said, "I have come for the sword and the threads."
"Sit down and eat, my child," she said, and, going out, she took a young lamb and killed it and prepared it for her. Remembering the advice given to her, she put the first bite under her tongue, and then she went on eating until she had satisfied her hunger.
When she had finished eating, the old woman said, "I do not have that sword; it is with my younger sister. You must go further; she lives quite close by, and she will give it to you."
So she went to the third sister, and greeting this third one, who was the worst of all and the ugliest of all, said to her, "Sit down and eat." Then she took out the hand of a dead man and gave it to her to eat. But this the wife could not do.
Meanwhile the old woman had gone up into the loft of the house, saying she was going to fetch the spade, but in reality to watch the young woman to see what she was doing.
