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When the dance was over, she slipped away to her tiny bedroom, took off her golden dress, put on her fur cloak, and blackened her hands and face with soot. She began to rake out the ashes, but the cook, who wanted to have a look at the fine people herself, said:

“Heat up the king’s soup and don’t let even a hair fall in it or you’ll be in trouble.”

So Catskin heated up the king’s soup, fetched her gold ring and put it at the bottom of the bowl.

When the king ate the soup, he liked it very much. Then he was surprised to find the gold ring lying at the bottom. He asked who made the soup.

“I did,” said the cook.

“That is not true,” said the king. “It tasted better than the soup you make.”

Then the cook said it was Catskin who had made the soup. So the king sent for Catskin and asked her who she was.

Catskin only answered that she was a poor orphan and was good for nothing but to do dirty jobs in the kitchen.

He asked her if she knew how the gold ring got into the soup, but she shook her head.

Later on there was another feast at the palace and again Catskin asked the cook, “May I go and watch?”

“Yes,” said the cook, “but be back in half-an-hour to make the king’s soup because he likes the way you make it.”

So Catskin ran to her little room and washed herself carefully. Then she opened the nutshell, shook out the silver dress, and put it on. The king was very glad to see her again and they danced together. When the dance was over, she slipped away and dressed herself as Catskin again. Then she cooked the king’s soup and put her gold necklace at the bottom of the bowl.

Once again the king sent for her and asked her if she knew anything about the gold necklace. She answered as before that she was a poor girl who could only do dirty jobs in the kitchen, and knew nothing about the necklace.

Some time later the king ordered a third feast to be held. Catskin washed herself again, opened the nutshell and shook out the dress that sparkled like the stars and put it on. The king was so very glad to see her again that he held her hand very tightly as they danced, and when she was not looking, he slipped a gold ring on her finger.

When she left the party, it was very late, and she threw her fur cloak over her fine dress, and she did not rub the soot properly on her face and hands. One finger was left white. She cooked the king’s soup and put her gold brooch at the bottom of the bowl.

When the king had finished eating his soup, and found the gold brooch at the bottom, he sent for Catskin. He soon noticed the one white finger with the ring he had put on it. He took her sooty hand in his, and when she tried to pull it away, the fur cloak slipped a little, and her dress sparkled like the stars.

The king took off her fur cloak and saw how beautiful she was with her golden hair and her shining dress. He fell in love with her at once. Then she washed the soot off herself so that she looked even more beautiful than before. Everyone saw that she was a real princess. So Catskin told her story to the king. In a few days they were married and lived happily ever afterwards.