Once upon a time, in a large forest, there lived an old woman and three maidens.  They were all three beautiful, but the youngest was the fairest.  Their hut was quite hidden by trees, and none saw their beauty but the sun by day, and the moon by night, and the eyes of the stars.  The old woman kept the girls hard at work, from morning till night, spinning gold flax into yarn, and when one distaff was empty another was given them, so they had no rest.  The thread had to be fine and even, and when done was locked up in a secret chamber by the old woman, who twice or thrice every summer went a journey.  Before she went she gave out work for each day of her absence, and always returned in the night, so that the girls never saw what she brought back with her, neither would she tell them whence the gold flax came, nor what it was to be used for.

Now, when the time came round for the old woman to set out on one of these journeys, she gave each maiden work for six days, with the usual warning:  “Children, don’t let your eyes wander, and on no account speak to a man, for, if you do, your thread will lose its brightness, and misfortunes of all kinds will follow.”  They laughed at this oft-repeated caution, saying to each other:  “How can our gold thread lose its brightness, and have we any chance of speaking to a man?”

On the third day after the old woman’s departure a young prince, hunting in the forest, got separated from his companions, and completely lost.  Weary of seeking his way, he flung himself down under a tree, leaving his horse to browse at will, and fell asleep.

The sun had set when he awoke and began once more to try and find his way out of the forest.  At last he perceived a narrow foot-path, which he eagerly followed and found that it led him to a small hut.  The maidens, who were sitting at the door of their hut for coolness, saw him approaching, and the two elder were much alarmed, for they remembered the old woman’s warning; but the youngest said:  “Never before have I seen anyone like him; let me have one look.”  They entreated her to come in, but, seeing that she would not, left her, and the Prince, coming up, courteously greeted the maiden, and told her he had lost his way in the forest and was both hungry and weary.  She set food before him, and was so delighted with his conversation that she forgot the old woman’s caution, and lingered for hours.  In the meantime the Prince’s companions sought him far and wide, but to no purpose, so they sent two messengers to tell the sad news to the King, who immediately ordered a regiment of cavalry and one of infantry to go and look for him.

After three days’ search, they found the hut.  The Prince was still sitting by the door and had been so happy in the maiden’s company that the time had seemed like a single hour.  Before leaving he promised to return and fetch her to his father’s court, where he would make her his bride.  When he had gone, she sat down to her wheel to make up for lost time, but was dismayed to find that her thread had lost all its brightness.  Her heart beat fast and she wept bitterly, for she remembered the old woman’s warning and knew not what misfortune might now befall her.