WhentheHuntercamenearerhesawthemaiden，andsaidtohimself，’IhavetravelledsofarnowthatIwillrest，andturnintothisbeautifulcastle；moneyIhaveinplenty。’Buttherealreasonwasthathehadcaughtsightofthelovelyface。
　　Hewentintothehouse，andwaskindlyreceivedandhospitablyentertained。Itwasnotlongbeforehewassomuchinlovewiththewitch-maidenthathethoughtofnothingelse，andonlylookedinhereyes，andwhatevershewanted，thathegladlydid。Thentheoldwitchsaid，’Nowwemusthavethebird-heart；hewillnotfeelwhenitisgone。’Shepreparedadrink，andwhenitwasreadyshepoureditinagobletandgaveittothemaiden，whohadtohandittothehunter。
　　’Drinktomenow，mydearest，’shesaid。Thenhetookthegoblet，andwhenhehadswallowedthedrinkthebird-heartcameoutofhismouth。Themaidenhadtogetholdofitsecretlyandthenswallowitherself，fortheoldwitchwantedtohaveit。
　　Thenceforwardhefoundnomoregoldunderhispillow，anditlayunderthemaiden’s；buthewassomuchinloveandsomuchbewitchedthathethoughtofnothingexceptspendingallhistimewiththemaiden。
　　Thentheoldwitchsaid，’Wehavethebird-heart，butwemustalsogetthewishing-cloakfromhim。’
　　Themaidenanswered，’Wewillleavehimthat；hehasalreadylosthiswealth！’
　　Theoldwitchgrewangry，andsaid，’Suchacloakisawonderfulthing，itisseldomtobehadintheworld，andhaveitImustandwill。’Shebeatthemaiden，andsaidthatifshedidnotobeyitwouldgoillwithher。
　　Soshedidhermother’sbidding，and，standingonedaybythewindow，shelookedawayintothefardistanceasifshewereverysad。
　　’Whyareyoustandingtherelookingsosad？’askedtheHunter。
　　’Alas，mylove，’shereplied，’overthereliesthegranitemountainwherethecostlypreciousstonesgrow。Ihaveagreatlongingtogothere，sothatwhenIthinkofitIamverysad。
　　Forwhocanfetchthem？Onlythebirdswhofly；aman，never。’
　　’Ifyouhavenoothertrouble，’saidtheHunter，’thatoneIcaneasilyremovefromyourheart。’
　　Sohewrappedherroundinhiscloakandwishedthemselvestothegranitemountain，andinaninstanttheretheywere，sittingonit！Thepreciousstonessparkledsobrightlyonallsidesthatitwasapleasuretoseethem，andtheycollectedthemostbeautifulandcostlytogether。ButnowtheoldwitchhadthroughhercausedtheHunter’seyestobecomeheavy。
　　Hesaidtothemaiden，’Wewillsitdownforalittlewhileandrest；IamsotiredthatIcanhardlystandonmyfeet。’
　　Sotheysatdown，andhelaidhisheadonherlapandfellasleep。Assoonashewassoundasleepsheunfastenedthecloakfromhisshoulders，threwitonherown，leftthegraniteandstones，andwishedherselfhomeagain。
　　ButwhentheHunterhadfinishedhissleepandawoke，hefoundthathislovehadbetrayedhimandlefthimaloneonthewildmountain。’Oh，’saidhe，’whyisfaithlessnesssogreatintheworld？’andhesatdowninsorrowandtrouble，notknowingwhattodo。
　　Butthemountainbelongedtofierceandhugegiants，wholivedonitandtradedthere，andhehadnotsatlongbeforehesawthreeofthemstridingtowardshim。Sohelaydownasifhehadfallenintoadeepsleep。
　　Thegiantscameup，andthefirstpushedhimwithhisfoot，andsaid，’Whatsortofanearthwormisthat？’
　　Thesecondsaid，’Crushhimdead。’
　　Butthethirdsaidcontemptuously，’Itisnotworththetrouble！
　　Lethimlive；hecannotremainhere，andifhegoeshigherupthemountainthecloudswilltakehimandcarryhimoff。’
