When the soup was ready , the bear brought it to the prince ; but before handing it to him , she dropped into the plate the ring the prince had given her the night before at the ball . The prince began to eat his soup very slowly and languidly , for he was sad at heart , and all his thoughts were busy , wondering how and where he could see the lovely stranger again . Suddenly he noticed the ring at the bottom of the plate . In a moment he recognised it , and was dumb with surprise . Then he saw the bear standing beside him , looking at him with gentle , beseeching eyes , and something in the eyes of the bear made him say : ` Take off that skin , some mystery is hidden beneath it . ' And the bear 's skin dropped off , and the beautiful girl stood before him , in the dress woven out of the starlight , and he saw that she was the stranger with whom he had fallen so deeply in love . And now she appeared to him a thousand times more beautiful than ever , and he led her to his mother . And the princess told them her story , and how she had been kept shut up by her father in his palace , and how she had wearied of her imprisonment . And the prince 's mother loved her , and rejoiced that her son should have so good and beautiful a wife . So they were married , and lived happily for many years , and reigned wisely over their kingdom . THE SUNCHILD Once there was a woman who had no children , and this made her very unhappy . So she spoke one day to the Sunball , saying : ` Dear Sunball , send me only a little girl now , and when she is twelve years old you may take her back again . ' So soon after this the Sunball sent her a little girl , whom the woman called Letiko , and watched over with great care till she was twelve years old . Soon after that , while Letiko was away one day gathering herbs , the Sunball came to her , and said : ` Letiko , when you go home , tell your mother that she must bethink herself of what she promised me . ' Then Letiko went straight home , and said to her mother : ` While I was gathering herbs a fine tall gentleman came to me and charged me to tell you that you should remember what you promised him . ' When the woman heard that she was sore afraid , and immediately shut all the doors and windows of the house , stopped up all the chinks and holes , and kept Letiko hidden away , that the Sunball should not come and take her away . But she forgot to close up the keyhole , and through it the Sunball sent a ray into the house , which took hold of the little girl and carried her away to him . One day , the Sunball having sent her to the straw shed to fetch straw , the girl sat down on the piles of straw and bemoaned herself , saving : ` As sighs this straw under my feet so sighs my heart after my mother . ' And this caused her to be so long away that the Sunball asked her , when she came back : ` Eh , Letiko , where have you been so long ? ' She answered : ` My slippers are too big , and I could not go faster . '
Then the Sunball made the XXXXX shorter .
back ball girl heart home ring skin slippers soup starlight