Once there was a little girl who, after the death of her parents, went to live near a great woods with her old uncle and his two grandsons. They were rather stupid, but they treated her very well, aside from thinking girls were no good for anything useful.

One day the boys set out together in search of adventure, and were not heard from for a long time; and her uncle became very sad. So the girl, whose name was Belinda, said, "I will go and look for them."

"No, no," said the old man, "you are just a girl. Where they have met danger, what could you do?"

Belinda didn’t want to argue with him, so she just said, "Well, maybe I could find some help, or let you know where they are." So the old man agreed, and gave her a good horse and a purse of gold for the journey.

Belinda rode along the edge of the forest, asking everyone she met about the boys. Soon she found them washing dishes in an inn, for they had foolishly gambled away all their money. From her uncle’s money-bag she paid their debts, and they thanked her kindly. "You’re welcome," Belinda said. "Now, shall we three go in search of adventure?"

Reluctantly the boys agreed. So Belinda wrote her uncle a letter saying all was well, and the three rode on together.

As they rode along, after a while they came to an anthill. The two boys wanted to poke it with sticks to disturb the ants; but Belinda said, "Leave them alone, they have not hurt us." So, to please her, the boys went on.

Soon they came to a lake with many small ducklings swimming in it. The boys wanted to catch the little ducks and cook them for supper; but Belinda said, "Leave them alone, they have not hurt us." So the boys went on, and they found plenty of fruit and mushrooms for supper.

Then they came to a hollow tree with a bees’ nest in it, with honey running out of holes in the trunk. The boys wanted to make a fire and smother the bees with smoke and take all the honey. But Belinda said, "Leave them alone, they have not hurt us." So the boys took only the honey that was running out, and they rode on.

That evening they came to a strange gray stone castle hidden in the deep woods, beyond a still shining lake. No moving thing could be seen. The stables were full of gray stone horses. The door was unlocked, the halls were richly furnished, but no people could be found.

"Well, this is certainly an adventure," said Belinda.

The elder boy laughed. "Fit for a girl, anyway. Nothing is happening!"

Then they came to a little door hidden deep inside the castle, which had three locks on it, and one small window in the middle.

Taking turns, the children looked through the little hole. Inside the room they saw a little grey-haired man sitting at a table. They knocked, once, twice and he did not move; but at the third knock, he came to the door, slowly unlocked all the locks, and came out and bowed to them; never speaking a word.

Silently the little man led them through a carpeted hall to a table loaded with all sorts of good things to eat, and when they had eaten and drunk their fill, he led them each to a comfortable bed-chamber. And by this time they were so tired and sleepy that they all fell asleep without further ado.

Next morning the little man awakened the eldest cousin and took him downstairs, leaving the other two children still sleeping soundly.

Still without speaking, he led him to a glass casket, within which was scroll, only partly unrolled, which

There are three tasks, which if done will deliver this castle from its enchantment; and a great reward will be given to the hero who succeeds.

Task the First. Under the moss and leaves of the forest, are scattered a thousand pearls belonging to the Queen. All must be found by sunset of a single day, or the seeker shall be turned to stone.

Upon reading this, the elder cousin rushed out to the woods and began looking for the pearls. He searched all day, but the pearls were so scattered and so deeply hidden under the moss and leaves, that by sunset he had found scarcely one hundred. So as soon as the last beam of sun left his hair, he was turned to stone. All day the middle cousin and Belinda rested in the castle, wondering where he had gone.

Next morning the little man woke the middle cousin and took him downstairs, leaving Belinda still sleeping soundly, and showed him the scroll. The middle cousin too ran out to look for the pearls, but found only two hundred before sunset, and was also turned to stone. When she woke and found herself alone, Belinda supposed that the cousins had decided to go on without her. She spent the day exploring the castle and reading old books in its library, then had another fine dinner and went to sleep.

Next morning the little man woke her at dawn. Without speaking, her led her to the glass casket and showed her the scroll.

"I wonder what are the other tasks," she said. ...