next morning , when the youngest girl did not come to her work , the old woman asked where she was . the sisters pretended not to know , but the old woman easily guessed what had happened , and , as she was in reality a wicked witch , determined to punish the fugitives . accordingly , she collected nine different kinds of enchanters ' nightshade , added some salt , which she first bewitched , and , doing all up in a cloth into the shape of a fluffy ball , sent it after them on the wings of the wind , saying : " whirlwind!-mother of the wind ! lend thy aid against her who sinned ! carry with thee this magic ball . cast her from his arms for ever , bury her in the rippling river . " at midday the prince and his men came to a deep river , spanned by so narrow a bridge that only one rider could cross at a time . the horse on which the prince and the maiden were riding had just reached the middle when the magic ball flew by . the horse in its fright suddenly reared , and before anyone could stop it flung the maiden into the swift current below . the prince tried to jump in after her , but his men held him back , and in spite of his struggles led him home , where for six weeks he shut himself up in a secret chamber , and would neither eat nor drink , so great was his grief . at last he became so ill his life was despaired of , and in great alarm the king caused all the wizards of his country to be summoned . but none could cure him . at last the wind wizard 's son said to the king : " send for the old wizard from finland he knows more than all the wizards of your kingdom put together . " a messenger was at once sent to finland , and a week later the old wizard himself arrived on the wings of the wind . " honored king , " said the wizard , " the wind has blown this illness upon your son , and a magic ball has snatched away his beloved . this is what makes him grieve so constantly . let the wind blow upon him that it may blow away his sorrow . " then the king made his son go out into the wind , and he gradually recovered and told his father all . " forget the maiden , " said the king , " and take another bride " ; but the prince said he could never love another . the prince suddenly remembered the gold - spinners , and said to himself : " if i ride there , maybe they could explain this to me ? " he at once rode to the hut , and found the two maidens at the fountain . he told them what had befallen their sister the year before , and how he had twice heard a strange song , but yet could see no singer . they said that the yellow water - lily could be none other than their sister , who was not dead , but transformed by the magic ball . before he went to bed , the eldest made a cake of magic herbs , which she gave him to eat . in the night he dreamed that he was living in the forest and could understand all that the birds said to each other . next morning he told this to the maidens , and they said that the charmed cake had caused it , and advised him to listen well to the birds , and see what they could tell him , and when he had recovered his bride they begged him to return and deliver them from their wretched bondage . 
the old woman 's magic ball .
what made the youngest maiden turn into a yellow water-lily ?
what made the youngest maiden turn into a yellow water-lily ?