They watched him closely, and one day, coming to the king, said—­

“Lord king, we know well that you do not like evil or vice in your servants.  Thence we think it is only right to tell you that the young foreigner, who is in your service, every morning and evening bows the knee to an idol.”

When the king heard that he set it down to envy and ill-will, and did not think there was any truth in it, but the courtiers said that he could easily discover for himself whether what they said was true or not.  They led the king to the young man’s rooms, and told him to look through the key-hole.  When the king looked in he saw the young man on his knees before a fine picture, and so he could not help believing that what the courtiers had told him was true.

The king was much enraged, and ordered the young man to come before him, when he condemned him to die for his great wickedness.

“My lord king,” said he, “do not imagine that I worship any idol.  That is my sister’s picture, whom I commend to the care of God every morning and evening, asking Him to protect her, for she remains in a wicked step-mother’s power.”

The king then wished to see the picture, and he never tired of looking on its beauty.

“If it is true,” said he, “what you tell me, that that is your sister’s picture, she shall be my queen, and you yourself shall go and fetch her; but if you lie, this shall be your punishment,—­you shall be cast into the lions’ den.”

The king then commanded that a ship should be fitted out in grand style, having wine and treasure in it.  Then he sent away the young man in great state to fetch his beautiful sister to the court.

The young man sailed away over the ocean, and came at length to his land.  Here he delivered his master’s message, as became him, and made preparations to return.  Then the step-mother and step-sister begged that they might go with him and his sister.  The young man had no liking for them, so he said no, and refused their request, but Swanwhite begged for them, and got them what they wanted.

When they had put to sea and were on the wide ocean, a great storm arose so that the sailors expected the vessel and all on her to go to the bottom.  The young man was, however, in good spirits, and went up the mast in order to see if he could discover land anywhere.  When he had looked out from the mast, he called to Swanwhite, who stood on the deck—­

“Dear sister, I see land now.”

It was, however, blowing so hard that the maiden could not hear a word.  She asked her step-mother if she knew what her brother said.

“Yes,” said the false hag; “he says we shall never come to God’s land unless you throw your gold casket into the sea.”

When Swanwhite heard that, she did what the hag told her, and cast the gold casket into the deep sea.

A while after her brother once more called to his sister, who stood on the deck—­