very well ; that suited the prince . the next morning at the rising of the sun he started off to find the fir - tree , and there was no trouble in the finding i can tell you , for it was more than a hundred feet high , and as smooth as glass from root to tip . as for climbing it , he might as well have tried to climb a moonbeam , for in spite of all his trying he did nothing but slip and slip . by and by came the swan maiden as she had come before . " do you climb the fir - tree ? " said she . " none too well , " said the king 's son . " then i may help you in a hard task , " said she . she let down the braids of her golden hair , so that it hung down all about her and upon the ground , and then she began singing to the wind . she sang and sang , and by and by the wind began to blow , and , catching up the maiden 's hair , carried it to the top of the fir - tree , and there tied it to the branches . then the prince climbed the hair and so reached the nest . there were the three eggs ; he gathered them , and then he came down as he had gone up . after that the wind came again and loosed the maiden 's hair from the branches , and she bound it up as it was before . " now , listen , " said she to the prince : " when the old witch asks you for the three crow 's eggs which you have gathered , tell her that they belong to the one who found them . she will not be able to take them from you , and they are worth something , i can tell you . " at sunset the old witch came hobbling along , and there sat the prince at the foot of the fir - tree . " have you gathered the crow 's eggs ? " said she . " yes , " said the prince , " here they are in my handkerchief . and now may i have the one who draws the water and builds the fire ? " " yes , " said the old witch , " you may have her ; only give me my crow 's eggs . " " no , " said the prince , " the crow 's eggs are none of yours , for they belong to him who gathered them . " 
to get to the top of the fir - tree .
why did the prince climb the swan maiden's hair ?
why did the prince climb the swan maiden's hair ?