They went into the cottage and rested a little. Lavender, who knew where
was her mother’s modest store cupboard, brought out a little dry cheese,
and they refreshed themselves.
But now Relya was puzzled what to do about those two orphans. Ever since
they had come down into the valley, Relya’s mind had begun to run once
more upon the castle and upon his promise to his mother that he would
bring her back the Cross and Girdle.
Therefore Relya said to Lavender:
“Listen to me, little girl: you will have to give me the Golden Girdle
and Cross now, you and your brother, because they belong to me.”
“But we belong to you too, my lord,” said Lavender, and looked at Relya
quite astonished, because he had not grasped that before.
Relya laughed, and then he said:
“But I must take the Girdle and Cross to my mother.”
When Lavender heard that, she cried out overjoyed:
“Oh, sir, if you have a mother, do go and bring her here to us, because
we have no mother now.”
A stone would have wept to hear little Lavender speak of her mother in
that poor and bare little cottage! A stone would have wept at the
thought that so lovely a child should be left all alone in the world,
when she turned to Prince Relya and begged him to bring them a mother
because their mother was dead.
Again Relya was filled with pity, so that he almost wept. Therefore he
bade the children good-bye and went away to fetch his mother.