And the Baron rode back to his castle saying to himself once more: 

“There goes Fate!”

For what he had written in the letter was this: 

“DEAR BROTHER,

“Take the bearer and put her to death immediately.”

But once again he was sore mistaken; since on the way to the town where his brother lived, the girl had to stop the night in a little inn.  And it so happened that that very night a gang of thieves broke into the inn, and not content with carrying off all that the innkeeper possessed, they searched the pockets of the guests, and found the letter which the girl carried.  And when they read it, they agreed that it was a mean trick and a shame.  So their captain sat down and, taking pen and paper, wrote instead: 

“DEAR BROTHER,

“Take the bearer and marry her to my son without delay.”

Then, after putting the note into an envelope and sealing it up, they gave it to the girl and bade her go on her way.  So when she arrived at the brother’s castle, though rather surprised, he gave orders for a wedding feast to be prepared.  And the Baron’s son, who was staying with his uncle, seeing the girl’s great beauty, was nothing loth, so they were fast wedded.

Well! when the news was brought to the Baron, he was nigh beside himself; but he was determined not to be done by Fate.  So he rode post-haste to his brother’s and pretended to be quite pleased.  And then one day, when no one was nigh, he asked the young bride to come for a walk with him, and when they were close to some cliffs, seized hold of her, and was for throwing her over into the sea.  But she begged hard for her life.

“It is not my fault,” she said.  “I have done nothing.  It is Fate.  But if you will spare my life I promise that I will fight against Fate also.  I will never see you or your son again until you desire it.  That will be safer for you; since, see you, the sea may preserve me, as the river did.”

Well! the Baron agreed to this.  So he took off his gold ring from his finger and flung it over the cliffs into the sea and said: 

“Never dare to show me your face again till you can show me that ring likewise.”

And with that he let her go.

Well! the girl wandered on, and she wandered on, until she came to a nobleman’s castle; and there, as they needed a kitchen girl, she engaged as a scullion, since she had been used to such work in the fisherman’s hut.

Now one day, as she was cleaning a big fish, she looked out of the kitchen window, and who should she see driving up to dinner but the Baron and his young son, her husband.  At first she thought that, to keep her promise, she must run away; but afterwards she remembered they would not see her in the kitchen, so she went on with her cleaning of the big fish.

And, lo and behold! she saw something shine in its inside, and there, sure enough, was the Baron’s ring!  She was glad enough to see it, I can tell you; so she slipped it on to her thumb.  But she went on with her work, and dressed the fish as nicely as ever she could, and served it up as pretty as may be, with parsley sauce and butter.