　　Talkingthustheywentaway。ButtheHunterhadlistenedtotheirtalk，andassoonastheyhadgoneheroseandclimbedtothesummit。Whenhehadsattherealittlewhileacloudsweptby，and，seizinghim，carriedhimaway。Ittravelledforatimeinthesky，andthenitsankdownandhoveredoveralargevegetablegardensurroundedbywalls，sothathecamesafelytothegroundamidstcabbagesandvegetables。TheHunterthenlookedabouthim，saying，’IfonlyIhadsomethingtoeat！Iamsohungry，anditwillgobadlywithmeinthefuture，forIseeherenotanappleorpearorfruitofanykind——nothingbutvegetableseverywhere。’Atlasthethought，’AtapinchIcaneatasalad；itdoesnottasteparticularlynice，butitwillrefreshme。’Sohelookedaboutforagoodheadandateit，butnosoonerhadheswallowedacoupleofmouthfulsthanhefeltverystrange，andfoundhimselfwonderfullychanged。Fourlegsbegantogrowonhim，athickhead，andtwolongears，andhesawwithhorrorthathehadchangedintoadonkey。Butashewasstillveryhungryandthisjuicysaladtastedverygoodtohispresentnature，hewentoneatingwithastillgreaterappetite。
　　Atlasthegotholdofanotherkindofcabbage，butscarcelyhadswalloweditwhenhefeltanotherchange，andheoncemoreregainedhishumanform。
　　TheHunternowlaydownandsleptoffhisweariness。Whenheawokethenextmorninghebrokeoffaheadofthebadandaheadofthegoodcabbage，thinking，’Thiswillhelpmetoregainmyown，andtopunishfaithlessness。’Thenheputtheheadsinhispockets，climbedthewall，andstartedofftoseekthecastleofhislove。Whenhehadwanderedaboutforacoupleofdayshefounditquiteeasily。Hethenbrownedhisfacequickly，sothathisownmotherwouldnothaveknownhim，andwentintothecastle，wherehebeggedforalodging。
　　’Iamsotired，’hesaid，’Icangonofarther。’
　　Thewitchasked，’Countryman，whoareyou，andwhatisyourbusiness？’
　　Heanswered，’IamamessengeroftheKing，andhavebeensenttoseekthefinestsaladthatgrowsunderthesun。Ihavebeensoluckyastofindit，andambringingitwithme；buttheheatofthesunissogreatthatthetendercabbagethreatenstogrowsoft，andIdonotknowifIshallbeabletobringitanyfarther。’
　　Whentheoldwitchheardofthefinesaladshewantedtoeatit，andsaid，’Dearcountryman，justletmetastethewonderfulsalad。’
　　’Whynot？’heanswered；’Ihavebroughttwoheadswithme，andwillgiveyouone。’
　　Sosaying，heopenedhissackandgaveherthebadone。Thewitchsuspectednoevil，andhermouthwateredtotastethenewdish，sothatshewentintothekitchentoprepareitherself。
　　Whenitwasreadyshecouldnotwaittillitwasservedatthetable，butsheimmediatelytookacoupleofleavesandputtheminhermouth。Nosooner，however，hadsheswallowedthemthanshelosthumanform，andranintothecourtyardintheshapeofadonkey。
　　Nowtheservantcameintothekitchen，andwhenshesawthesaladstandingtherereadycookedshewasabouttocarryitup，butontheway，accordingtoheroldhabit，shetasteditandateacoupleofleaves。Immediatelythecharmworked，andshebecameadonkey，andranouttojointheoldwitch，andthedishwiththesaladinitfelltotheground。Inthemeantime，themessengerwassittingwiththelovelymaiden，andasnoonecamewiththesalad，andshewantedverymuchtotasteit，shesaid，’Idon’tknowwherethesaladis。’
　　ThenthoughttheHunter，’Thecabbagemusthavealreadybeguntowork。’Andhesaid，’Iwillgotothekitchenandfetchitmyself。’
　　Whenhecametherehesawthetwodonkeysrunningaboutinthecourtyard，butthesaladwaslyingontheground。
　　’That’sallright，’saidhe；’twohavehadtheirshare！’Andliftingtheremainingleavesup，helaidthemonthedishandbroughtthemtothemaiden。
　　’Iambringingyouthedeliciousfoodmyownself，’hesaid，’sothatyouneednotwaitanylonger。’
　　Thensheate，and，astheothershaddone，sheatoncelostherhumanform，andranasadonkeyintotheyard。
　　WhentheHunterhadwashedhisface，sothatthechangedonesmightknowhim，hewentintotheyard，saying，’Nowyoushallreceivearewardforyourfaithlessness。’