Then he lay down and when he had lain a while, he began to snore,
as if in the deepest sleep. The twelve princesses heard that, and laughed,
and the eldest said, "He, too, might as well have saved his life." With
that they got up, opened wardrobes, presses, cupboards, and brought out
pretty dresses; dressed themselves before the mirrors, sprang about,
and rejoiced at the prospect of the dance. Only the youngest said,
"I know not how it is; you are very happy, but I feel very strange;
some misfortune is certainly about to befall us." "Thou art a goose,
who art always frightened," said the eldest. "Hast thou forgotten how
many Kings' sons have already come here in vain? I had hardly any need
to give the soldier a sleeping-draught, in any case the clown would
not have awakened." When they were all ready they looked carefully at
the soldier, but he had closed his eyes and did not move or stir, so
they felt themselves quite secure. The eldest then went to her bed and
tapped it; it immediately sank into the earth, and one after the other
they descended through the opening, the eldest going first.
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