“She now came to a large slimy place in the forest where large, fat water-snakes tumbled (...)

and showed their vile white-yellow bellies. In the middle of this clearing a house had been built of the white bones of shipwrecked human beings, there the sea-witch sat, allowing a toad to eat from her mouth, just as human allow a small canary to eat sugar. The horrible fat water-snakes she called her small chickens and she let them romp around on her large, spongy breast. ‘I know what you want alright!’ the sea-witch said. ‘it’s very stupid of you! but you shall have your will even so, for it will bring you great misfortune, my lovely princess. You want to get rid of your fish’s tail and have two props instead to go around on just like human beings, so that the young prince can fall in love with you and you can have him and an immortal soul!’ And just then the witch cackled so loudly and horribly that the toad and the grass snakes fell to the ground and tossed around there.