Now when the day of the ball arrived, Catskin slipped out of the house and went to the edge of the forest where she had hidden her dresses.  Then she bathed herself in a crystal waterfall, and put on her coat of silver cloth, and hastened away to the ball.  As soon as she entered all were overcome by her beauty and grace, while the young lord at once lost his heart to her.  He asked her to be his partner for the first dance; and he would dance with none other the livelong night.

When it came to parting time, the young lord said, “Pray tell me, fair maid, where you live?”

But Catskin curtsied and said: 

  “Kind sir, if the truth I must tell,
   At the sign of the ‘Basin of Water’ I dwell.”

Then she flew from the castle and donned her catskin robe again, and slipped into the scullery, unbeknown to the cook.

The young lord went the very next day and searched for the sign of the “Basin of Water”; but he could not find it.  So he went to his mother, the lady of the castle, and declared he would wed none other but the lady of the silver dress, and would never rest till he had found her.  So another ball was soon arranged in hopes that the beautiful maid would appear again.

So Catskin said to the cook, “Oh, how I should like to go!” Whereupon the cook screamed out in a rage, “What, you, you dirty, impudent slut!  You would cut a fine figure among all the fine lords and ladies.”  And with that she up with a ladle and broke it across Catskin’s back.  But Catskin only shook her ears, and ran off to the forest, where, first of all, she bathed, and then she put on her coat of beaten gold, and off she went to the ball-room.

As soon as she entered all eyes were upon her; and the young lord at once recognised her as the lady of the “Basin of Water,” claimed her hand for the first dance, and did not leave her till the last.  When that came, he again asked her where she lived.  But all that she would say was: 

  “Kind sir, if the truth I must tell,
   At the sign of the ‘Broken Ladle’ I dwell”;

and with that she curtsied and flew from the ball, off with her golden robe, on with her catskin, and into the scullery without the cook’s knowing.

Next day, when the young lord could not find where the sign of the “Basin of Water” was, he begged his mother to have another grand ball, so that he might meet the beautiful maid once more.

Then Catskin said to the cook, “Oh, how I wish I could go to the ball!” Whereupon the cook called out:  “A fine figure you’d cut!” and broke the skimmer across her head.  But Catskin only shook her ears, and went off to the forest, where she first bathed in the crystal spring, and then donned her coat of feathers, and so off to the ball-room.

When she entered every one was surprised at so beautiful a face and form dressed in so rich and rare a dress; but the young lord at once recognised his beautiful sweetheart, and would dance with none but her the whole evening.  When the ball came to an end he pressed her to tell him where she lived, but all she would answer was: